I went to the liquor store a couple of nights ago and grabbed a bottle, or should I call it 'the' bottle of Knappogue Irish Castle 1995 they had on the shelves. Sadly and surprisingly, it was the only one there and I had wanted to buy 2 because I had a bit of extra cash. Well, I guess the reason there was only a single bottle was because they had many bottles of newly labeled bottles saying ‘Aged 12 Years’ Knappogue Irish Whiskey. Seems the folks at the castle have decided to do away with the vintage year, for the most part except for special batches, and now put the age of the booze on the bottle. If they had to put the age on the bottle, I wish they would have also kept the year of production. I went ahead and bought one of each. I'll not open the 1995 bottle until a special occasion, maybe like being thirsty someday, and for now have only cracked the seal the one labeled ‘Aged 12 Years’.
Last night, I enjoyed a dollop or two of the 12 year old liquid refreshment. It isn't bad, in fact it was quite delicious, but I'll be damned if anyone thinks it tastes the same as the 1995 batch. It is harsher, more Scotch like. I imagine that the somewhat slightly darker color of the 12 year old over the 1995 pale golden nectar should have been a clue. It is not much different in color or in shade but there is a difference. Where the vintage marked potion was a pale golden yellow, the aged spirit has a slightly reddish tinge added in its look. You probably would not notice unless you held the two bottles side by side, but when I looked at the new one, I noticed it right away. Now don't get me wrong, it tastes good, looks good and is pleasant in the old sniffer.Here is how they describe it at the Kanppogue Castle web site:
Color: Lovely pale straw/yellow color reminiscent of muscadet white wine; ideal purity.
Okay I could go with them on the color, but it definitely is a bit reddish compared to their 1995 dated whiskey.
Aroma: Opening inhalations encounter richly biscuity and malty/grainy/breakfast cereal aromas. Several minutes of air contact adds intriguing pepper/vegetal and spice notes.
I always find the descriptions of aromas and tastes rather comical to ludicrous when it comes to describing the tastes of what distillers want you to believe is a fine spirit -well maybe now I should say almost always. I think it smells like a mellow, clean tasting whiskey would smell, with a bit of the scent of the forest on a damp fall day added in. After a bit more sniffing though, I will admit, I began to enjoy the aroma of caramelized sugar atop a hot spiced bun.
Taste: Entry is balanced, focused, and integrated, slightly astringent and nicely fruity. Midpalate has delicate tastes of marshmallow, brown sugar, oaky vanilla, and marzipan.
Here is where I can start laughing, not a cynical mocking laugh but one of simple amusement because I usually find such descriptions absurd; yet, amazingly enough I can agree with them on some of what they claim. I don't know about marzipan or marshmallow but there certainly is the astringent value, or in other words a clean crisp whiskey flavor that first greets your taste buds. Then it does, if you swirl it round a bit then push it up against your palate with your tongue, change to a somewhat brown sugar or caramelized sugar flavor mixed with and earthy vanilla flavor. It is not so much oak like as it is fall forest like, but then again there are lots of oak leaves on the forest floor I'm thinking about. I have to say that for once I almost agree with the distillers claims as to aroma and taste; I find that amazing since I usually find such descriptions to be little more than the fruity opinions of fruitcakes.
Comment: A polished and mature Irish single malt whiskey selected and bottled at the ideal age. One of the best Knappogue Castle bottlings to date. Excellent Value.
As for their comment, let me add my own: It is a bit different from the 1995 but still is damned fine whiskey, worth the money, and well worth the effort to go out to find. It goes over the tongue easily and goes down just as easy, and when you wake up the next day - well it leaves me just as easy headed as did the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey although I truly only drank a small dollop or two. Now, for all I know, the stuff marked as 'Aged 12 Years' could be the very same stuff as that labeled '1995' and any difference I am seeing, smelling and tasting could be due to the same whiskey from different barrels. Yet, I do see, scent and taste a difference.
I think the Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Aged 12 Years is excellent. While I think this newer one may be almost the equal of their 1995, just having its own personality as any 12 year old is sure to have, I am fairly certain it will never replace the 1995 vintage Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey as my favorite Irish whiskey to date. I am pretty certain though that, the Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, Aged 12 Years, comes as close to equaling or beating out the 1995 as is heavenly allowable.
All the best,
Glenn B
3 comments:
I've never had the pleasure of trying Knappoque 12 yr, but will keep and eye open for it.
Have you ever tried Tullamore Dew 12 year? There's a huge difference in it and the normal stuff.
Not to be critical, but how can you say distiller's descriptions are ludicrous when your own descriptors involve "the scent of forest on a damp fall day"?
First of all, I can say it because I can say whatever I want.
Secondly, I did not say they were ludicrous - did I? I would have sworn I said essentially that 'I thought they were ludicrous' - there is quite the difference in stating fact and opinion.
Thirdly, I can give my opinion that they are ludicrous because for the most part I find their descriptions are just that for me. Why? Their whiskey does not usually match their description of it in the aroma nor taste department when on my palate. When they tell me their whiskey tastes like raspberries with a hint of cherry and mocha and a scent of fine corinthian leather - well I just think they are full of shit.
On the other hand, they almost all do have an oak like quality to them, and a somewhat musty aroma and taste to them. Thus the forest floor like aroma and fall forest like taste. I would imagine that atually comes from aging for 12 years inside of oak casks. Of course, to taste any of that you need to really swirl the stuff around several times across your tongue and under your palate and through your teeth {or dentures}, maybe sometimes even through your tonsils and down your gullet. In other words, maybe even after having drunk a few good drams of it first to get in the mood so to speak. I imagine if you drink it in the right atmosphere it may even taste fruity and leathery but that has not happened for me yet.
The truth is, for me, this whiskey does have a rather forest floor like aroma hidden withn the smell of the alcohol and yes you, or at least I, can taste a vanilla and caramelized sugar taste in it. I have yet to taste berries of any sort in a whiskey but as I sort of said above, maybe I have not done enough tasting of it in the right atmosphere.
Now, let me go back to the part lof the sentence you apparently missed just before I mentioned the word ludicrous - the word comical -and allow me to brandish my own form of dry drinking humor as I see fit!
All the best,
GB
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