Joe Micallef Wine and spirits judge, historian and bestselling author. Apart from dealing with sobering world affairs, Joe has been an entertaining educator of wines and spirits and judges at major spirits competitions. He has tasted a range that we could only dream of – from centuries-old ports, Cognacs to many of the world’s oldest whiskies. He also writes on Forbes, The Epoch Times and comments on international politics. Follow Joe on Forbes or his website.

Back in 2003, a transplanted Scotsman named Ally Alpine decided to set up a whiskey shop in Dublin specializing in Irish whiskey. Alpine had originally come to Dublin to set up five stores for the British wine and spirits retailer Oddbins. The timing, at the beginning of the Irish whiskey boom, proved fortuitous. 

The shop, aptly named Celtic Whiskey Shop, has become an Irish Whiskey institution, spawning the Irish Whiskey Awards and organizing the Whiskey Live festival in Dublin. In 2016, they also opened the Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder and Irish Whiskey Experience in Killarney. The Killarney facility also doubles as a store and features around 500 Irish whiskies, 250 of them rare and irreplaceable offerings of long discontinued brands. 

The original store was recognized as the “Best Retailer-Single Outlet-Rest of World” and “Best Whiskey Retailer Worldwide” at the World Whiskey Awards in 2013, 2016 & 2017. In both 2015 and 2016, the Celtic Whiskey Shop was chosen the best “non-Scottish Independent Bottler of the Year” by the Independent Bottler’s Challenge.

In 2010, Alpine decided to branch out into the world of specialty whiskey bottling. Neighboring Scotland has a long-standing tradition of independent bottlers who scour distillery warehouse’s looking for extra old or exceptional single malts. Today there are over 300 specialty bottlers of Scotch whisky around the world. At the time, however, there were no high-end specialty whiskey bottlers operating in Ireland. What specialty bottling did occur was mostly for retailer branded low priced offerings. 

Originally, Alpine worked with Cooley Distillery to bottle single cask offerings of their Tyrconnell and Connemara brands as Celtic Whiskey Shop exclusives. The early bottlings were matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks. Alpine soon switched to finishing those whiskeys using barrels that had previously held wines that were exclusively imported into Ireland by the Whiskey Shop. This was the genesis of the shop’s “cask finish, single cask” releases that would eventually become Celtic Cask.

After Beam Global purchased the Cooley Distillery in 2012, they decided to discontinue custom bottlings under its own brands. The setback proved to be an opportunity. Forced to develop his own whiskey brand, Alpine launched the Celtic Cask series. The brand found immediate success and has been widely acclaimed. Since its inception in 2012, Celtic Cask has gone on to release 18 different bottlings.

The Celtic Cask bottlings have quickly gained a worldwide reputation and sell out quickly on release. Every one of the 18 releases to date is sold out. The exception is the store’s Celtic Whiskey Bar in Killarney, a picturesque community in the far west of Ireland. The Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder is the only place in the world where you can still taste the entire Celtic Cask series. Recently, I sat down with Ally Alpine in Killarney to do exactly that. 

The Celtic Cask series are numbered sequentially in Irish-Gaelic. Thus, Celtic Cask Ocht Déag simply means Celtic Cask Number 18. The series selects barrels of whiskey from distilleries all over Ireland, though in the past barrels from Cooley and from Northern Ireland distiller Bushmills appeared frequently in Celtic Cask bottlings. The company doesn’t disclose the source of the whiskey due to confidentiality agreements it needs to sign. All but one offering was matured in casks from one of the 50 different wineries that are directly imported by the shop.

Historically, the shop purchased aged whiskey stocks and finished them in a wine cask for a period of a year or two. As the Irish whiskey boom has gathered momentum, however, stocks of aged Irish whiskey have become increasingly hard to find. Starting in 2013, Alpine begun supplementing his purchases of aged whiskeys by also laying down stocks of new make spirit to mature. While it may be a decade or more before these whiskeys are bottled, it will allow the shop to mature whiskeys entirely in specialty barrels rather than just finish them that way for a short period. 

Among the whiskey recently casked by Alpine are 8 barrels of new make spirit from the Dingle distillery Six of the barrels are being matured in a range of different sherry casks from Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo. The sherry casks include butts that previously held 6 different styles including fino, manzanilla, amontillado, palo cortado, oloroso and Pedro Ximenez. One cask is being matured in a vin Santo barrel and another in an Anima Negra barrel.

