Hinch 18 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Hinch · Hinch Distillery (sourced from Cooley Distillery)
Hinch's 18-year-old single malt demonstrates what Irish whiskey can achieve when given time and careful cask management. The Cooley-distilled spirit has developed real depth without losing the approachability that defines the category. At this price point for an 18-year-old, it represents serious value.
Nose
Orchard fruit and honeycomb open the glass, followed by toasted almond and a gentle wave of vanilla custard. A thread of dried apricot and clove appears with time, adding complexity without heaviness.
Palate
Rounded and graceful, with cooked peach and butterscotch leading into darker notes of cocoa and roasted hazelnut. The oak influence is present but disciplined — it adds structure rather than dominating. A touch of orange zest brightens the mid-palate.
Finish
Long and warming, with lingering malt sweetness, a whisper of clove spice, and dried fruit echoes.
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills at Cooley Distillery
- Maturation
- Aged 18 years in ex-bourbon casks with a finishing period in Oloroso sherry butts
- Single Pot Still
- No
- Chill-Filtered
- Non-chill filtered
Food Pairing
The tart's frangipane filling mirrors the whiskey's toasted almond and malt notes, while the tender poached pear echoes the fruit-forward palate and honeyed sweetness.
Hinch Distillery, established on the Killaney Estate in County Down, sources aged stock from Cooley while building inventory from its own stills — a pragmatic bridge between ambition and the reality of whiskey's long maturation timeline.
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