There are distilleries you stumble upon and distilleries that demand your attention. Boann, nestled in the Boyne Valley in County Meath, belongs firmly in the latter category.
I recently sat down with two of their single pot still expressions, the Madeira Cask and the PX Cask, and both proved to be far more fascinating than their modest profiles might suggest. These are whiskeys with serious depth, crafted by a distillery that deserves to be on every Irish whiskey enthusiast’s radar.
Let’s start with the Madeira Cask, which is honestly one of my favourite Irish whiskeys currently on sale. Both expressions share the same DNA: a single pot still mashbill of malted barley, unmalted barley, oats, and rye, bottled at 47% with natural colour and no chill filtration.
The Madeira expression begins its life in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred into vintage Madeira casks from Justinos, spanning multiple vintages and grape varietals ranging from dry to medium to sweet. The result is extraordinary.
On the nose, it delivers brownie mix, cherries, apricots in juice, and a gorgeous wild lavender freshness. The palate unfolds in layers: dry tobacco and espresso give way to caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. It feels creamy, vibrant, and deeply indulgent.
Madeira wine finishes on Irish whiskey have long been one of my favourite things in the world, and this bottle only reinforces that conviction. An 8.5 out of 10 from me.
The PX Cask is a different beast entirely. Here’s where things get truly unusual. After initial maturation in ex-oloroso casks, the whiskey is transferred into ex-Pedro Ximénez solera barrels that have held sherry up to 60 years old, and those barrels are made from chestnut, not oak.
Irish whiskey regulations permit maturation in any type of wood, a freedom that Scottish distillers simply don’t have, and Boann is exploiting that latitude in fascinating ways. The nose is earthier and more restrained, with hay bales, freshly cut grass, and a shy sherry sweetness lurking beneath.
On the palate, classic dried fruits meet bitter orange, gentle wormwood, and rolling tobacco. There is a subtle sulphur note that adds real complexity, along with a deeper, darker, more bittersweet character that I suspect the chestnut influence brings.
It isn’t sweet like a Glendronach or Macallan. It is something altogether more brooding and interesting. A well-earned 8 out of 10.
What truly sets Boann apart, beyond the liquid itself, is its transparency. The level of detail they publish on their website about cask sourcing, vintages, and production is staggering. I find myself thinking of them as the Bruichladdich of Ireland, a distillery that respects its customers enough to show its working.
Both bottles are relatively affordable, and both reward patience and curiosity in the glass. If you have never explored what Boann is doing, I cannot recommend it enough. So, have you tried any whiskies matured in non-oak wood, and if so, did you notice a difference?
For a more detailed breakdown, watch my YouTube video.
Read the full article at Why Boann Distillery Might Be the Bruichladdich of Ireland