Celtic Cask Aon (#1), distilled in 1996, bottled in 2012, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 711 bottles produced.

The first Celtic Cask bottling was distilled on October 31, 1996, at the Cooley distillery and matured in 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrels for three years and then moved to 1st fill ex-bourbon barrels for 11 more years, until 2010. It then spent an additional 17 months in a 500-liter palo cortado sherry cask from Emilio Hidalgo. 

Palo cortado is an unusual sherry. It begins maturation under flor, a film of yeast that covers the surface of the sherry in the barrel, which both transforms the wine as well as protects it from oxidation. The flor metabolizes the alcohol and glycerol in the wine and produces aldehydes as well as a range of aromatic terpenes, lactones and higher molecular weight alcohols. These compounds impart the nutty, especially almond, dried herbal and solvent notes that are typical of Fino sherries. 

In the case of palo cortado, however, the flor inexplicably dissipates exposing the wine to oxygen and causing it to age oxidatively as an oloroso sherry. The result is a sherry that reflects the characteristics of a dry fino as well as the richness and mouth weight of an oloroso or amontillado. 

An amontillado is like a palo cortado, a sherry that starts out under flor but gradually loses it and ages oxidatively as well. While palo cortado spends one to three years under flor before starting to age oxidatively, olorosos spend more time, otherwise the aging process is largely the same. In other words, as one sherry expert put it, a palo cortado is a sherry that appears like, an “amontillado on the nose and an oloroso on the palate.” Less than two percent of the sherries produced become palo cortado.

Aon has a light bronze color with a slight red-orange hue.

On the nose, there are the obvious sherry induced flavors and aromas of over ripe, slightly oxidized apple, almonds and dried herbs as well as floral aromas of dried potpourri. There is also a distinct saline note that is typical of palo cortado as well as some hints of tropical spice. The latter is likely the contribution of the first fill ex-bourbon barrel. Sherry barrels are typically quite old before they are used for maturing sherry and the neutral wood makes little contribution to the final aroma and taste profile. 

On the palate, Aon has a noticeably thick, creamy, viscous quality. There are some dried fruit notes, dates, raisins and figs, also typical of sherry cask matured whiskeys, followed by spice notes with hints of cinnamon. 

The finish is ultra-smooth, with dried fruit notes and hints of chocolate and caramel that linger.

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 26/30, Palate: 28/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 90/100.

Celtic Cask Dó (#2), Distilled in 2001, bottled in 2011, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 349 bottles produced.

Dó was sourced from the Cooley distillery from the same stock that was used to produce Connemara. It was finished in a barrel of French oak that previously held Anima Negra, a red wine from Mallorca. 

Dó has a deep bronze color.

On the nose, there is a distinct peat smoke aroma. No surprise as Connemara is a peated Irish whiskey. The smoke is followed by aromas of dried fruits and herbs, with hints of citrus peel.

On the palate, there is more peat smoke, some slight dry phenolic notes and hints of menthol. The smoke is followed by sweet dried fruit notes, ripe apple and orange peel. There is a slight woody note that also hangs in the background.

The finish is medium length, smooth, with a distinct smoky and menthol note and sweet dried fruit elements in the background.

I am generally not a big fan of whiskeys finished in dry red wine barrels. I find that those barrels tend to impart additional acidity and tannins to the whiskey, neither of which, in my opinion, is desirable. In this case, however, the finishing regime works, adding some dried sweet fruit that marries well with the peat smoke, but without the additions of acidity or tannins. 

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 27/30, Palate: 27/30, Finish: 26/30. Overall Score: 88/100.

Celtic Cask Tri (#3), distilled in 2000, bottled in 2013, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 417 bottles made.

Tri is a single grain whiskey. That means it is a grain whiskey from a single distillery, in this case Cooley, and not a whiskey from a single grain. Grain whiskeys have always had a problematic reputation in Ireland. In the heyday of the whiskey wars between Irish and Scottish distillers at the end of the 19th century, the Dublin whiskey barons dubbed grain whiskey as “fake whiskey” and considered its use in blends as little more than adulteration. 

Nonetheless, grain whiskey has long been produced in Ireland and has been a prominent part of Irish whiskey since its very beginnings. Tri was matured in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in Anima Negra casks for approximately two years. 

The appearance is a medium bronze.

On the nose there are slightly sweet, cooked grain aromas, like cooked oatmeal or porridge, followed by hints of vanilla, stone fruit, and a waxy/honeycomb aroma that is typical of matured grain whiskeys.

