Unlike the rest of their range with large gestures of cask influence, this cask opts for only a little smokiness and peat, mainly on the late palate and finish. At Killowen, despite their love for all styles, they understand some whiskey drinkers reluctance towards peat monsters. Therefore, this expression offers just a small peated kiss that will satisfy ‘peat heads’ while welcoming outliers into the fold. The biggest challenge with this range is maintaining the very high standard of previous releases while making a very different expression. Thankfully the same successful and unique Killowen blend has been introduced to a very different cask and created another top class expression.
From the outset, the guys at Killowen Distillery have been carefully sourcing whiskeys 12, 11 and 10 years old from different distilleries all across Ireland. They also hunt the globe for the finest casks to complement certain flavour notes in the blends. This time they have gone much closer to home, a mere stone’s throw away to a place inextricably linked to Ireland, in all things whiskey and culture – Islay. This small trip has packed a big punch.