Glendalough Distillery launched a 7-year-old Irish single malt aged in very rare Japanese Mizunara casks sourced from the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
A relentless search for the most flavorful oak in the world took them from their own wooded mountains in Wicklow to those in the volcanic north of Japan, Hokkaido. This is where they found Mizunara, the most sought-after oak in the whiskey world.
As the first Irish whiskey brand to use the rare and exotic Mizunara, they had very much ventured into the unknown. Bringing Irish single malt and Japanese oak together went far off the beaten path, literally, but it has led to this wonderfully different whiskey.
Mizunara’s rarity makes sourcing a great undertaking, but Glendalough was ready for the challenge of being the first Irish whiskey to utilize this oak. The trunks of these uniquely beautiful trees are prone to growing twisted, and they must grow to be twice the age of most oak trees before they can be felled. It then takes three years to dry, and even then, is notoriously difficult to cooper due to its porousness. However, therein lies its saving grace: whiskey can seep deeper into the wood, resulting in an alluring, exotic flavor.