Maybe it was the pubs being closed?
Spotting these Beer Battered Onion Rings in my local Lidl reminded me of pre-pandemic carefree days.
They made my basket.
They made my oven.
They made my plate.
They brought back memories of the good days,
And yearnings of days yet to come.
Sláinte
For a long time Irish Whiskey was defined more by what it couldn’t be rather than by what it could.
When the whisky market was clearly shifting to blended whisky in the late 1800’s, Messrs J Jameson, W Jameson, J Power & G Roe brought out the ‘Truths About Whisky’ pamphlet which railed against this new confounded ‘silent spirit’ & thereby shunned the opportunities available.
Celebrity endorsed brands are making big waves across the globe right now – yet within the Irish Whiskey community there is almost universal rejection of Conor McGregor’s Proper Twelve Whiskey – despite it leaping to become the 4th most popular Irish Whiskey in the world.
Many also adhere to the myth that Irish Whiskey can’t be peated.
Which is a pity.
Peated whiskey displays a gorgeous smoky flavour which many customers seek out – customers like myself.
So when Kilbeggan Distillery recently added the Kilbeggan Black Lightly Peated Irish Whiskey to their range – I couldn’t wait to try it out.
The double distilled blend of malt & grain whiskey from Cooley Distillery in County Louth is presented in a no nonsense screwcap bottle at 40% ABV with added colouring.
It’s clearly positioned at the mass market peated blend category previously dominated by Scorch – and I fully welcome Irish Whiskey’s entry into this arena.
A subtle kiss of smoke rises from the honeyed blend.
Soft & easy palate.
Gently drying smokiness envelops the finish in a warm tingly embrace.
Now that the pubs are slowly opening after a long COVID shutdown – it’ll be great to reach for a lightly peated Irish Whiskey.
Go on Kilbeggan!
Sláinte
The cork disintegrated on trying to open this miniature Red Hackle.
Not a promising start.
Several old bottles of whisky I’ve picked up along the way have also started to deteriorate – leaving a stale musty taste behind.
Red Hackle had only a faint whiff of decay – along with some sherried depth & a teaser of tabacco.
Silky smooth mouthfeel,
The finish had an engaging prickly dryness topped off with a smidgen of smoke.
Red Hackle has held it’s delights very well over the decades.
Surprisingly so – as the internet suggests my bottle is from the 1960’s!
A charming dram.
Sláinte
Very rich tasting.
Very moreish.
A mountain of a beer at 11.5%.
Part of 8 Degrees Brewing Irish Munro series – this beer’s casks are in turn used to age a whiskey creating the Crested Devil’s Ladder version.
As both 8 Degrees & Crested are owned by Pernod Ricard – it’s great to see further developments from this partnership.
Enjoy them while you can!
Sláinte
Hey!
Let’s deliver some beer to our buddies!
Sounds like a good plan.
There’s just the minor inconvenience of these buddies fighting a war in Vietnam – but the plan hatched in a New York bar grows legs.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a mad cap adventure only the young or foolish would contemplate.
Written years after the event it’ s full of humanity – both brutal and kind – as well as reflections of a life well lived.
Sit back, pour yourself a beer & enjoy the ride!
Sláinte
Ever since the split between Walsh Whiskey & Illva Saronno over the direction of produce distilled at Royal Oak Distillery – premiumisation vs mass market in my estimation – I’ve noticed far more glowing coverage of Walsh Whiskey – now a sourced brand – over and above Royal Oak – who are one of only a few Irish Whiskey Distilleries able to distill all 4 styles of Irish Whiskey – Blend, Single Grain, Single Malt & Single Pot Still – under one roof.
Normally there’s a ‘hoorah’ over a new distillery’s first offerings – but for Royal Oak it was a mere whimper.
The Busker range is widely available in the US.
For now in Ireland it remains in specialist shops.
I was waiting for it to appear in my local supermarket – but opted for a sampler pack from Dick Mac’s Bar instead.
The Busker range is entirely Royal Oak’s own distillate – which I’ve yet to witness on the shelves – and is a marvelous milestone in the growing diversity of Irish Whiskey.
The livery of the bottle is bold, striking & contemporary – a refreshing modern look.
The Busker range is available for the attractive price of €40 for the singles & €30 for the blend.
So how did I find them?
Triple Cask Blend, 40%
Triple distilled, triple cask – bourbon , sherry & marsala – a blend of Single Grain, Single Malt & Single Pot Still.
Quite a rich & fruity aroma. The sherry influence appears to dominate. Juicy fruitiness on the palate – like wine gums. An enjoyable tingling spice on the finish which gradually dries out.
Lovely complexity at a pleasing price.
