The release of the first two Killowen Barántiúl unleashed a bow wave of subsequent Barántúil releases, not that I’m complaining, far from it in fact, but this is evidence that Brendan at Killowen is surfing his way through to unprecedented levels of quality reliability, which is, what Barántúil more or less stands for, ‘practicing what you preach.’

For those fortunate to buy a private cask of Killowen, it seems a lot of them are coming to maturation, and whilst two of them feature in this review, the third and fourth show the versatility and craftsmanship of their chief Kultist, Brendan.

It’s becoming increasingly evident that purchasing a Barántiúl guarantees top-notch quality and impeccable craftsmanship. These releases aren’t hastily thrown together to clear stock; they’re meticulously planned and considered. While these four releases are just a fraction of Killowen’s offerings, they represent the brand’s commitment to excellence. And it’s not just smaller names vying for a taste of the Barántiúl experience. Established entities like The Friend at Hand, James Fox, and Friends of Bruichladdich (FOB) are all eager to be part of this movement, the latter suggesting a potential growing similarity to Scotch whisky and an increasingly broad appeal beyond Irish drinkers.

Certainly, the four I’ll be reviewing are the ‘Northern Lights,’ ‘the Barnhill,’ ‘Beer Hut Cask’ from ‘Beer Hunt Brewing’ in Kilkenny and an American exclusive Cognac cask finish. The first two are private collectives I haven’t been a part of but have been very fortunate to receive bottles from, or been generously given samples. As for the Beer Hut Barántiúl, I managed to secure it thanks to fast fingers when released to a ravenous Kult online and the Cognac finished Barántúil was gifted by Martin McShane. I’ve been fortunate to sample many Barántúils before, and it’s apparent that Brendan is cultivating a distinct DNA for Killowen. This became even more evident during the ‘Pillars of Creation’ release by Two Stacks earlier this month. The identity and uniqueness of these releases exhibit a clear adherence to traditional Irish mashbills but with a distinct Killowen twist.

Firstly, the private bottlings. The Barnhill, Cask #KD048 is a mixed mash bill (single pot still in old money…) matured in a 120 litre PX cask, with a yield of 264 bottles at 52.4%. The Northern Lights, a seemingly rarer bottle, which I was fortunate to get a bottle of via the Kult (if you know, you know) is another mixed mash bill (you get it by now right?) again matured in a 120 litre PX cask with a lower yield of 199 bottles but at a heftier 60.7%. While they are both 3 years old, they vary in their mash bill. The Barnhill has 3 bags unmalted barley, 7 smoked malted barley, 2 oats, 1 wheat and 1 rye. In contrast, the Northern Lights has 2 bags unmalted barley, 6 peated malted barley, 1 malted maris otter barley, 4 oats and 1 wheat. Point being, expect difference in flavour regardless of maturation criteria. One thing we’ve learnt from Brendan over the years is that he can extract every ounce of flavour from the mash bill.

Secondly, the public bottlings. The Beer Hut Killowen is a 4-year-old single pot still (or is it….) matured for three years in a Kentucky bourbon cask, with an additional 7 months in beer. The mash bill leans heavily on the barley with 8 bags of malted barley, 4 and a half of malted barley, 1 malted maris otter barley, a quarter of oats and a quarter of wheat. The Barántúil bottled specifically for the American market, of which there is a large Kult following, the 3-year-old Single Pot Still matured in a 200 litre Cognac cask, bottled at 61% has a mash bill of 8 bags of malted barley, 4 and a half of unmalted barley, 1 maris otter malted and a quarter of both oats and wheat.

Killowen Barnhill Barántúil Mixed Mash Bill

Price: Private sale

ABV: 52.4%

Nose: Initially, a beautiful freshness to it, clean, lime zest, boiled sweets and giant strawberries add a sense of sweetness and nostalgia. Preparing for the spice with the faint note of cinnamon lozenges, but more toasted wood and stale smoke at this stage.

