Limavady Single Barrel Irish Whiskey - 46%
From the distillery website
With a nod to the past and a great vision for the future.
Our Master Distiller, Darryl McNally, is fulfilling his lifelong dream to craft his own exceptional whiskey, by combining the precision of a whiskey Master and the spirit of Limavady’s namesake.
Limavady will satisfy serious whiskey lovers but fits the bill for everyday enjoyment with whomever you choose to bring to the table.
- 100% Irish Barley
- Small Batch Triple Distilled
- Aged in Bourbon Barrels & Finished in PX Sherry Casks
- 846 Bottles Per Barrel
Tasting notes
Appearance: Bright gold, forms a thin line which beads before falling as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Caramel, runny honey, vanilla pods and a touch of coconut cream.
Palate: Crème brûlée, heavy on the vanilla, together with succulent raisins and sultanas, malted milk biscuits, floral honey and warming cinnamon.
Finish: Slightly drying nuttiness, milk chocolate coated almonds, cinnamon, ginger and more of those dried fruits and a mild herbal note at the close.
Overall: One of the perks of travelling for business is that it sometimes gives me the opportunity to try local whiskies that might normally pass me by. And so it was with this one, on a recent trip to Northern Ireland I was staying in a hotel close to the town of Limavady and spied a bottle of the same name behind the bar.
The name Limavady comes from the Gaelic Leim an Mhadaidh meaning ‘Leap of the Dog’ and traces its origins back to a legend of an Irish Wolfhound leaping across a raging river to warn his clan of an ambush. The strikingly designed bottle bears reference to the Leap, together with a statement that “Limavady is an independent whisky initiative realised in partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey”.
Although once a big name in Irish Whiskey from 1750 to around 1915, and producing 1.2 million gallons per year, there currently is no Limavady Distillery so it would be safe to say what we have is a whiskey which has been sourced from elsewhere. However, that seems set to change as it was recently announced they’ve secured planning permission to build a new distillery just a few miles further north at Magilligan.
Described as a single barrel whiskey, this particular one being Barrel Number 112, and bottled at 46% with no age statement. This is one I would describe as an enjoyable session whiskey, lovely mouthfeel and enough in there to please the palate. Well balanced, with the bourbon cask doing the heavy lifting whilst the PX brings enough dried fruit to justify its inclusion. Priced around the £40-45 mark, which seems pretty reasonable for the quality.
If you would like more information on this whisky or the Limavady brand, follow the link to the company website.
