St. Patrick's Day is the kind of holiday that separates the people who actually care about what's in their glass from the ones who just grab whatever's closest to the register. This year, Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey is making that choice a whole lot easier with the arrival of Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve Irish Whiskey — a new expression that takes everything the brand built its reputation on and turns up the heat. Literally.
Proper No. Twelve already sits as the third largest Irish Whiskey brand in the United States, which is no small thing in a category that gets more crowded every year. But with Black Reserve, the brand isn't just trying to move bottles for the holiday. They're making a statement about what Irish whiskey can be when you stop playing it safe.
The story behind Black Reserve starts with the barrels, and that's where things get interesting. This is a blend of single malt and grain whiskey aged for a minimum of four years in level 3 heavily charred bourbon barrels. If that sounds familiar, it's because heavy charring is the kind of technique that bourbon drinkers already know and respect. The difference here is that those barrels are doing their work on an Irish whiskey that originates from the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, coming through a triple-distillation process that smooths everything out before it even touches the wood.
The barrels used for Black Reserve are broken down into two categories that each bring something different to the final product. The first-fill American Oak barrels are the ones that have been heavily charred, and that charring process is what unlocks the bold character that sets Black Reserve apart from standard Irish expressions. American White Oak has a tighter, harder grain than other wood types, so the intense firing opens that grain up. Once it's open, the wood can actually communicate with the whiskey during aging, pushing through rich caramel, toasted wood, soft vanilla, and sweeter notes that you don't typically get from a lighter touch. The second-fill American Oak barrels then layer in more of what longtime Proper No. Twelve drinkers already know — that recognizable character with added vanilla, toffee, and spice that feels natural rather than forced.
The result is a whiskey that has some real backbone to it without crossing into territory that would alienate anyone who prefers their Irish whiskey smooth and approachable. That balance is clearly intentional. Lander Otegui, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at Proximo Spirits, put it plainly: "We want Black Reserve to reinforce what Proper No. Twelve has been about from the start: expert craftsmanship, approachability and more than 400 years of whiskey production and blending expertise. The toasted wood and heartier caramel notes from the heavily charred barrels balanced by the gentle vanilla sweetness, is a great testament to that."
Four hundred years of production knowledge isn't a number that gets thrown around lightly. That history gives Proper No. Twelve something most newer whiskey brands simply cannot replicate — a depth of understanding about how grain, water, time, and wood interact. Black Reserve takes that knowledge and applies it with a bolder hand than the original expression, giving drinkers something that feels premium without requiring them to spend premium money to find out.
On that note, Black Reserve is priced at an average suggested retail price of $32.99, which puts it in a range where someone can pick it up for a casual St. Patrick's Day gathering without thinking twice, but also feel confident pulling it out when company comes over. It's on shelves and at backbars across the country right now, which means there's no scrambling around trying to track it down before March 17th.
As for how to drink it, Black Reserve works well neat or on the rocks for anyone who wants to actually taste what those charred barrels put into the whiskey. But the brand is also pointing people toward a Proper Black Honey Old Fashioned as the go-to cocktail. The build stays close to the classic Old Fashioned formula with one deliberate addition — a bar spoon of honey that plays directly into the vanilla notes already present in the whiskey and complements the wood-derived sugars that come through from the heavy char. It's a thoughtful suggestion rather than a gimmick, and for anyone who already appreciates a well-made Old Fashioned, this is a logical way to experience what Black Reserve brings to a cocktail format.
The broader Proper No. Twelve lineup gives some useful context for where Black Reserve fits. The original expression and Irish Apple variety both retail at $19.99 and are widely available across the United States and in select international markets. The original is bottled at 40% ABV while the Apple comes in at 35% ABV. Both are built around that same triple-distilled malt and grain blend aged four years in bourbon barrels, delivering the vanilla, honeyed sweetness, and toasted wood finish that the brand became known for. Black Reserve takes those foundational qualities and pushes them further, justified by the more intensive barrel program and the added depth that comes from that level 3 heavy char.
There's also a piece of the Proper No. Twelve identity that doesn't show up on the label but matters to a lot of people who choose where to spend their money. The brand has donated over five million dollars to first responder organizations worldwide, recognizing the people who do some of the hardest work there is. For a whiskey that markets itself as being made for the bold and hard-working, that commitment carries real weight.
St. Patrick's Day has a way of turning into a race to the bottom when it comes to drink choices, with green dye doing a lot of heavy lifting for brands that don't have much else going on. Black Reserve is the opposite of that. It's a whiskey with a specific and considered approach to flavor, built on a foundation of centuries of craft, and priced in a way that treats the customer fairly. Whether it ends up in a glass on its own, over a single large ice cube, or in a honey-spiked Old Fashioned, it's the kind of bottle that still has a reason to be on the shelf on March 18th.
For more information on Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve and the full lineup, visit www.properwhiskey.com or follow along at @ProperWhiskey.