Palate: Ah, there’s that Brendan DNA of cinnamon sticks and cigar box, lovely.  A little pepper comes through too nicely alongside aniseed and a faint hint of child flakes. There’s still a lovely note of chocolate orange which comes though too with spiced vanilla. The spice almost turns savoury with gingerbread becoming more noticeable, which finishes with a touch of mint.

Finish: A great finish with cola cubes and strong Jamaica cake drizzled with honey for a long lasting and memorable dram.

Score: 8/10

Killowen Northern Lights Barántúil Mixed Mash Bill

Price: Private sale

ABV: 60.7%

Nose: There’s definite sherbet on the nose, with some lemon juice and boiled sweets. There’s a touch of aniseed with a little pepper. Beautiful sweetness of Cola cubes too.

Palate: Slight peat that comes through, beautiful buttery mouthfeel too. Lots of pepper and clove taking the spice centre stage. There’s more traditional Killowen stale smoke and old wood. Even a little salt too.

Finish: Cayenne pepper, cinnamon lozenges and gingerbread. There’s also a hint of foam bananas and hot shots.

Score: 7.5/10

Killowen Beer Hut Brewery Barántúil Mixed Mash Bill

Price: Sold out but expect to pay around £80-100 at auction.

ABV: 52.35%

Nose: Lovely initial nosing of golden treacle and butterscotch. Almost feels a little musty, sawn wood and a little aniseed too. There’s a sticky orange marmalade hint too alongside a sweet honey.

Palate: fizzy Vanilla Coke. Certainly more aniseed and a little clove with some trebor strong mints. Definite gingerbread too with a hint of spiced vanilla too. Some strong pure orange concentrate coming through too, spiked with lime zest.

Finish: More gingerbread and a little Jamaica cake. There’s some pepper but finishes more with crème brûlée.

Score: 7.5/10

Killowen Barántúil Cask #KD008 Single Pot Still Cognac cask finish

Price: Sold out but expect to pay around £80-100 at auction.

ABV: 61%

Nose: There’s a typical cognac cask type finish, a little musty but ultimately quite light and almost floral too. There’s fruity goodness with Celementine oranges, citrus zest, pink grapefruit and clove. A little smoke comes to the fore too, but almost sweetly so.

Palate: A beautifully light, but powerful smoke comes through, opening my father’s cigar box. The notes of cinnamon and clove endure throughout with other sweet notes once again coming to the fore, with vanilla and marzipan helping to add a sense of balance to a real complex palate.

Finish: An incredible warmth once more, and more of the same spice coming through, cinnamon sticks and clove with some stemmed ginger too. A little pepper ensures you won’t forget this one anytime soon.

Score: 6.5/10

Conclusion

What an impressive lineup of Barántúils to sink my teeth into! One thing is clear to me: the private bottlings truly showcased their prowess. I don’t believe this is due to greater care being taken with them; rather, it seems to be related to the mash bill. The inclusion of a higher ratio of oats has a profound effect. When I reviewed the Belgrove bottling a while back, both Johnathon and I noted the unbelievable character and textures of the oat whiskey. It feels like there’s more range and depth to them—they’re complex yet approachable, offering so much to experience. For me, there’s very little between the Barnhill and the Northern Lights, for me, the Barnhill just does it.

That’s not to say the other two are lacking—in fact, they’re quite the opposite. What impresses me most is the exceptional quality of the finishes. An inexperienced distiller wouldn’t be able to extract such a diverse range of flavours from these rarer finishes. I was particularly delighted by the Funky Ale finish; there’s a consistent nod to the Killowen DNA throughout, yet each expression maintains its own unique character. The depth of flavour in the Funky Ale was remarkable, and as a fan of Jamaica cake, detecting that note in the finish was a significant plus for me. However, despite my fondness for a cognac finish, I felt it didn’t quite measure up to the other three.

I’m eagerly on the hunt for more Barátúils after this experience. Casks 001, 002, and especially the Tawny Port cask were impressive prior to these four, but I’m intrigued to see where Brendan takes this next. James Fox Amontillado finish? Check. A Friend at Hand release with water sourced directly from Silent Valley in the Mournes? Check. While the future releases are uncertain, one thing is for sure: Brendan won’t disappoint.