On the palate, it is sweet and creamy, with a pronounced texture and palate weight featuring caramel, custard and slight milk chocolate notes. There are hints of candied orange peel followed by some dried fruit.

The finish is long, smooth and lingering showing creamy, crème caramel and dried fruit notes.

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 27/30, Palate: 27/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 90/100.

Celtic Cask Ceathair (#4), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2013, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 377 bottles produced.

Ceathair was distilled at Cooley then matured for 10 years in a 1st-fill bourbon barrel before being finished for approximately two years in a Boal Madeira cask from Vinhos Barbeito. Boal is a particularly sweet style of Madeira

The color is a rich, medium to dark bronze.

On the nose there is dried fruit, candied lemon peel and cooked apples followed by hints of brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. There is a waxy note that hangs in the background and just a hint of sweetness that is typical of Madeira.

On the palate, the whiskey is initially quite dry with a viscous creamy mouth weight. The sweetness progressively grows however from various dried tropical fruit notes of melons and lychees as well as figs and raisins. There are also hints of cinnamon wood spice in the background.

The finish is medium length with a creamy character punctuated by sweet dried fruit notes and a ginger pepperiness that builds toward the end and becomes quite pronounced on the finish. 

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 27/30, Palate: 29/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall score: 92/100.

Celtic Cask Cuig (#5), distilled in 1991, bottled in September 2013, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 107 bottles produced.

Cuig spent over 13 years maturing in ex-bourbon casks. It spent the following eight years out of cask in storage before being discovered by Ally Alpine. This is a triple distilled classic Irish pot still whiskey. The color is a medium bronze.

On the nose, there is a complex array of aromas featuring dried fruit as well as candied fruit, citrus peel and a hint of allspice as well as some cinnamon and cloves.

On the palate, the whiskey has a pronounced oily, creamy texture with a pronounced palate weight and a distinct sweet note. There are flavors of dried and candied fruit, citrus peel and wood spice followed by a ginger pepperiness that steadily builds.

The finish is long, very creamy, with a dried fruit sweetness and a distinct ginger pepperiness that hangs at the end. This is a very traditional style of Irish pot still whiskey with a distinct green barley profile that shows off a sweet and oily texture. 

The original distillery where the whiskey was produced was not disclosed but there is an unmistakable Midleton note to this bottling. Too creamy and sweet to be a blended whiskey like Jameson, more a Redbreast or Green Spot inspired whiskey made in a more traditional, think 1970s, style. 

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 28/30, Palate: 29/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 93/100.

Celtic Cask Se (#6), distilled 1991, bottled 2013, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 328 bottles produced.

Se is a 22 YO double distilled single malt. It was matured in ex-bourbon barrel and then spent four months in an Anima Negra cask. The color is deep bronze with a distinct orange hue.

On the nose, there is a veritable fruit cocktail of aromas. There are distinctive stone fruit aromas of peach and apricot, followed by tropical and dried fruit notes and even a bit of baked apple. There is also an aroma of sweet butterscotch followed by tropical spice notes of cinnamon and a bit of clove.

On the palate there is a dense, oily texture that immediately gives way to pronounced stone fruit flavors of peach and apricot. There are additional notes or tropical fruits, pineapple, dried mango, baked figs followed by baked apple, sweet citrus and butterscotch notes. 

The finish is long, smooth and satisfying with distinctive stone fruit flavors of apricot and peach throughout followed by dried fruits. There is a noticeable sweetness throughout that blends well with the butterscotch and tropical spices and which lingers on the palate.

Here too, Celtic Cask is not allowed to disclose the source of the whiskey, although the distinctive stone fruit notes and lingering sweetness is usually a dead giveaway for a Bushmills produced malt.

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 29/30, Palate: 28/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 94/100.

Celtic Cask Seacht (#7), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2014, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 66 bottles produced.

Seacht was matured in 2nd-fill ex-bourbon casks for 11 years, after which it spent two years in small vin Santo wine casks from the Altesino estate in Montalcino, Tuscany. The wine is made from Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Trebbiano Toscano. The grapes are dried on straw mats for four to five months before being vinified. Following fermentation, they are allowed to mature in small 50-liter kegs, often in attics or areas subject to wide temperature swings. 

Although vin Santos are found throughout Italy, they are most often associated with Tuscany. Vin Santos are classified as dessert wines, but they can vary from bone dry to quite sweet. 