Single Grain, 44.3%
Bourbon & Marsala cask matured.
Gentle & subtle. Hints of woodiness. Clean & fresh palate. Dries out on the finish with a frisson of spice.
A characterful & engaging single grain.
Single Malt, 44.3%
Bourbon & Sherry cask matured.
Smooth maltiness. Lovely sweet juicines on the palate. A delightful drying spice on the finish.
Easy & engaging.
Single Pot Still, 44.3%
Bourbon & Sherry cask matured.
Captivating sweet spiciness. More of those wine gums. More body & woody depth showing through. Lip smacking finish.
Nice!
Thoughts
There’s a common sherry influenced theme running through all these whiskey. A pleasing sweet juiciness followed by a drying spiciness – but for me the added complexity of the single pot still wins out on the day.
A very welcome addition to the growing diversity of Irish Whiskey.
Sláinte
My first encounter with Two Stacks was in a blind tasting.
Devoid of any prior knowledge my brief assessment of this ‘Complex Blend’ was as follows;
Neutral on the nose, soft & subtle.
Not giving much away on the palate, mellow easy drinking.
Nice flavours on the finish, intriguing.
I was surprised to find out it was Two Stacks, The First Cut. Mainly as I’d heard the blend contained a peated element – which I’d failed to detect.
My second encounter with Two Stacks was from an actual bottle.
On the back label is the blending mix & yes – peat does feature, but at only 2% – it clearly wasn’t enough to grab my palate.
Having all the information & a longer time to engage with the whiskey did slightly alter the experience.
A mere hint of smoke just pushed through on the nose – although the mild mellow softness still dominated.
The finish left me with a dry tingling – often a reaction I get from peated whiskey. At only 2% however it was a gentle suggestion & I’d probably be happier with a 20% hit.
Interestingly another drinker had a heightened reaction against the peat – even at such a low concentration it was still overpowering.
Others I know detect sulphur from sherry casks in small amounts too.
My palate seems to be the opposite in that I need bigger percentages & bolder flavours to grab my attention.
As it is, The First Cut is a well put together blend.
Nice easy drinking – & while the peated element does add some character – it’s just not enough to excite my palate.
Sláinte
Every brand has to have a good story – but I’m not sure the one told in the pages of this compelling book will feature on the back of Bacardi labels.
Essentially it’s a well documented exposé of the Bacardi family’s consistent attempts – ever since the Cuban revolution of 1959 – to undermine, weaken & generally destabilise the Cuban regime.
A lot of it can be put down to big multinationals protecting their profits over and above any rules individual states may have.
Some could be political ideology.
But it doesn’t particularly paint a pretty picture.
Events took a turn in 1993 when Pernod Ricard entered a joint venture with Cuban company Havana Rum & Liquors to produce & market the Havana Club range of Cuban rums – to great success.
Bacardi have consistently challenged the right of Pernod Ricard to do so.
Bacardi often drape their advertising in Cuban imagery – despite the rums not being made in the country – & there have been claims to say this is misleading & manipulative.
In these times when ‘transparency’ & ‘honesty’ are attributes to be exalted in the spirits world – I’d suggest pouring your preferred tipple & sitting down to read this riveting book.
It may not change the flavour of that tipple – but it might colour the experience.
Sláinte
Copeland Distillery are one of a growing collection of new Irish Whiskey Distilleries making inroads to market.
Despite having laid down their own stocks – they have yet to mature – Copeland have taken the route of releasing a sourced blend to build awareness of the brand, gain valuable practice & knowledge regarding marketing, packaging, blending as well as cultivating relationships.
I think it’s a commendable exercise – especially when I get the opportunity to try out a sample bottle!
The presentation is very attractive.
The story plays up the rich maritime history of Copeland Distillery’s home town of Donaghadee in Northern Ireland – which I’m immediately drawn to having been a seafarer in the past.
But it all comes down to the liquid – so a sample was poured.
The nose is rich & inviting. A satisfying display of depth coupled with an attractive bite & hints of wood.
Silky & smooth on the palate. Waves of flavour ebb & flow on a gentle tide.
A delightful spiciness opens up on the finish with succulent fruit juiciness fading to a dry tingling.
A very engaging & entertaining little number.
I wish Copeland Distillery much future success.
Sláinte
The sample bottle was kindly supplied by Copeland.
All views – as always – are my own.
Torfa.
Richly Peated, Non Chill Filtered & Natural Colour.
What’s not to like?
Nice clean briny smoke.
Slightly subdued on the palate.
Finishes with a flourish.
That 50% ABV adds to the experience.
A lovely & lively wee dram!
Sláinte
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