The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Cask Finish
Irish WhiskeyIssue 136

Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Cask Finish

Tyrconnell · Cooley Distillery

92 proof10 YearCounty Louth, Ireland
The port cask finish adds complexity without masking the whiskey's essential double-distilled character. This is Cooley at its most approachable — a whiskey that demonstrates how thoughtful cask finishing can add dimension to an already solid malt. Non-chill filtered at 46%, it rewards neat exploration.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe peach and dried berry fruit from the port cask, layered with honeycomb and vanilla. Beneath, a gentle earthiness and a hint of clove spice keep it grounded.

Palate

Silky and medium-bodied. The port influence brings dark fruit and a mild cocoa bitterness, while the malt backbone supplies buttery shortbread and a flash of orange zest. Well-integrated wood tannins provide structure.

Finish

Medium-long, with dried fruit and vanilla fading into a subtle smokiness and dry oak tannin.

Specifications
Distillation
Double distilled in copper pot stills
Maturation
Initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in port pipes
Single Pot Still
No
Chill-Filtered
No
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Port Road Sour — 2 oz Tyrconnell 10 Port Cask · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.5 oz ruby port syrup · 1 egg white · Dry shake, then shake with ice, double strain into a coupe, dash of Angostura on foam.

Food Pairing

The port-influenced dark fruit profile complements rich duck confit, while the whiskey's citrus brightness cuts through the fat. A cherry reduction sauce bridges both elements.

The Story

Named after a racehorse that won at 100-to-1 odds in 1876, the Tyrconnell brand was resurrected at Cooley Distillery, Ireland's first independent distillery of the modern era, founded in 1987 on the Cooley Peninsula.

Train These Aromas
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