The origin of the term vin Santo is shrouded in legend - from its early association with the wine used in Catholic mass to its similarity to sweet wines once produced on the Greek island of Santorini to the fact that the grapes are usually allowed to dry till about Easter and then fermented around the time of Holy Week. 

Sweet wines work well with maturing whiskeys, hence the popularity of finishing whiskey in barrels that have previously held sherry, port, madeira, sauternes and other sweet wines. Barrels used for maturing sweet ones are usually neutral so they don’t impart much tannin to the whisky. Any acidity that is picked up from the wine in the barrels is nicely masked by the residual sweetness. 

Sweet wine barrels add a range of complex, fruit flavors to whiskey as well as enough sweetness to add smoothness, palate weight and texture. 

The color is a deep bronze with a reddish cast.

On the nose, there is a hint of sweetness, followed by aromas of stone fruit and cooked figs, raisins, passion fruit and dates with hints off cinnamon and cloves.

On the palate, the whiskey is much sweeter than it is on the nose. There are the same stone fruit and cooked fruit notes that there were on the nose but they are decidedly sweeter than they first appeared. There are additional mocha notes with hints of fruit cake.

The finish is long with distinctive notes of dried fruit and tropical spices. 

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 26/30, Palate: 27/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 90/100.

Celtic Cask Ocht (#8), distilled in 1991, bottled in 2014, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 334 bottles produced.

Ocht was matured in a refill oloroso sherry hogshead and then finished in a barrel that previously held Anima Negra, a dry red wine from Mallorca, for an additional 18 months. 

The color is a very deep bronze with a marked reddish hue.

On the nose, there are the obvious sherry influences supplemented by red and dark fruit notes from the Anima Negra wine barrel. There is a sweet element with tropical spice notes of cinnamon and allspice as well as vanilla and dried red and black fruit, especially a hint of prune as well as some tropical fruit. There are also some dried citrus peel notes followed by milk chocolate.

On the palate, there is the mouth weight and creamy texture associated with sherry cask finishing. There are dried fruit notes with a hint of sweetness followed by a bit of almond, tropical spice, some candied orange and a bit of milk chocolate.

The finish is medium length to long with a smooth creamy texture and sweet, dried fruit notes throughout. 

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 28/30, Palate: 29/30, Finish: 26/30. Overall Score: 92/100.

Celtic Cask Naoi (#9), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2014, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 334 bottles made.

Naoi is a peated whiskey that has been matured for 10 years in a 1st-fill ex-bourbon cask and then finished in a Vinho Barbeito Madeira cask for an additional 34 months. The bottling won the Single Cask category of the 2014 Irish Whiskey Awards. 

Vinho Barbeito is only one of four family companies still producing Madeira on the island. British wine critic Janice Robinson has called Barbeito the “Lafitte of Madeira.” The firm is known for making finely crafted complex wines with tangy acidity and elegant balance. 

The whiskey is a deep dark bronze color.

On the nose, there is dry peat smoke with hints of tar and a bit of wood. This is quickly followed by a range of dried tropical fruits and citrus rind with notes of pineapple, orange, raisin and fig.

On the palate, there is cold smoke and charred wood set against a creamy texture with obvious palate weight. Dried and candied fruit notes abound including raisin, fig and prune followed by roasted nuts. There are caramel elements as well as candied citrus rind and even hard sugar candy with subtle hints of wood spice in the background. 

The finish is long, nuanced and complex and features a range of dried and candied fruit notes but is not overly sweet.

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 29/30, Palate: 28/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 94/100

Celtic Cask Deich (#10), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2015, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 351 bottles produced.

Deich is a peated malt whiskey that was aged for 11 years in an ex-bourbon barrel. It was then finished for four years in a Rhone red wine cask from Domain Des Anges. These red wines are typically combinations of Grenache and Syrah and are known for the distinctive fruitiness and pronounced pepperiness. 

The color is deep bronze with a slight reddish hue.

On the nose, there is a distinctive peat smoke, with a noticeable phenolic/iodine note. There is plenty of fresh dark and red fruit with additional notes of baked apple and citrus notes of orange and tangerine.

On the palate, the whiskey has considerable heft. It’s chewy, with a substantial mouthfeel and weight on the palate. There is lots of peat smoke and charred wood, a bit of iodine followed by red fruit, orange peel, some caramel and wood spice, particularly cloves. There is also a noticeable peppery note that builds over time.

