Two Stacks Irish Whiskey introduces first speciality cask editions

Two Stacks Irish Whiskey in Northern Ireland has launched two new cask strength products as part of its innovative bonding and bottling operation.

The new premium whiskeys, produced by Killowen Distillery in the Mourne Mountains of county Down under the The Blender’s Cut identity, are speciality cask strength finishes. They are: An Apricot Brandy Cask finished (ABV 63.7), a first for Irish whiskey; and a Tawney Port (ABV 63.7%)

The new whiskeys are individually numbered, boxed and limited to just 222 bottles each. They are produced by Irish Craft Beverages (ICB), an independent bonding, blending and bottling business.

Donal McLynn, an ICB director, explains: “When we started Two Stacks, our ambition was to build a whiskey brand recognised for the quality liquid, transparency in each release, and contemporary eye-catching branding.

 “The release of The Blenders Cut speciality cask finishes is a reflection of those ambitions. While the quality of whiskey and branding are important, the casks we selected for finishing are crucial. The history of the casks, where they were made, where they were used and for how long they were used are vitally important to us,” adds Donal.

Inspired by Irish distilleries and merchants of old and contemporary global brands of new, Two Stacks Irish Whiskey has the ambition to develop a premium brand recognized for quality rather than quantity, attention to detail, and Integrity.

The Blenders Cut – Apricot Brandy Cask Strength is a premium cask strength whiskey that boasts an ABV at 63.7%. It takes the original complex blend of single pot still, double and peated malt, light and dark grain whiskey, aging for 59 days in apricot brandy casks. The whiskey is non-chill-filtered with no added colouring before being hand-bottled.

Donal continues: ‘’The apricot brandy cask caught our eye straight away and was intentionally our first barrel of choice for this series. We were new to this type of cask finish in Irish whiskey, so there certainly was some limited knowledge on flavour expectations when aging. The cask comes from original virgin French oak, medium char, used in the maturation of 5-year-old Ararat Apricot brandy in Armenia. The aging result has given the whiskey a burst of soft honeycomb sweetness and apricot drizzle, really delicious.’’

The Blenders Cut – Tawny Port Cask Strength is a premium cask strength whiskey that boasts an ABV at 63.5% on the market. It takes the original complex blend of single pot still, double and peated malt, light and dark grain whiskey aged for 61 days in Tawny Port. The whiskey is non-chill-filtered with no added colouring before being hand-bottled.

Donal continues: “Tawny Port is something we were a little more familiar with regarding the flavour profile. The cask chosen comes from Jose Maria Da Fonseca winery where it matured a 10-year-old port. When we received delivery of this cask, there was still a few bottles worth of port still in the barrel.  Port finishing is a delicate balancing act, we needed to be careful as to not overkill the whiskey. It was important to keep the integrity of the Blenders Cut but at the same time incorporating those delicious port flavours. Exactly 60 days was enough time in the aging process, and we are extremely happy with the end result.’’