Killowen Signature Rum & Raisin Batch 2 (50cl, 55%)

A 5-year-old single malt whiskey from a neighbouring distillery in County Louth, selected by Brendan Carty and married from Killowen dark rum and PX sherry casks. Batch 2 produced 660 bottles of 0.5 litres each, bottled at cask strength of 55% with no colouring. The dark rum cask was formerly a bourbon barrel and the sherry cask held 120 litres. Killowen is located in the Mourne Mountains in County Down, Northern Ireland. Brendan Carty, a trained architect, designed the distillery himself, and its two hand-made copper pot stills are directly fired. For this release Killowen handled cask selection, marrying and bottling. The nose brings fresh apple juice and a light molasses note with warm Christmas pudding. The palate combines green apples and brown sugar with dried fruit, rum notes, coconut and vanilla. The long finish keeps candied apple and spicy notes.