We have a rare and wonderful treat for you guys this week; a sneak peek into our boss’s private collection of whiskey treasures! Our managing director Jackie is a long time collector of these scarce whiskeys and thankfully he’s allowed us to have a look at them today, featuring some truly iconic Irish blends.
Knappogue Castle
If there were a dictionary entry for ‘golden oldie’, you’d definitely see a picture of the Knappogue Castle whiskey next to it. The Knappogue is a very special reserve of pure pot still whiskey and was produced for the Hon. Mark Edwin Andrews who owned the actual Knappogue Castle in County Clare.
Easily entering the competition for one of the oldest Irish whiskeys around at the moment, it’s aged 36 years and comes with an age statement to prove it. Each bottle is numbered and also features the cask number; Jackie’s was bottled in 1987.
Red Breast – Gilbeys Labels
A truly popular whiskey today is the Red Breast and Jackie has a couple of fine samples from way back in the day. We think the first of the bottles dates from the 1960’s and was bottled and bonded by Gilbeys in Dublin while the second was produced in the 1970’s.
Thanks to the love and care any whiskey collector would show, both are in mint condition with the seals fully intact and the original Gilbeys emboss still on the bottle. As you’d expect, tasting wise these would perhaps be a little rougher compared to the modern day Red Breast. They are a truly unique addition to the collection.
Midleton Irish Whiskey
Every collection needs a centrepiece and the Midleton series is certainly Jackie’s! Displayed proudly in our on-site tasting room is a Midleton Irish Whiskey from each year or production, stretching from 1984 right through to 2015. A true collector’s dream, there are only a handful of these in the world; an incredibly rare and prized possession!
There you have it, a small glimpse into this incredible collection! Are there any budding collectors out there? Lucky enough to have sampled some of these delights? If so, we’d love to hear about them! You can get in touch through info@jckenny.ie and through our social channels. Chin chin!