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Glendalough double barrel Irish whiskey review

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Glendalough double barrel Irish whiskey review

Richard Davie – Drinks writer

Partial to a drop of whiskey? Read our review of Glendalough double barrel single grain, a great introduction to Irish whiskey for lovers of bourbon.

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Glendalough double barrel Irish whiskey – 42% ABV

Overall rating: 4/5

Glendalough was founded in 2011 by five friends, and is situated in County Wicklow – the business takes its name from two lakes in the hills of a national park there, while the striking branding uses an image of the holy man associated with the area, Saint Kevin.

The Glendalough distillery is still being commissioned, so the double barrel variety is a single-grain whiskey sourced from another distillery, as the company's own stock will take a few years to mature. After the original aging in bourbon barrels, the whiskey gets an additional six months in oloroso sherry casks.

The final product is deep gold in colour, and on the nose has vanilla notes, with a creamy smoothness and an almost chocolatey finish. There's also a touch of pear drops, some nuttiness, caramel, honey, malt and dried fruit rounding it out, with a little spice, too.

That creamy element continues on the palate, with more vanilla and dried fruit, plus a little coffee and a touch of brown-sugar sweetness. This all contributes to the whiskey's full body.

It finishes ever so slightly hot, before the smooth, decadent body rolls along, with nuttiness and some woody spice drying it out at the end.

The perfect pour

Swap this whiskey in for the bourbon in a boulevardier (equal parts whiskey, bitters and vermouth) for a twist on the transatlantic classic.

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This review was last updated in August 2019. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.