The finish is medium length to long, emphasizing red fruit and smoke, some sweetness, with a peppery note, most likely a contribution of the Syrah, that builds towards the end. 

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 26/30, Palate: 26/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall Score: 87/100

Celtic Cask Aon Déag (#11), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2015, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 355 bottles produced.

Aon Déag was matured for 11 years in ex-bourbon barrels followed by three years of finishing in Anima Negra red wines casks from Mallorca. Anima Negra is produced primarily from the Callet grape, a rare grape native to the island of Mallorca, blended with other native grapes (Manto Negro and Fogenau) and a bit of Syrah. These wines emphasize ripe and even over ripe dark fruit aromas and flavors. 

The color of Aon Déag is reddish bronze.

On the nose, the distinctive black fruit aromas, both ripe and overripe/cooked, remind you of Christmas cake. There is candied citrus peel, a bit of sweet marmalade and tropical wood spice.

On the palate, it is sweet and fruity, with a combination of ripe and slightly cooked fruit. There are the Christmas cake notes, sweet orange marmalade and candied citrus rind, with a bit of milk chocolate as well.

The finish is distinctly fruity, with some wood spice notes in the background and a bit of pepper toward the end. Anima Negra casks works well with whiskey. I suspect that the wine does not get a lot of new oak so the tannic contribution is minimal. Fruit tends to emphasize ripe and overripe flavors and aroma and the acidity, given Mallorca’s warm climate is probably subdued, so the primary contribution of the casks is to impart a noticeable ripe and overripe/cooked red and dark fruit element to the maturing whiskey. 

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 26/30, Palate: 27/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall Score: 88/100.

Celtic Cask Dó Dhéag (#12), distilled in 2000, bottled in 2015, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 331 bottles produced.

Do Dhéag was aged for 15 years in an ex-bourbon barrel followed by five years in a Syrah red wine barrel from Domaines des Anges in the Ventoux area of France’s Rhone Valley. In the Rhone valley Syrah is characterized by a distinctive pepperiness as well as contributing a range of red and dark fruit flavors and aromas to wines. These flavors range from fresh fruit to cooked and dried depending on when the grapes are picked and how they are vinified. Syrah’s can be quite tannic, but that too will vary depending on how the grapes are vinified.

The color is a dark bronze with a very pronounced reddish cast.

On the nose, there are aromas of dried and candied fruit, including peach and apricot, and even some tropical fruit notes of pineapple and a bit of melon. There is a bit of raisin and prune as well. 

On the palate, the fruit tends to drier flavors featuring raisin, prune, dried apricots with hints of caramel and vanilla. Overall the taste profile resembles that of a Christmas fruit cake with a notable alcoholic kick. 

The finish is nicely balanced, with good length that showcases a range of dried fruit and a distinctive peppery element at the end. 

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 28/30, Palate: 29/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall Score: 93/100.

Celtic Cask Tri Déag (#13), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2015, 46% ABV, 700ml, 331 bottles produced.

Tri Déag was matured in an ex-bourbon cask for 11 years followed by roughly three years in a red wine barrel of Brunello di Montalcino from the Altesino estate in Montalcino. Brunello di Montalcino is a clone of the Sangiovese grape, Tuscany’s signature grape and the basis of Chianti. Sangiovese is also Italy’s most widely planted red grape and is characterized by red fruit notes and a notable acidity. The Brunello di Montalcino clone produces a more structured wine with more fruit concentration and more refined tannins. This was the first time that a whiskey had been finished in a Brunello di Montalcino cask.

The color is bright gold with a noticeable orange hue. 

On the nose, there are a broad array of stone and red fruits. There are aromas of peach and apricot, citrus notes of tangerine, orange and marmalade followed by tropical fruit notes of melon and mango. There are wood spice notes of cinnamon and some cloves, followed by some slight notes of coffee and mocha. 

On the palate, the whiskey offers both fresh and dried flavors of peach, dried apricot, raisins, figs, citrus peel and fresh grapes. There are spice notes of cinnamon and cloves as well as a bit of pepper.

The finish is medium length and well-balanced featuring distinctive stone fruit flavors, some dried fruit notes of raisin and fig and a noticeable pepperiness that gradually builds toward the end. As usual, Celtic Cask does not disclose the original distiller of the whiskey, but here too the unmistakable and distinctive stone fruit notes point to a Bushmills originated malt.

