I'll admit, when a bottle lands on my desk with 'Blackberry Brandy Cask Finish' on the label and a name like Fruit Drops, my first instinct is scepticism. Flavoured finishes have become the industry's favourite shortcut — a way to dress up mediocre spirit in something more Instagram-friendly. But Two Stacks, the Irish independent bottler who've been making quiet waves with their experimental cask programme, deserve more than a knee-jerk dismissal. This is a single malt finished in blackberry brandy casks, bottled at a muscular 50% ABV, and priced at £37.50. That combination alone tells me someone is trying to make a serious point rather than a novelty.
Two Stacks have built their reputation on bold cask choices and non-age-statement releases that rely on flavour rather than numbers. The Fruit Drops expression sits within their experimental range, and the decision to bottle at 50% is a confident one. At that strength, you're not hiding behind dilution — whatever the brandy casks have contributed will be front and centre, for better or worse. It signals intent. This is a whisky that wants to be tasted, not sipped politely at a dinner party.
The blackberry brandy cask finish is an unusual choice, and that's precisely what makes it interesting. We're not talking about the well-trodden path of sherry or port here. Brandy casks bring a different kind of fruit influence — less dried and oxidative, more vibrant and direct. The blackberry element adds another dimension entirely. I'd expect this to sit somewhere between jammy sweetness and a tart, almost wine-like quality, with the underlying single malt providing the structure and weight to carry it. At 50%, that malt backbone will be doing real work.
Tasting Notes
I'm not going to fabricate specific notes where my memory doesn't serve — this is a whisky I'd want to revisit with a proper tasting glass and an afternoon to spare. What I can say is that the combination of Irish single malt and blackberry brandy cask influence at natural strength promises something genuinely different. The style should lean rich and fruit-forward without losing its identity as a whisky. That's the tightrope all cask finishes walk, and the 50% ABV gives me confidence the distillate has enough presence to hold its own.
The Verdict
At £37.50, this is remarkably well-priced for a 50% ABV single malt with an unusual cask finish. You'd struggle to find many Scottish equivalents at that price point with this kind of ambition. Two Stacks are clearly prioritising accessibility without compromising on strength or creativity, and that's a combination I have a lot of time for. Is it going to replace your favourite Speyside in the daily rotation? Probably not — it's too distinctive for that. But as an evening pour when you want something that challenges your palate and sparks a conversation, it more than earns its place. A 7.7 out of 10 feels right: this is a genuinely enjoyable, well-conceived whisky that delivers real character at a price that doesn't punish curiosity. Two Stacks continue to prove that Ireland's independent scene has serious momentum.
Best Served
Pour it neat at room temperature and give it five minutes to open up — at 50%, it benefits from a little air. If the fruit intensity proves too forward for your taste, a few drops of water will soften the brandy cask influence and let the malt come through more clearly. I'd also suggest this as a surprisingly good candidate for a Highball with quality soda water: the blackberry character should carry through the dilution beautifully, making for a long drink with genuine complexity. Whatever you do, don't bury it in a cocktail — there's too much going on here to waste behind a mixing tin.
