Clonakilty Bordeaux Cask Finish Single Batch Irish Whiskey
Clonakilty · Clonakilty Distillery
A confident, wine-forward Irish blend that punches well above its price point. The Bordeaux casks add welcome structure and depth without smothering the underlying whiskey's approachable character — a smart introduction to the coastal Cork house style.
Nose
Warm baking spice greets first — cinnamon bark, clove, and a whisper of nutmeg — followed by ripe blackcurrant, dark cherry, and a plush note of black tea steeped long. Underneath sits toasted brioche and a light dusting of cocoa.
Palate
Medium-bodied and generously fruited. Stewed plum and blackberry compote lead, layered over vanilla custard, salted caramel, and a firm oak spine. The Bordeaux influence shows in a tannic grip and a note of dried fig, while the grain whiskey lends a soft honeyed sweetness.
Finish
Medium-long, drying gently into dark chocolate, oak char, and a lingering hint of red-wine-soaked cherry.
- Mash Bill
- Blend of triple-distilled single malt (100% malted barley) and single grain (predominantly corn with malted barley)
- Distillation
- Triple-distilled in copper pot stills (malt component) and column still (grain component); Clonakilty's own pot still distillate blended with sourced grain whiskey during the distillery's early years
- Maturation
- Initial maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, followed by a finishing period in first-fill Bordeaux red wine casks sourced from Château estates
- Single Pot Still
- No
- Chill-Filtered
- Non-chill filtered
Cocktail Suggestion
The Wild Atlantic — 2 oz Clonakilty Bordeaux Cask, 0.75 oz sweet vermouth, 0.25 oz crème de cassis, 2 dashes orange bitters. Stir over ice for 30 seconds; strain into a chilled coupe. Express an orange peel over the surface and drop in.
Food Pairing
Seared duck breast with blackberry-port reduction, or a wedge of aged Coolea cheese with fig jam.
Founded in 2019 by the ninth-generation Scully farming family on Ireland's rugged southwest coast, Clonakilty matures much of its stock in a cliffside warehouse where Atlantic salt air seasons every cask.
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Clonakilty Single Grain Bordeaux Cask Finish Irish Whiskey
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Clonakilty's grain whiskey is sourced from barley grown on the Scully family's own coastal farm, and the Bordeaux cask finish adds a vinous dimension that elevates an otherwise straightforward spirit. It's approachable without being simple — a bridge between Irish tradition and continental influence.
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