Single Pot Still Ximenez Spinola Cask

240 litres | Distilled 16.08.2023 | Bond Code CW000873

About Our Pedro Ximenez Casks

These 240-245 litre casks were specially sourced Pedro Ximenez sweet sherry casks from Ximenez Spinola (PX Sherry specialists in Jerez). Each cask has held sherry for a long period of time. 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.

Pedro Ximenez casks are currently riding a wave of popularity for whiskey maturation. Surprisingly to most consumers, is that Pedro Ximenez is a white grape variety. It is grown throughout Andalucia but the area producing the sweetest & richest examples is Montilla-Moriles. After the PX or Pedro Ximenez grapes are picked, they are then left to dry in the sun which reduces the freshly picked grapes to become more raisin like. This process is called Asoleo and concentrates both the sugar and the acidity. Once pressed, these concentrated grapes are fermented in such a way that only part of the sugar is converted into alcohol leaving extremely high sugar levels. The wine is then aged oxidatively which produces very dark wines that are syrupy, super sweet, concentrated with flavours of figs, raisins, chocolate and coffee. The resultant PX casks can add very rich flavours to the whiskey that’s matured in them.

Triple distilled whiskey is what Ireland has become most famous for but it’s triple distilled single pot still that is unique. Single Pot Still spirit is made by using a combination of malted and unmalted barley. Other cereals can be added but on this occasion it is a mix of the two types of barley. The unmalted barley gives the spirit its oily & spicy character. The triple distillation gives a mellow more fragrant character.

Triple Distilled Single Pot Still Production

You could say that Single Pot Still Whiskey was an early tax avoidance scheme. A tax was introduced in 1785 on the use of malted barley, so by using 50% unmalted barley the tax bill was dramatically reduced. Although this tax was later repealed, the popularity of the style remains to this day. Great Northern Distillery source Irish barley some of which is malted in Ireland. The grains are wet milled, breaking open the grains to form a grist. Mashing is when this grist is mixed with hot water in the lauter tun which then turns the starch into a sugary liquid called wort. The wort is then converted into a beer-like liquid once yeast is added. The yeast converts the sugar into alcohol and it's now called wash. The wash is then triple distilled in Great Northern’s giant copper pot stills. The spirit is put into cask at 63% abv and in this occasion will be casked in a first fill American Bourbon barrel.

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

Aromas: A good fruity signature with aromas of almonds, plum jam, hazelnut paste, linseeds, apricots, apples and pears. 

Palate: Soft, mouth-filling and already showing some maturity. Flavours of morello cherries, amaretto, almonds, plums and damsons. 

Finish: Red fruits and a gentle touch of spice

Note: the certificate image is for illustrative purposes only and the actual cask size is 240L