Dia duit agus fáilte ar ais a chairde. (Hello, and welcome back friends in Irish.)  How are we doing today? I thought why not review another Irish Whiskey? I seem to be liking them a lot lately. After all, they are lovely whiskies. Today's bottle is from the Hinch distillery. I reviewed their 5 year old expression not so long ago and I also talked about the "Irish whiskey renaissance" in that article. Check it by clicking the link below. Also check out the other 2 Irish whiskey reviews pinned below.

About Hinch Distillery

Hinch Distillery, founded by Dr. Terry Cross, a businessman from Belfast. Cross sold his Delta Print and Packaging firm for around £50 million but rather than retiring, he decided to invest some of his wealth into a new whiskey distillery. Named after the nearby town of Ballynahinch, south of Belfast, the distillery is situated in the grounds of the Killaney Estate.

Construction began in 2019 with an initial launch date planned for April 2020. Of course, many such plans were interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and the project ground to a halt whilst the country went on lockdown. Work was able to resume in July but any possibility of a public opening remained on hold. Since then, the distillery commenced production and their shop was able to open for a few weeks in the run up to Christmas, giving locals a first peak at a visitor centre that will include a coffee shop, restaurant, pub and events space. For the occasion, a special 18 year old whiskey was released, sourced from another Irish distillery, that had been finished in wine casks from Dr. Cross' other passion project – the Chateau de la Ligne vineyard in Bordeaux.

They released a 3 yo peated single malt in 2024 as their first release. It can only be bought on-site at the distillery. However most of their other stuff is still sourced from other distilleries.

The most affordable of the current age stated offerings is the 5 year old "Double Wood" which is a combination of both malt and grain whiskies, matured initially in bourbon barrels before a 12 month finishing period in virgin oak casks. Bottled at 43% it retails for just 40 euros a bottle.

Hinch 5 yo Double Wood - The Connoisseur Collection - Madeira Cask - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 46%

"Inspiration for this whiskey was drawn from the illustrious island of Madeira and its renowned Madeira wine. Madeira, a Portuguese archipelago nestled in the Atlantic Ocean, boasts a rich history of producing exquisite, fortified wines that have graced the tables of connoisseurs for centuries. What makes this inspiration even more extraordinary is the fact that there are only seven vineyards in Madeira, each contributing to the island's legacy of exceptional winemaking. It is these casks from the hallowed halls of Madeira's wine cellars that our whiskey undergoes its transformation over a six-month journey.

Aged for 5 years ageing in ex-bourbon barrels, infusing the whiskey with rich character and depth. However, the true magic happens during the next six months when the whiskey transforms in ex-Madeira wine casks. This secondary ageing in casks, previously home to these revered wines, imparts a kaleidoscope of flavours to our whiskey, adding notes such as warming wood spices and stewed peaches."

Nose: Right. Upon pouring it, immediately a nice fruity nose can be smelled. I let it air for a few minutes. Firstly lots of wood spice and oak. Sandalwood. Orange peel, lemon zest and cinnamon. Quite malty, buttered toast and black pepper. Lots of orchard fruits such as green apples and pears. Peach jam. Espresso and milk chocolate. A hint of sweet corn in the background which is not bothersome at all. Lovely nose.

Taste: Nice. At 46% abv. it has a nice body. Quite oily and thick. Milk chocolate and orange marmalade. Black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Buttered toast and malt. Roasted nuts. Stewed peaches and apples. Vanilla sauce and toffee. Quite a nince and fruity taste with nice spicy aspects. I really like it.

Finish: Medium / long. The wine comes out the most here. It has a very nice grape-y wine-y dry aspect. Hazelnuts, almonds and cinnamon. Black pepper. Espresso and some oak. Great.

Overall I think this is a great whiskey. I like it more than their 5 yo Double Wood. It has more fruit, more complexity and a nicer body due to the higher abv. I hope Hinch keeps up the great work with their whiskies. I also would love to see a 5 yo Double Wood edition with a finish from their very own Chateau de la Ligne. It would be curious to see how that turns out. I really like the flavour profile with all the orchard fruits and stewed fruits. I will rate this whiskey 7.7/10. Buy it, try it. Drink responsibly.

Some pictures in this article are not owned by me, I tagged their owner and I attached a link of their site. All other pictures that have my logo on them are TAKEN AND OWNED BY ME.

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Check out the points on all the whiskies I've rated and ranked head-to-head.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. To many more. Sláinte.