Through importer Foley Family Wines & Spirits, Two Stacks is always on the hunt for traditional Irish whiskeys that they can make their own. Two Stacks Single Grain Double Barrel showcases the versatility and refinement of Irish Grain Whiskey, a traditional style of whiskey most often used as a blending component.

The expression starts with a mashbill of 94% maize and 6% Irish malted barley. The technical file for Irish Grain Whiskey requires that it is produced with malted barley (not exceeding 30%) and includes un-malted cereal grains, in this case corn. The distillate is first aged for 3-5 years in former bourbon barrels, followed by 1-3 years in Oloroso sherry casks, both in a traditional Irish rickhouse on the Cooley Peninsula.

“I think a lot of folks in Ireland thought we were mad when we told them we were coming out with an Irish Grain Whiskey,” said Two Stacks Co-Founder Liam Brogan. “We were confident with the right blend and aging/finishing we could produce something rather sophisticated and unexpected that honored the legacy of this workhorse stalwart in Irish whiskey history.”

While not as historically entrenched as the famed Single Pot Still whiskeys of the 18th and 19th centuries, the single grain style gained momentum with the advent of column stills in the mid-1800s. However, it wasn’t until the establishment of Cooley Distillery in 1987 and The Great Northern Distillery in 2015 (both founded by John Teeling, David Hynes, and Jim Finn) that the style came into its own in modern Ireland. The whiskey from those distilleries is blended and bonded for this bottling.

Two Stacks Single Grain Double Barrel is available in both a 100 ml Dram in a Can and a 700 ml sustainable bottle made from 100% recycled glass for $6.99 and $44.99, respectively.

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The new expression, a Single Grain Irish Whiskey, originally distilled in County Cork, Ireland, features a mash bill of 95% French maize (corn) and 5% malted barley. The whiskey was first matured in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for six months in casks which previously held the Mark X 2007 Barbados Rum from Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados. Bottled at 100 proof, it was created by merging the skills of two of the most respected producers of spirits in the world, Foursquare Rum Distillery’s Richard Seale and Noel Sweeney, former Master Distiller/Master Blender of Cooley Distillery.

“We got the Dream Team for this one,” said Lyons Brown, Founder and CEO of High n’ Wicked. “Foursquare has risen to the pinnacle of the rum world and is quickly becoming a global icon in spirits. We expect to work with Richard on additional releases in the future.”

“Foursquare’s ‘Mark X 2007’ was a highly expressive and complex Barbados rum and these casks married beautifully with the nuanced and subtle characters of this exquisite Single Grain Irish Whiskey,” said Richard Seale, Master Distiller/Master Blender, Foursquare Rums. “Seeing this collaboration come together from such a long-standing partner in our Exceptional Cask Selections importer, Altamar Brands, and through High n’ Wicked, has been a genuine pleasure.”

High n’ Wicked launches singular limited releases several times per year which are specialty bottlings of some of the finest domestic and global whiskeys. These “treasures” feature single barrels and expert double wood finishes that add layers of complexity to already superb distillates. To date, the brand has issued eight distinct American and Irish whiskey releases which include American Bourbon, Single Malt Irish whiskey, and Single Grain Irish Whiskey. High n’ Wicked also produces an award-winning flagship straight bourbon whiskey and straight rye whiskey which are regularly available.

High n’ Wicked x Foursquare Rum Distillery limited release is available now for $79.99.

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