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 26/30, Palate: 28/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall Score 89/100.

Celtic Cask Ceathair Déag (# 14), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2016, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 323 bottles produced.

Ceathair Déag was initially matured for 11 years in a first fill bourbon cask after which the whiskey was finished for three years in a Brunello di Montalcino barrel from the Altesino estate in Montalcino. 

The color is a dark brownish bronze color.

On the nose, there are a variety of fruit flavors including tropical fruit notes of pineapple, citrus and red apple. There is also a distinctive cooked caramel note. 

On the palate, the whiskey is thick with a pronounced creamy mouth weight. There are a variety of dried fruit flavors, a bit of caramel sweetness, candied citrus peel, tropical wood spice flavors of cinnamon and a cereal/digestive biscuit note. 

The finish is long, creamy, fruity with a slight sweet note accompanied by spice notes of cinnamon and hints of mocha with a pronounced pepperiness at the end.

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 27/30, Palate: 28/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall score: 91/100.

Celtic Cask Cuig Déag (#15), distilled in 1991, bottled in 2016, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 646 bottles produced.

Cuig Déag was matured in an ex-bourbon cask for 22 years, after which it spent more than two years in a port pipe from Portugal’s famed port producer Quinta do Noval. Port barrels are slightly extended and narrower at the ends, hence the term pipe. The whiskey was based on a crystal malt, a malt that is cooked prior to being ground. Crystal malts are a production technique closely associated with the Bushmills Distillery, although it is not exclusive to them. It imparts a very distinctive peach and apricot flavor and aroma to the resulting whiskey, which is why a marked stone fruit flavor profile is usually a reliable marker for a Bushmills sourced malt.

The color is deep dark bronze with a noticeable reddish hue.

On the nose, there is the typical flavor profile associated with port finished whiskeys. There are aromas of dried fruit featuring raisin, fig and some prune. There are also citrus notes, featuring candied orange peel and marmalade and a note of background sweetness. 

On the palate, there is a creamy viscous oily quality that is characteristic of port finished whiskeys. There are dried jammy/cooked fruit notes of fig, raisin and prune as well as peach and dried apricot. There are tropical fruit notes of pineapple and melon, some red fruit notes of black cherry, and some candied citric notes. There are a broad assortment of tropical spice notes, including vanilla and cinnamon, and some ginger pepperiness with a hint of furniture wax that hangs in the background. 

The finish is long and complex, featuring a broad array of sweet dried and jammy fruit notes with spice notes of cinnamon and ginger. This is an exceptional whiskey with deep and complex flavors and is arguably the finest Celtic Cask bottling to date.

Rating: Appearance: 10/10, Nose: 29/30, Palate: 28/30, Finish: 30/30. Overall Score: 97/100.

Celtic Cask Sé Déag (#16), distilled in 2000, bottled in 2016, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 369 bottles produced.

Sé Déag was matured for 14 years in an ex-bourbon cask followed by two years in an Anima Negra dry red wine cask. 

The color is medium bronze with some reddish hues. 

On the nose, there are distinctive stone fruit aromas followed by red fruit notes of cherry and a hint of red plum. There are notes of caramel, cinnamon and ginger.

On the palate, there is some creaminess and some mouth weight. There are pronounced stone fruit flavors of peach and apricot followed by some red fruit. There is some cinnamon, ginger pepperiness and a bit of vanilla along with caramel notes and milk chocolate and digestive biscuit elements. There is a bit of wood notes handing in the background as well. Perhaps this Anima Negra barrel wasn’t completely neutral. 

The finish is medium length, well integrated and features distinctive stone fruit and red fruit flavors with hints of cinnamon and ginger spice. This is another malt whose origin is not disclosed by Celtic Cask, but whose pronounced stone fruit aromas point again to a Bushmills distilled malt. 

Rating: Appearance: 8/10, Nose: 26/30, Palate: 26/30, Finish: 27/30. Overall Score: 87/100.

Celtic Cask Seacht Déag (#17), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2016, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 80 bottles produced.

Seacht Déag was matured in an ex-bourbon cask for 14 years. It was then recasked for 18 months in a specially constructed 53-liter cask made from an original 500-liter Pedro Ximenez (PX) solera cask. Pedro Ximenez is a very sweet, viscous sherry that is made from raisinated grapes. 

The color is a dark brown with a slight orange cast.

