Clonakilty Port Cask Finish Irish Whiskey

Slight cinnamon note, followed by a vanilla fruit, light

Pleasant nose with subtle vanilla tones and sweetness

In the summer of 2020, I’d purchased the Clonakilty Bordeaux Cask Strength 9 Year Single Grain we had available in local stores as a FW&GS exclusive. At the time, I was into these bottles, since such bottlings generally provide a unique experience. While I don’t have that bottle to taste anymore and make a comparison, what was most notable was that it felt fresh on the tongue. The proof was 112 yet not overwhelming, and it was both creamy and fruity, like strawberries in cream. The finish was peppery, and overall, it was the type of bottle I was glad to have partaken of, but not sure I would purchase again. It did make me curious about Clonakilty, a word I really like and a brand I’d never encountered before. The stores here were carrying two other bottlings: the Port Cask Finished Irish and a Single Grain Bordeaux Cask Finish at 87 proof. They were both $52.99 and for a while I wasn’t sure I wanted to drop that much on what might turn out to be, despite my enjoyment of the Cask Strength version of the latter, an experiment. But when the Port Cask dropped by $10 on clearance, I nabbed it straight away, and nosing it now, I have no regrets on spending $42 for a bottle of this quality. The port cask influence is immediately apparent. The nose is rich with fruit, wine with a lingering trace of something vegetal, grassy and fresh and not at all clashing with the fruit but balanced with it, augmenting. Oddly, I want to say it’s the faint trace of fresh cut asparagus. I’m not sure if that will put people off, but the nose is definitely one of the finer and more unique noses I’ve ever experienced in an Irish whisky. Proceeding to the palate, we find the same fruit flavors, mostly berry but also the red apple one expects with an Irish whisky as well as an edge of cereal grain, which, to an extent, makes me think of a higher quality Tullamore D.E.W., although this doesn’t taste like Tully 12, which is the only higher quality Tully I’ve yet had. There’s a slight edge of bite from the alcohol that I don’t actually remember being there with the cask strength Clonality, which is odd and which is also preventing me from ranking this slightly higher than I am. I’m thinking that the bite is coming from the bottle’s youth (unlike the Cask Strength version, this one doesn't carry an age statement), though while this might not be as smooth as something like Knappogue Castle 12, I find it more interesting, and would likely opt for another bottle of Clonakilty over venturing there again. The finish is moderate in length, and the alcohol bite on the tongue evolves into black pepper with the fruit fading. In the end, I’m not sure I’m going to rush out to purchase the regular strength Bordeaux Cask bottling anytime soon (unless it goes on clearance), but this certainly has me wondering if I should maybe dip into the Cask Strength version again, with a view on seeing if I missed something the last time around. Might sound funny but even in the two years since I’ve had that, I feel like my ability to tease out flavors and pinpoint an overall sense of my enjoyment of whisky has evolved, and with 80 or so bottles still available online, it does have me wondering if maybe the Cask Strength Bordeaux Finished version wasn’t a hidden gem or diamond in the rough that I should try picking up again.

There’s a powerful fruity note on the nose which reminds me of powdered kool-aid fruit punch mix. It dissipates with time in the glass allowing some honey and vanilla to poke through. Semi-sweet, a little viscous and peppery with vanilla and strawberry notes on the palate. Medium finish is slightly bitter and peppery.