Review #930 - W.D. O'Connell 5 Year Small Batch Fino Cask Single Malt
This single malt from W.D. O'Connell was actually distilled at Great Northern distillery. The independent bottler first matured this in first fill ex-bourbon casks before using a finishing period in Fino sherry butts (sourced from Bodega Fernando de Castilla) to add more nuance and complexity.
This spirit was distilled in 2018, and they re-racked it into the sherry casks in April 2022; therefore, we have 3 to 4 years in bourbon, followed by a couple of years in the sherry casks. That's enough time for the sherry casks to have a strong influence - let's see how balanced this single malt is at the end of its maturation.
W.D. O'Connell 5 Year Small Batch Fino Cask Single Malt
Ireland - Single Malt
Price: USD 78 (2026)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon casks, finished in Fino sherry butts
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 2018, bottled 2024
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times (twice blind) over 15 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Musty grape skins, white grape, and then some lighter scents: vanilla, hay, and moldy lemon rind. Cloves, malty spirit, and a hint of acetone... then we get dried cranberry, chocolate-covered raisin, frothy lager head, and bitter over-steeped tea. There's a mild yeasty note at times, too.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel, but there's some oily texture and a nice combination of spice and fizzy sweetness. Soda water, vanilla, honey, and malted grains combine with lemon juice, homemade bread, and a decent funky note. Pears, charcoal, and a hint of peat are accents.
Finish: A bit more warming now, with wood spice, cereal grains, and decent texture. Lemons, pears, and peaches lead a light fruit profile; we get accents of icing sugar and mild peat. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: There are some very unique notes on the nose of this whisky, but it becomes a bit more mainline lightly-peated, young single malt on the palate and into the finish. Some light fruits, a very soft smoky influence, and a decent amount of sweetness and grain - it's decent stuff, but a little bit young to have developed the complexity we're looking for.
Value for this bottle is fine, just about average in our books. It's a solid whisky, an easy sipper, but there are other options out there in the Irish single malt scene that offer a bit more nuance and interest.
Our Rating: 6.5 / 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: 6.02
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.
Check out our other W.D. O’Connell reviews:
Review #929 - W.D. O'Connell 10 Year Single Grain - Bourbon & Rye Cask Series Batch 03
