Celtic Cask Crafts Ireland’s Best Small Batch Irish Whiskeys

Celtic Cask is a specialty Irish whiskey bottler associated with the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin. This brand is known for its limited edition, high-quality Irish whiskeys, often aged in unique and carefully selected casks. Each expression in the Celtic Cask series is individually numbered, with only a few hundred bottles released for each. The casks in which these whiskeys are matured include ones that previously held sherry, wine, or other spirits, giving each bottling a distinctive character. Below are tasting notes on the most recent set of releases.

Celtic Cask Small Batch Irish Whiskeys: Tasting Notes

Irish whiskey entrepreneur Ally Alpine founded Celtic Cask. He is the proprietor of The Celtic Whisky, Ireland's largest whiskey retailer, and a perennial winner of the Best Irish Whiskey Retailer. He is also the prime mover behind the Irish Whiskey Awards, Ireland's most prestigious whiskey competition.

Cask 43, Daichead a Trí, 18 YO, 48.45%, 700 ml.

A 2003 triple-distilled whiskey matured for 17 years in a first-fill ex-bourbon cask and then finished in a Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry Cask for a year. This expression is rich and indulgent, featuring notes of dark chocolate, dried raisins and figs, ripe pear, cooked peaches, apricot jam, and a hint of coffee.

The sherry influence is pronounced, adding a deep sweetness and complexity to the palate, showcasing dark fruits, milk chocolate, cinnamon, and allspice. The finish is sweet and smooth, with lingering dried fruit notes and well-seasoned oak notes.

Celtic Cask 44 Daichead a Ceathair, 9 YO, 55.34% ABV, 700 ml.

This whiskey is a 2014 triple distillation finished in Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry Cask. The nose offers a sweet and spicy profile with layers of caramel, spices, dark fruits, blackberry jam, and licorice. The palate is syrupy with a distinctive mouth-coating weight that features cigar box notes, dark fruits, dried cherry, roasted nuts, cinnamon, and exotic spices. The finish is long and smooth, with lingering notes of cinnamon and clove.

Celtic Cask 45 Daichead a Cúig, 21 YO, 52.1% ABV, 700 ml.

Distilled in 2002, it was aged in a first-fill ex-bourbon cask for 13 years. It was then finished in a 53-liter Oloroso Sherry Cask. This is a robust and warming whiskey with notes of dried fruits, nuts, dates, fig paste, brown sugar, and a touch of oak. The Oloroso cask imparts a rich nuttiness and a slight dryness on the palate, balancing the spirit's inherent sweetness. It's sweet and syrupy, featuring dark fruit notes of blueberry, prune, dried blackcurrant, roasted nuts, and dark chocolate. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering dried dark fruit notes.

Celtic Cask 46 Daichead a Sé, 31 YO, 50.5% Abv, 700 ml.

Distilled in 1991 and matured for 22 years in an ex-bourbon cask before being finished in a 500-liter Quinta de Noval Port Cask for nine years. This expression is extremely complex. It has notes of red berries, plums, figs, apricots, licorice, and a slight earthiness from the port cask. The palate is full-bodied, sweet, fruity, and syrupy with a pronounced mouth weight. The long, fruity finish carries hints of exotic spices and seasoned oak.

Celtic Cask 47 Daichead a Seacht, 7 YO, 58.92% ABV, 700 ml.

Distilled in 2016 at Great Northern Distillery using heavily peated malted barley, the whiskey was finished in an Oloroso Sherry Cask. A unique combination of peat smoke and sherry sweetness, this whiskey offers a smoky nose with underlying notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits, and a touch of leather. The palate is rich, balanced with smoke, cinnamon, and dried dark fruit sweetness, leading to a warm, lingering finish.

Celtic Cask 48 Daichead a Hocht, 20 YO, 50.12% ABV, 700 ml

Distilled in 2003, the whiskey underwent two separate cask finishes. It was originally matured in ex-bourbon casks for eight years before being transferred in 2011 to an Anima Negra French oak red wine barrel from Mallorca. In December 2021, it was transferred to a Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask for an additional 23 months of finishing.

The whisky features notes of cooked cereal, caramel, roasted almonds, milk chocolate, and herbal notes of black tea. It's sweet and fruity on the palate with a pronounced viscosity and mouth weight, featuring dark fruit flavors, freshly baked croissants, roasted nuts, caramel, and a slight spiciness. The finish is rich and sweet with lingering dark fruit notes.

Celtic Cask 49 Daichead a Naoi, 22 YO, 52.43% ABV, 700 ml.

