Knappogue Castle 1951 Pure Pot Still

The 1951 Knappogue Castle now has a legendary status amongst Irish whiskeys. The old Tullamore Distillery closed permanently in 1954 yet some casks were liberated by various entrepreneurs for maturation. Mark Edwin Andrews was one of these people having returned to the land of his ancestors from America to live in Knappogue Castle in County Clare. He managed to source a number of casks from different vintages, most of these were given away as gifts or were used for personal consumption. After 36 years in casks he released the 1951 commercially in 1987. To this day the 1951 vintage of Knappogue Castle is still regarded as one of the finest whiskeys ever made, it is by no means perfect but its imperfections are what makes it so interesting! Old whiskeys can be an acquired taste and are not for everyone, expect to find lots of oak and spice flavours with this.

See product details

Product Archives

The product details are for information purposes only. It is no longer available for sale, but you may be able to find in on our auction site.

Visit Celtic Whiskey Auctions

Product Details

Tasting Notes from Celtic Whiskey Shop and Wines on the Green

Taste

Fact Sheet

Fluid 75 cl

Alcohol % 40%

Producer Castle Brands

FAQs

How to drink Irish Whiskey?

Irish whiskey is most honestly assessed neat at room temperature in a tulip glass, where the full aromatic profile can develop. Adding a few drops of room temperature water to a pot still or single malt expression above 46% ABV opens the ester character and integrates the oak. Over a large ice sphere it becomes a more contemplative drink that evolves as the temperature rises. Avoid adding ice to aged or premium expressions: the cold contracts the spirit and suppresses the complexity you paid for.

Is Irish whiskey gluten free?

Yes. Irish whiskey is distilled from a grain mash, typically malted barley with or without unmalted barley, grain, or corn, and the distillation process removes gluten proteins to below detectable levels. All major Irish whiskey producers including Irish Distillers, Midleton, Teeling, and Bushmills consider their products gluten free under current food safety standards. Individuals with clinically confirmed coeliac disease should consult their medical advisor before consuming any grain distilled spirit.

What is a good Irish whiskey?

The most consistently excellent Irish whiskeys across price points are Redbreast 12 Year Old as the benchmark single pot still, Yellow Spot 12 Year Old for sherry cask complexity, Midleton Very Rare for aged prestige, and Teeling Single Grain as an underrated value option. For under €40, Powers Gold Label and Jameson 18 Year Old represent excellent value for their respective categories. The single pot still style using both malted and unmalted barley is Ireland's most distinctive and most rewarding contribution to world whiskey.

What is Irish whiskey?

Irish whiskey is a legally defined spirit produced on the island of Ireland from a yeast fermented grain mash, distilled to under 94.8% ABV, and matured for a minimum of three years in wooden casks on the island of Ireland. The five recognised styles are single malt, single grain, single pot still, blended, and blended malt. Triple distillation, used by the majority of Irish producers, and the use of a proportion of unmalted barley in the single pot still style are the defining technical characteristics of the category.