The Irishman 12 Year Old - Florio Marsala Cask Finish (56% ABV) Limited to just 320 bottles, is a single malt, which was produced using whiskey which was matured for at least 12 years in American oak bourbon barrels, before being finished in a single Marsala hogshead cask from the Florio winery in Sicily.
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| The Irishman 12 Year Old Florio Marsala Cask Finish & The Irishman Founder's Reserve Florio Marsala Cask Finish |
The Irishman Founder’s Reserve - Florio Marsala Cask Finish (46% ABV) Limited to 2,970 bottles, is a blend comprised of 70% single malt and 30% single pot still whiskey, which was bottled last month after 12 months finishing in Marsala hogshead casks.
The creation of these latest whiskeys from the Royal Oak, County Carlow based distillery, began in 2015 when Bernard Walsh went to the Florio winery in the town of Marsala in Sicily as part of his international research into new cask finishes for his portfolio of whiskeys which has also seen him visit Spain, France, Portugal, St. Lucia, China, Kentucky and other parts of Italy.
During a tasting of the famously sweet Marsala wines in the Florio cellars, he became convinced of the potential for an exciting expression to result from finishing his signature whiskey, The Irishman Founder’s Reserve, in Marsala wine casks.
Following the tasting, Bernard personally selected the 10 hogshead casks for return to Ireland for filling with The Irishman Founder’s Reserve. He made a last-minute decision to add one more twist to the innovation by assigning one of the hogshead casks to be filled with The Irishman 12 Year Old Single Malt for a minimum 12 months finish.
Commenting on the launch, Bernard Walsh, Founder of Walsh Whiskey, said: “I have always loved sweet tasting wines, so I was drawn to the Marsala from the outset, but I didn’t want it to overpower The Irishman expressions either. I am delighted that we have achieved two beautifully balanced whiskeys which we are proud to make the ninth and tenth expressions in our portfolio.”
The Irishman 12 Year Old - Florio Marsala Cask Finish and The Irishman Founder’s Reserve - Florio Marsala Cask Finish, will be available in existing markets later this month. RRP’s (tbc).
Posted by Steve Rush