If the 18 Year Old Saints & Sinners impressed with its creaminess, the 21 takes things to another level entirely. This blended Irish whiskey features a higher proportion of Northern Irish single malt, matured for twenty-one years and finished in Madeira casks. It is bottled at 40% without chill filtration or colouring, allowing the natural character of two decades in wood to speak for itself.
Twenty-one years is a remarkable age for Irish whiskey. The gentle Irish climate means the spirit loses less to evaporation than its Scottish counterpart, but it also means the wood influence develops more slowly — the extra years are necessary to achieve the depth that shorter-aged Scottish whiskies can reach sooner. The Madeira cask finish adds a distinctive dried fruit and nutty richness that complements the aged spirit beautifully.
The nose is composed and elegant: ripe orchard fruits dusted with cinnamon — baked apple, poached pear — with honeycomb, toasted hazelnuts, golden syrup, antique wood, and dried mango. The palate is velvety: juicy sultanas, orange peel, apricot jam, warming gingerbread, and dark chocolate, with the Madeira casks adding depth without overpowering the malt-driven richness.
The finish is long and layered, with the Madeira influence providing a final flourish of dried fruit and nut. At its price point — significantly below what a named 21-year-old Irish whiskey would command — it offers extraordinary value. The mystery of the source is part of the appeal; the quality of the liquid is all of it.
