When the Powerscourt Distillery first released sourced whiskey under their Fercullen brand name there was a big play stating the Head Distiller – Noel Sweeney – had a part in distilling the original liquid during his tenure at Cooley Distillery.
Now Noel has moved on from Powerscourt they have a new distiller – Paul Corbett, who himself came from Clonakilty Distillery – does the personality of the distiller make a difference to the perception of a whiskey?
It clearly does in some circles.
Individuals obviously do make a difference – but is Fercullen trying to re-create a Noel Sweeney style of Cooley Whiskey? Or will they create their own unique distillery character?
Distillery character is a term I have issues with.
Cooley can, did & still do create a whole range of flavour styles under the one roof. All distilleries can. The distiller – or distillers – can choose which style they wish within the limitations of raw materials, distillery equipment & maturation regime utilised.
I don’t believe it’s purely down to the location or shape of the stills – although there will be a degree of influence these factors bring to the table – they don’t define the final product.
Most whiskeys released are pre-envisioned before being distilled with a specific style or flavour profile in mind. All the variables are tweaked accordingly to attain that goal.
Cognisant of that, the 2 miniatures before me both represent what Powerscourt wish to present – regardless of whether they are sourced or distilled in-house.
Fercullen Falls Small Batch, 43%, Blend
Powerscourt do not have Coffey Stills to distill grain whiskey – so by default this blend contains sourced spirit. It does say Bottled For Powerscourt Distillery on the back label though. According to their website it also contains some of Powerscourt’s own distillate too – read about it here.
Pale golden brown. Soft, sweet & honeyed nose. Smooth & easy palate. Gently warming with a lovely little prickly bite on the finish.
An approachable easy blend with a touch of character on the rear.
Fercullen Single Malt, 46%
Despite saying Bottled For Powerscourt Distillery on the back label, the website states 100% Distilled in Powerscourt here. Mit Farbstoff is also on the label – added caramel to you & me – with Non-Chill Filtered on the website.
Pale golden brown. A gentle musty nose, slightly nutty. Smooth yet rich palate. Honeys, caramel, soft vanilla & more of that nuttiness. An engaging prickly bite on the rear from the 46% ABV. Finishes off quite dry.
An elegantly easy single malt boosted by that non-chill filtration.
Thoughts
Both of these represent to me a sweet, smooth & honeyed style of whiskey. If anything the blend is brighter, cleaner, more balanced & ultimately more satisfying on my palate. The single malt does offer more depth but the bite on the finish is slightly at odds with the overall smoothness – even if it does add character.
It’s still early days for Fercullen’s own malt – so it’s lovely to get a peek at the potential yet to come. At present it’s very much in the Cooley Malt style of whiskey. Personally I’d like to see some more divergence from that in the coming years.
What Powerscourt Distillery does have is a fantastic visitors experience set in stunning scenery just outside of Dublin.
I’d recommend you get down there to enjoy the whiskey!
Sláinte
Powerscourt Distillery website here.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 