Beara Single Grain

This single grain under the Beara Distillery label, out of Castletownbere in West Cork, was column distilled at the Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk, Co. Louth and bottled at 41% in 2022 for the European market, a no age statement release in the sourced tradition that powers most young Irish brands.

Virgin oak maturation is an assertive choice for gentle grain whiskey, and it works by contrast. Soft toffee, banana and coconut from the spirit meet fresh vanilla, toasted wood and sweet baking spice from the new casks, so the whole reads like a dessert pour without turning cloying. It also shows why virgin oak has become a favourite tool among Ireland's younger labels for giving pale young stock real colour and presence.