We have the first new Irish whiskey of 2011: a 16 year old Knappogue Castle "Twin Wood" single malt. It's the oldest of Knappogue's modern releases to date but it's even more unusual for being partly matured in ex-sherry casks. Knappogue is normally ex-bourbon cask-matured and thus quite light in colour.This time the whiskey has spent 15 years and 3 months in bourbon casks, followed by 9 months in sherry butts. This "finish" is the explanation for the "Twin Wood" in the name.
Although Knappogue once had a relationship with Cooley distillery it's most likely that this stuff comes from Bushmills. There are only 1,900 bottles and distribution is focused on the US market where this will cost about $100 a pop.
A very limited number of bottles are allocated for Ireland.