HIGH N' WICKED SINGLE GRAIN IRISH WHISKEY
FOURSQUARE 'MARK X 2007' CASK FINISH
COUNTY CORK, IRELAND
Why Buy: Earlier this year we introduced you to one of our favorite makers-on-the-rise, High N' Wicked, a small importer and specialty bottler that's taken home a slew of accolades from the press, including a Top 50 of 2022 from Vinepair. This crew prides itself on distinguishing touches, and their latest – a limited-release single grain whiskey selected by the venerated Noel Sweeney, a whiskey world legend, and finished in award-winning Foursquare Rum casks – is as richly detailed as a bespoke suit. And let me tell you: a helluva lot more delicious.
The Story: What we have here, folks, is a marriage of two masters. Sweeney – one of the most awarded distillers and blenders across all categories of whiskey, who just so happens to sit on the panel that oversees all Irish whiskey production – selected this spirit, distilled in County Cork, Ireland, from among the many dozens he tasted. With the help of his eagle eye and keenly-honed palate, the whiskey was then blended, matured in ex-bourbon barrels, and finally finished for 6 months in casks that previously held the 95-point, Gold Medal-winning ‘Mark X 2007’ Exceptional Cask Selection Barbados Rum Release from Foursquare Rum Distillery (recognized 8 years in a row as Rum Producer of the Year). The result? The barrels have imparted an incontestable complexity, and the whiskey possesses a smoothness, depth, and resonance that suggests an older, more mature expression.
Specs: The mash bill is 95% French maize (corn) and 5% Irish malted barley.
Our Tasting Notes: A first nosing of the glass brings a burst of coconut, lemon peel, almond, nougat, fig, and vanilla, followed by a secondary wave of tropical notes, among them mango and candied pineapple. This is a promise of sweetness and vibrance, and that's exactly what the palate delivers on the open, along with woven notes of baking spices (clove and cinnamon, primarily). From there you settle into a long stretch of richness (with hints of creamy caramel and candied hazelnuts) before the gentle, soft finish, with its unexpected and wonderful hints of custard.
ABV: 50% (100 proof), with no additives and non-chill filtered.
Fun Fact: The founders of High N Wicked, L. Lyons Brown, III and Kevin E. Sachs, built the market for Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort in Europe and Asia, in their former lives as Brown-Forman executives.
Our Guarantee: We always buy and source direct, so you can be confident that your whiskey will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Don't hesitate to secure yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2024. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NC, NY, TN, VA, & WA. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Friday, December 8, 2023.
