Glendalough Irish 7 Year Single Malt Porter Finish 750ML

Glendalough Irish 7 Year Single Malt Porter Finish 750ML is a 46% ABV Irish single malt whiskey finished in porter beer casks from Dublin's Five Lamps Brewery. This expression earned a Gold Medal at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards in the Single Malt Irish Whiskey category (under 10 years), a recognition that validated its unconventional approach to cask finishing.

Quick Facts: ABV: 46%  |  Origin: County Wicklow, Ireland  |  7 Year Age Statement  |  Distillery: Glendalough Distillery

Production & Heritage

Glendalough Distillery sits in the Wicklow Mountains on Ireland's east coast, founded by a group of five friends drawn to the region's natural water sources and wild botanicals. This 7 Year expression is triple distilled from 100% Irish malted barley and initially matured for six years in virgin American bourbon oak casks. It then spends a final twelve months finishing in Black Pitts porter casks sourced from The Five Lamps Brewery in Dublin — a collaboration that layers deep, roasted-grain character onto the whiskey's malt backbone. Bottled at a robust 46% ABV without chill filtration, it preserves the full intensity that the porter cask imparts.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sweet toffee apples open the nose, followed by milk chocolate and a soothing wave of vanilla ice cream. The porter influence emerges gradually, lending a faint roasted malt undertone beneath the sweetness.

Taste: The entry is smooth and warm, immediately coating the palate with dark chocolate-orange and cocoa. Mid-palate, toffee and cooked fruit deepen the richness before clove and peppery spices assert themselves, adding welcome complexity and preventing the sweetness from becoming one-dimensional.

Finish: Long and warming, with toasted oak, treacle, and sweet coffee notes that linger well after each sip. The spice from the mid-palate carries through, fading slowly alongside a pleasant bittersweet cocoa quality.

How to Drink Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish

Neat is the ideal starting point — the 46% ABV delivers full flavor without excessive heat, and a few drops of water can open up additional cocoa and fruit notes. On the rocks, the chocolate and toffee character remains intact and becomes slightly more approachable. In an Irish Coffee, the sweet coffee notes in the finish create a natural, seamless pairing with hot coffee and cream. A Rob Roy benefits from the whiskey's dark fruit and chocolate depth against sweet vermouth. For something unconventional, try it in a Whiskey Sour — the cocoa and toffee provide unusual richness against citrus.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who is exploring whiskey
• After-dinner sipping alongside chocolate desserts
• Adding a distinctive bottle to an Irish whiskey collection
• Tasting sessions comparing beer-cask-finished whiskeys side by side

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish taste like? It leads with rich dark chocolate-orange, cocoa, and toffee before transitioning into clove and peppery spice, finishing long with toasted oak and sweet coffee. The porter cask influence adds a roasted malt depth uncommon in most Irish single malts.

How does Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish compare to Teeling Stout Cask Finish? Both are Irish whiskeys finished in beer casks, but Glendalough uses porter barrels from Five Lamps Brewery and carries a 7-year age statement at 46% ABV, while Teeling's Stout Cask uses stout barrels from Galway Bay Brewery and is bottled at 46% ABV as well. The Glendalough tends to lean more toward chocolate and toffee richness, whereas Teeling's stout finish often emphasizes roasted coffee and drier malt character.

Is Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish good for sipping neat? Yes — it is bottled at 46% ABV without excessive heat, and the layered cocoa, toffee, and spice profile rewards slow, undiluted sipping. A few drops of water can further reveal the cooked fruit and vanilla notes.

Where is Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish made? It is produced at Glendalough Distillery in the Wicklow Mountains, County Wicklow, on Ireland's east coast. The porter casks used for the twelve-month finish come from The Five Lamps Brewery in Dublin.

What foods pair well with Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish? Dark chocolate truffles mirror the cocoa and toffee in the whiskey. Blue cheese balances the sweetness with sharp, salty contrast. Slow-braised beef benefits from the whiskey's roasted malt depth. Sticky toffee pudding echoes the treacle notes in the finish. Smoked salmon offers a savory counterpoint to the chocolate-orange character.

What sizes does Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish come in? The standard bottle size is 750ml, which is the most widely available format for this expression.

Is Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish worth the price? It positions as a mid-premium Irish single malt, and the 7-year age statement, 46% ABV, and distinctive porter cask finish offer genuine differentiation within its price tier. The 2018 World Whiskies Awards Gold Medal further supports its standing as a strong value in the age-stated Irish single malt category.

Why Glendalough 7 Year Porter Finish?

What separates this whiskey from the crowded Irish single malt landscape is the specificity of its finishing cask — Black Pitts porter barrels from The Five Lamps Brewery introduce a roasted chocolate-malt depth that bourbon or sherry casks simply cannot replicate. The result, recognized with a Gold Medal at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards, is a seamless integration of porter character into triple-distilled malt whiskey. At 46% ABV with a full seven years of maturation, it delivers weight and complexity that justify its place alongside more established Irish distillers. For drinkers seeking something beyond conventional sherry or wine cask finishes, this is one of the more compelling beer-barrel experiments in Irish whiskey today.