Two great whiskies to try from Fercullen and Bushmills

Whiskies finished in various kinds of wood have been with us a while and are currently very popular with Irish distilleries for good reason. Almost all Irish whiskey is initially aged in used bourbon casks. As all bourbon must be aged for a period in new American oak casks, there is a ready supply available most of the time. The majority of Irish distilleries are still only a few years old and are waiting for their own whiskey to mature.

In the meantime, finishing a bought-in whiskey in various other used barrels allows them to put a unique stamp to their product, provides cashflow and builds brand recognition. The most popular finishes are sherry and port, but everything from Madeira, Chardonnay, Sauternes to rum has been used.

Fercullen, a beautiful distillery based in the equally beautiful grounds of Powerscourt in Co Wicklow has released the first in what it promises will be a series of three limited edition whiskies. This release, made from equal proportions of barrels from 2010, 2011 and 2012 has spent the last 18 months in Amarone casks. Wine lovers will know that Amarone is a powerful red wine from the Valpolicella region of Italy, made from partially dried grapes. It adds a pleasing soft fruitiness to the vanilla spice and milk chocolate of the whiskey. It is being sold for €75 a bottle from the distillery online or specialist spirit retailers.

Bushmills

Earlier this year, Bushmills released the second in their Original Cask Finish Range. Following on from the Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, we now have the American Oak Cask Single Malt.

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This is the result of their long partnership with legendary barrel maker Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky. Apparently, the towns of Bushmills and Louisville were twinned in 2008. The whiskey is first aged in bourbon casks before being finished in double-charred American oak barrels. This gives it an extra smoothness with notes of vanilla, caramel and toasted wood. Bushmills American Oak Cask Finish is widely available for €30 a bottle.