On the nose, there is the pronounced sweet note of brown sugar and cooked candied figs, raisins and dates associated with PX sherry. There are assorted dried tropical fruit notes followed by roasted nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg spice, and notes of sandalwood and incense. 

On the palate, Seacht Déag is sweet and viscous with resinous notes. There are distinctive dried/cooked fruit notes of raisin, figs, and dates. There are elements of exotic spices including ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg as well as a brown sugar and a milk chocolate note. 

The finish is long, rich, complex, full-flavored whiskey with a distinctive sweetness and a range of dried fruit and spice notes. This is an exceptional whiskey that marries sweetness and cooked/jammy black fruit with a classic, double distilled Irish whiskey to create a smooth, fruity whiskey. 

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose: 29/30, Palate: 30/30, Finish: 28/30. Overall Score: 96/100.

Celtic Cask Ocht Déag (#18), distilled in 2001, bottled in 2016, 46% ABV, 700 ml, 68 bottles produced.

Ocht Déag was matured for 14 years in an ex-bourbon cask. It was then recasked in a specialty made 53-liter cask custom made from a 500-liter Oloroso sherry butt and matured for an additional 18 months.

The whiskey has a dark bronze color.

On the nose, there are caramel, chocolate and mocha notes, but the whiskey smells dry. There are aromas of roasted nuts, some dried tropical fruit along with some slight raisin, fig and prune notes and a hint of smoke. 

On the palate, the whiskey is much sweeter than it is on the nose and full bodied. There is a savory, slightly saline note that is typical of Oloroso sherry along with dried fruit notes of raisin, fig and dates and roasted nuts. 

The finish is long, big and bold and shows a distinctive Oloroso influence. The dried fruit and spice notes linger on to the end while the saline note complements the sweetness nicely. This is an outstanding whiskey that offers complexity and dried fruit nuance while providing a powerful and satisfying dram. 

Rating: Appearance: 9/10, Nose 28/30. Palate 30/30, Finish 28/30. Overall Score: 95/100

The Celtic Cask series is Ireland’s most outstanding specialty bottling series. Under Ally Alpine’s steady hand, it has produced some of Ireland’s most outstanding whiskeys while developing a range of innovative cask finishing techniques that have created new combinations or flavors and aromas.

Unfortunately, Celtic Cask’s growing worldwide reputation and limited production means that many bottlings are sold out on release. It’s impossible to find Celtic Cask bottlings outside of Ireland and even in Ireland, they can be hard to find. 

Simply put, if you can find a bottling of Celtic Cask buy it, the odds are you won’t get a second chance.

Sláinte

JVM

By Joseph V. Micallef

Joseph V. Micallef is a judge and commentator on food, wines, spirits and travel. He is also a historian, best-selling author, keynote speaker and syndicated columnist As a journalist and former war correspondent he has written on an eclectic mix of topics from wines, spirits and travel, to military history and world affairs. For 30+ years he was the CEO and Senior Producer of a media company. 

Joe has also been a judge for a variety of international wines and spirits competitions, including the International Wines and Spirits Competition, World Drinks Awards, World Whisky Awards, San Francisco International Wine Competition, American Distilling Institute Craft Spirits Awards, and the Irish Whiskey Awards. Along with judging, he spends his spare time making wine in Oregon.

He holds the Diploma in Wines and Spirits from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (London). He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Council of Whiskey Masters. The Advisory Board’s two dozen members are widely considered the leading experts on whisky in the world.

He has spoken at a variety of professional venues, including the Institute of Strategic Studies (London), the NATO Defense College (Rome), the World Future Society and a large number of universities, military and other organizations on a variety of topics dealing with military and current affairs. He has also appeared as a commentator on a variety of cable news networks.

His recent books include, Scotch Whisky: It’s History, Production and Appreciation, Understanding World War I: A Concise History (part of a 12 episode made for television documentary), and Islamic State: Its History, Ideology and Challenge. Additional books on Tequila and on Italian Wines are forthcoming.

He has written, directed, and produced dozens of documentaries on military history and current affairs.

Joe is also an opinion columnist for The Epoch Times where he writes about national security and international affairs, and a contributor to Forbes where he writes about wines, spirits and travel to the dusty corners of the world. In addition to writing, he is also the International Editor for the Irish Whiskey Magazine.

He has spent more than 20 years judging wines and spirits and lecturing and writing about them, and looks forward to many more. Grab a drink with him at the bar if you have the chance – suffice to say, he's not your average Joe.