Review #924 - Killowen 5 Year Single Malt - Signature / Rum & Raisin Inspired
Killowen is producing and bottling their own spirit now, but previously, they also sourced whiskies from other distilleries. This Rum & Raisin inspired single malt, for instance, tells us on the back label that it was sourced from County Louth; in fact, it specifically comes from Great Northern distillery.
This single malt was aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels before a double finish was used: some of the spirit was finished in dark rum casks, while the other portion spent its secondary maturation period in PX sherry casks. The brand says that the goal was to bring together the rich, dark fruits of the sherry with the bright, creamy, tropical notes from the rum casks - they were seeking to find the flavor combinations seen in popular rum and raisin desserts, hence the name of the bottle.
While there is a full-sized bottle Rum & Raisin release these days, these earlier batches were all sold as half-size (375 mL) bottles. Even then, the price was still $60 to $70, so an equivalent full size bottle would be roughly $120 to $130... that's quite expensive.
Killowen 5 Year Single Malt - Signature / Rum & Raisin Inspired
Ireland - Single Malt
Price: USD 65 (2025)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 55% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks, finished in dark rum casks and Pedro Ximenez sherry butts
Details: Not chill filtered; batch #01; 1,800 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 years; bottles at 100% and 60% fill levels at times of review, and tasted once from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: True to the name - golden raisins, pineapple, coconut, and dark sweet figs and raisins. Tons of fruits - we also get oranges, lemon, and a hint of banana; demerara sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and creme brulee add even more sweetness. There are accents of butter and spirity notes, too.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; it's quite warming and spirity, packed with bright fruits and baking spices. Oranges, lemon, coconut, golden apple, cinnamon, caramel, and tart fizzy peach; darker stewed fruits like black cherry and raisin and dates come later. Clove and nutmeg add more of a spice kick.
Finish: Lots of orange, dry oak spice, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The dark fruit, like fig and raisin, takes on a sharper acidic side; creamy grain, lemon curd, and strong effervescent spirit notes bring good texture, but also more heat. Tart strawberry lingers in the aftertaste, and it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This is a solid and interesting single malt from Killowen and Great Northern, and we think they nailed the profile that they were going for. Different tasting sessions yielded slightly varied results - some were heavier on the dark fruit side, some more spice-driven, and others more sweet and light fruit dominant - but overall, it's a good balance of flavors. There is definitely some spirity heat lingering from the combination of the low age statement and the higher strength of 55% ABV, though.
While it's a decent bottle, we don't think the value is quite so good due to the high price. If it was more like $60 to $70 for a full-size bottle, that would be a solid purchase, but asking those prices for a half bottle on these early batches was a bit much.
Our Rating: 6.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.82
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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