Single Grain Palo Cortado Sherry Cask

231 litres | Cask 465738 | Distilled 14.08.2023 | Bond Code CW000825

About Our Palo Cortado Casks

These 225-231 litre casks have been cut down from larger casks that were used to mature high-quality Palo Cortado Sherry. Each cask has held sherry for a long period of time, at least 15 years. They have a lot more activity within the wood than standard casks, making them suitable for accelerated ageing and early bottling. Similar to some of our own small barrels that we have used for our award-winning Celtic Cask series we are confident that customers will be happy and rewarded with some excellent whiskey once bottled.

Palo Cortado is the rarest variety of sherry . It is initially aged under flor with the expectation to become a fino or amontillado, but the cask inexplicably loses its veil of flor and begins to age oxidatively as an oloroso. The wine develops some of the richness of oloroso, whilst retaining some of the crispness of amontillado.

Single Grain Production

Single Grain Whiskey is mainly used in blends in Ireland and forms the backbone of most well known brands. However, Single Grain whiskey can be delicious when aged in quality casks and given time to mature.

At Great Northern Distillery, the Irish grain spirit is produced from maize and lesser amount of Irish malted barley. The grains are hammer milled at the distillery before mashing takes place to produce a wort. Fermentation takes place in the stainless steel washbacks when yeast is added to the wort. Once the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol the wort turns into what’s known as wash. The wash is then distilled in the three large vertical continuous stills. The distillation ABV is 94% before being reduced to 68.5% using pure reverse osmosis water. The spirit is then casked in first fill American Bourbon casks which hold approx. 200 litres.

Tasting note of a 3 year-old single grain from Great Northern that was matured in a first fill bourbon cask.

Aromas: Fruity and herbal aromas. Touches of mint, limes, almonds, pears, green apples, pineapple skin, guava and passion fruit. 

Palate: Soft and fruity but with a slight prickle of spice and minty herbs. Flavours of fresh herbs, green pineapple, agave syrup, vanilla and ginger. 

Finish: Mellow and spicy with a little spice and oak tannin.