Distilled in 2001 at the Cooley Distillery, Cask 49 was matured for 17 years in an ex-bourbon barrel. In 2021, it was transferred to a 125-litre Oloroso Sherry cask for an additional two years of aging. The whiskey features dried dark fruit, caramel, and cooked cereal/bread notes on the nose. The palate features red berries and dark dried fruits along with caramel. It's oily and syrupy with a pronounced mouth weight and a long, sweet, fruity finish.

Celtic Cask 50 Caoga , 9 YO, 58.1% ABV, 700 ml.

The whisky was triple distilled in 2014 at the Dingle Distillery. It was matured in French virgin Oak casks from Nevers before being transferred to Pedro Ximenez casks in 2021 for an additional year of aging.

The whisky is rich, intense, viscous, and full-bodied, with layers of dark chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, and spice on the nose and the palate. The palate also features notes of candied orange zest, toasted French baguette, and distinctive spice notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. The finish is long and sweet with lingering notes of nuts, orange zest, and dark dried fruit.

Celtic Cask 51 Caoga a Haon, 22 YO, 47.18% ABV, 700 ml.

Distilled in 2001 and matured for 14 years in a first-fill ex-bourbon cask. A portion was transferred to a 53-liter Oloroso cask in 2015 for an additional eight years of maturation. It's sweet and aromatic on the nose, with aromas of red berries, freshly baked croissants, and caramel. The palate is robust and syrupy with a pronounced mouth-coating viscosity that features dried dark fruits, caramel, some charred oak, and hints of old leather. The finish is extremely long and flavorful, with lingering notes of dark dried fruits.

Celtic Cask 52, Caoga a Do, 16 YO, 56.8% ABV, 700 ml.

The whiskey was triple-distilled in 2007. It spent six years in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to a 500-liter ex-Amontillado solera cask from Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo. The whiskey features aromas of nuts, dried stone, and black fruits, along with milk chocolate notes. It's drier on the palate, featuring notes of nuts, dried dark fruits, caramel, and a hint of spice. It's oily and viscous with a distinctive mouth weight. The Amontillado cask imparts a complex, nuanced finish with subtle earthy tones, nuts, and a slightly savory element.

Celtic Cask 53, Caoga a Do, 2001 Amontillado Cask, 23 YO, 56.8% ABV, 700 ml.

Celtic Cask #53 was matured in French and virgin Irish oak. This gives it a distinctive character, balancing sweet and spicy notes with a solid woody foundation. It offers aromas of orchard fruits, vanilla, and gentle spice, followed by honey, malt, and oak flavors.

The nose features a rich fruitiness, followed by a velvety texture with notes of citrus, honey, and subtle spices on the palate. The finish is long and complex, with lingering oak and spice.

Celtic Cask 54, Caoga Ceathair, 2009 Amarone Cask, 15 YO, 56% ABV, 700 ml.

Celtic Cask #54 is a single-grain whiskey from the Cooley Distillery. It was initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in an ex-Amarone wine cask for approximately seven years.

The nose features plum jam, vanilla, and spice notes of mace, nutmeg, and cola. The whiskey is medium-bodied, fruity, and spicy on the palate, with creamy vanilla, well-seasoned oak, prunes, popcorn, and assorted wood spices. The finish is long and spicy, with lingering notes of seasoned oak.

Celtic Cask 55, Caoga A Cuis, 2001 Single Cask No. 0465, 23 YO, 52% ABV, 700 ml.

Celtic Cask #55 is a single cask bottling of a Cooley single malt whiskey. It matured for 14 years in an ex-bourbon cask before finishing in a Mongeard Mugneret red Burgundy cask from 2015 to 2021 and then three years in a Pedro Ximenez cask.

The nose features caramel, dark chocolate, toffee fudge, dates, fig jam, charred oak, and old leather. The whiskey is sweet and full-bodied on the palate, featuring roasted nuts, chocolate, dates, seasoned oak, cold smoke, and old leather. The finish is long with lingering charred oak and chocolate notes.

Celtic Cask 56, Caoga Se, 2002 Single Cask 0014, 22 YO, 47.1% ABV, 700 ml

Celtic Cask #56 matured in an ex-bourbon cask before finishing in a 53-liter, ex-Vin Santo sweet wine cask from 2015 to 2024.

The nose features orchard and citrus fruits, dates, raisins, grilled pineapple, and caramel. The whiskey is sweet, oily, and syrupy on the palate, exhibiting spiced and dried fruits, especially apricots, exotic spices, and hot cross buns/cinnamon rolls. The finish is long and sweet with a layered complexity and lingering dried fruit notes.