The Whistler Irish Whiskey, from Boann Distillery in the Boyne Valley of Ireland, has added its Cask Finish Series to the company’s U.S. portfolio.
The series includes a lineup of Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish, Calvados Cask Finish and Imperial Stout Cask Finish whiskeys.
The Imperial Stout and Calvados Cask Finishes are annual releases that will come out in February of each year with limited availability. Currently 3,000 bottles for each of the Imperial Stout and Calvados Cask Finishes are available in the U.S., while the core range of Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish has ongoing production with national distribution.
All are bottled at 43% ABV, non-chill filtered and contain no caramel coloring.
The Whistler Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish is triple distilled. It features the distillery’s signature blend of 35% single malt whiskeys and 65% grain whiskeys, which are independently matured in ex-bourbon barrels for at least four years before being married together and finished in Bodega Sherry Oloroso Casks for at least 12 months.
The Whistler Calvados Cask Finish is a collaboration between Boann Distillery and Calvados producers Chateau du Breuil, in Normandy, France. The expression features the same base high malt content signature blend used in the Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish. The whiskey blend is then married together and filled into Chateau du Breuil’s 10-year-old French Oak Calvados casks and left to finish for a period of at least 15 months.
The Whistler Imperial Stout Cask Finish is a collaboration between Boann Distillery and its sister brewery, Boyne Brewhouse. This expression begins its life when ex-sherry barrels, containing The Whistler 7-Year-Old Blue Note, are emptied by the distillery and sent the brewery for its 10.8% ABV imperial stout beer, which is left to mature in the casks for a minimum of six months. Once the beer is fully matured, the casks are emptied of beer, and on the same day, filled with a whiskey blend of 50% wheat whiskey, 35% malt whiskey and 15% grain whiskey, all individually matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being married together and finished in the imperial stout beer casks for a further six months
The Cask Finish Series is exclusively available in the U.S. with Boann Distillery’s long-term industry partner Prestige Beverage Group.
The 750-ml. bottles are hitting shelves now with an SRP of $34.99 for the Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish and $39.99 for the Calvados and Imperial Stout Cask Finishes. The Calvados and Imperial Stout Cask Finishes are now available in Ariz., Calif., Nev., Wash., Minn., Wis., Conn., Mass., NJ, NY and Texas.
