New Irish Whiskey

There’s hard sell – & then there’s soft sell.

A duo of distilleries in Ulster have recently released their first whiskeys to market.

Being small concerns they lack the advertising might, supply chain connections & brand recognition of established players to garnish much attention.

Blind tasting c/othewhiskeynut

My Northern correspondent obtained a trio – added a pair of wild cards – & presented 5 blind samples for my tasting pleasure.

In order of preference – this is what I found.

Mourne DEW Irish Whiskey c/oMourneDEW

1st place, Sample 5, Mourne DEW Irish Whiskey, Blend, 40%

‘Soft vanilla, mellow soft & slightly smokey, dry smoke on finish.’

I knew some of the releases had a peaty element – which I like – & I found it in sample 5. It wasn’t overpowering – gently balanced, easy & attractive. A delightful blend.

May-Lóag Peated c/oMayLóag

2nd place, Sample 1, May-Lóag, Peated, Blend, 40%

‘Sweet fresh & honeyed, complex rich flavours, lovely spice on finish.’

I was immediately taken by this one. The reveal surprised me being peated – as I didn’t detect it on tasting! I did get a very enjoyable & characterful whiskey!

The above two captivated me – I’d happily purchase both – leaving the rest somewhat in the shadows.

Bushmills 10yo c/oCelticWhiskeyShop

3rd place, Sample 4, Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt, 40%

‘Clean & fresh ex-bourbon cask, soft & mellow, prickliness on rear, drying, hint of smoke?’

A standard of Irish Whiskey. It just didn’t shine against the new entrants.

May-Lóag Small Batch c/oMayLóag

4th place, Sample 2, May-Lóag Small Batch, Single Malt, 40%

‘More mellowed, sweet & earthy, flatter on palate, nice spice on long lasting finish.’

Lacked a certain ‘oomph & character’ of it’s peated sister. Pleasant easy sipper.

West Cork Virgin Oak c/oCelticWhiskeyShop

5th place, Sample 3, West Cork, Virgin Oak Cask, Single Malt, 43%

‘Honeyed hint of smoke?, soft mellow & earthy palate, prickliness on rear.’

The reveal surprised me again. I’d have expected richer vanilla & caramel with some peppery spice from the virgin oak casks. Obviously being ‘finished’ rather than ‘matured’ hadn’t brought out enough flavour for my liking.

So there we go.

A very enjoyable tasting session where 2 of the newest entrants to the Irish Whiskey scene excited me.

I look forward to many more!

Sláinte

Advertisement