Proper No. Twelve Expands With Black Reserve Irish Whiskey

(Photo: Proper No. Twelve)

Irish whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve on Tuesday unveiled Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve, expanding the lineup of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey more than a year after the brand ended its association with founder Conor McGregor.

The new Black Reserve expression arrives ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. It carries a suggested retail price of $32.99 and joins the brand’s permanent U.S. portfolio.

Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve is a blend of triple-distilled single malt and grain whiskey aged for at least four years. The whiskey is matured in first- and second-fill American oak bourbon barrels, including level 3 heavily charred casks.

The company says heavier charring opens the wood grain and increases contact between spirit and barrel. The whiskey is bottled at 40% ABV.

Lander Otegui, executive vice president of marketing and innovation at Proximo Spirits, described the release as a continuation of the brand’s production focus.

“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,” Otegui said in a news release. “The toasted wood and heartier caramel notes from the heavily charred barrels balanced by the gentle vanilla sweetness, is a great testament to that.”

Proper No. Twelve says it ranks as the third-largest Irish whiskey brand in the United States, citing NelsenIQ data for the 52 weeks ending Jan. 10.

Parent company Proximo Spirits said in November 2024 that McGregor’s name and likeness would no longer appear in marketing materials following a civil court verdict in Ireland tied to a 2018 sexual assault case.

The original Proper No. Twelve expression retails for $19.99 at 40% ABV. An Irish Apple variant is bottled at 35% ABV and carries the same suggested retail price.

Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve is available now at retailers and bars across the country.