Glendalough Distillery has announced the launch of a 7-year-old Irish single malt aged in very rare Japanese Mizunara casks sourced from the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
A relentless search for the most flavorful oak in the world took them from their own wooded mountains in Wicklow to those in the volcanic north of Japan, Hokkaido. This is where they found Mizunara, the most sought-after oak in the whiskey world.
As the first Irish whiskey brand to use the rare and exotic Mizunara, they had very much ventured into the unknown. Bringing Irish single malt and Japanese oak together went far off the beaten path, literally, but it has led to this wonderfully different whiskey.
Mizunara’s rarity makes sourcing a great undertaking, but Glendalough was ready for the challenge of being the first Irish whiskey to utilize this oak. The trunks of these uniquely beautiful trees are prone to growing twisted, and they must grow to be twice the age of most oak trees before they can be felled. It then takes three years to dry, and even then, is notoriously difficult to cooper due to its porousness. However, therein lies its saving grace: whiskey can seep deeper into the wood, resulting in an alluring, exotic flavor.
Every whiskey has a story, this one has an epic adventure, worthy of being told over a glass. This whiskey came from a relentless search for the best oak on earth.
Gary McLoughlin – Founder & Marketing Director of Glendalough
TASTING NOTES
NOSE
Vibrant, fruity and floral on the nose.
TASTE
Fresh and citrussy with orchard fruits. A luxuriously smooth mouthfeel. Biscuity malt throughout. Vanilla, fudge and honey from the bourbon cask. The mizunara brings dark chocolate orange, sandalwood and cinnamon.
FINISH
An exceptionally long finish of toasted oak and oriental spices, with the dark chocolate lingering even longer.
Did you know? Mizunara is rare and expensive. It rarely grows straight, in fact it takes 200 years to grow old enough at all. Meaning “water oak” it takes 3 years to dry, before being notoriously hard to cooper. And after all that, the wood is so porous, it leaks worse than any other oak. But therein lies it’s saving grace. More whiskey gets deeper into the wood bringing more of its wonderfully exotic flavour out. However, it is a whiskey better tasted than talked about.
Glendalough 7-year-old Single Malt Mizunara Finish will be available from Celtic Whiskey Shop, O’Briens, Irishmalts, James Fox, and all good independent off-licences priced at €85 from February 25th.
For further information on this release and the Glendalough Distillery, visit here
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