Having moved house during the pandemic this generous sample from the good people at An Fear Grinn almost went missing.
Móinteach time! c/othewhiskeynut
Luckily the new owners of my old abode kindly informed me of the package & it duly graced my happy hands.
What a delight it proved to be!
Móinteach – roughly translates as peaty – exhibited those lovely rich smokey aromas I adore.
Clean & clear – yet not overpowering.
The palate was milder & sweeter than nosing suggested.
Móinteach came alive on the finish for me.
A gorgeous drying out, tingling sensation – reminding me of the warm glow from the fading embers of a hearty fire wrapping me in it’s comforting embrace.
While Kilbeggan Black explores the softer side of smoke, this latest incarnation of Titanic Whiskey is a bolder offering.
Titanic Whiskey c/othewhiskeynut
More pronounced smoke infused with a sweet juiciness from the sherry casks greets the nose.
Quite a clean, fresh & clear grainy palate.
Gorgeously drying spicy finish leaves with an entertaining tingling gently sailing away.
A fabulous addition to the growing peated Irish fleet.
The original Titanic Whiskey was a honeyed blend sourced from Cooley Distillery – there’s still a few bottles around – for Belfast lottery winner Peter Lavery.
Peter Lavery c/o belfastmediagroup.com
The brand was doing well before John Teeling sold to Beam in 2011 – who promptly turned off the taps to 3rd parties.
Little did Beam know this would precipitate the biggest whiskey distillery building spree witnessed in Ireland for generations!
From Slane Distillery in Co Meath, Great Northern Distillery in Co Louth & Teeling Distillery in Dublin.
McConnells of Belfast c/othewhiskeynut
Peter Lavery attempted a distillery in Crumlin Gaol – now in new hands as McConnell’s Whisky – & has secured planning for a distillery at Titanic Docks itself!
Today’s Titanic Whiskey is sourced from GND & it’s a lovely little blend.
Titanic info c/othewhiskeynut
Who knows – in a few years time there could be a Belfast made whiskey again emanating from the same docks the Titanic ship hailed from.
For a long time Irish Whiskey was defined more by what it couldn’t be rather than by what it could.
Truths About Whiskey 1878 c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Proper Twelve c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Sods of turf drying in the sun. c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Peated Kilbeggan c/othewhiskeynut
So when Kilbeggan Distillery recently added the Kilbeggan Black Lightly Peated Irish Whiskey to their range – I couldn’t wait to try it out.
Label info c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Delicately smoky c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Devoid of any prior knowledge my brief assessment of this ‘Complex Blend’ was as follows;
Complex Blend c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Back label info c/othewhiskeynut
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.
Two Stacks in a Tuath c/othewhiskeynut
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.
When a particular distillery’s output wins 2 blind tasting sessions – you take notice.
Both Mourne DEW’s Blend and Single Malt stood out for me,
Tasty trio c/othewhiskeynut
So I purchased their miniature set to try them out side by side.
The Kilbroney Gin went down well with my better half,
Kilbroney c/othewhiskeynut
Allowing me to concentrate on the others!
Pooka Poitín, 43%
Pooka c/othewhiskeynut
The colour immediately intrigued me. A pale straw hue – similar to the whiskeys – obviously a bit of barrel ageing going on – 10 weeks is allowed.
An entertaining floral note greeted me – with a hint of woody smoke. Oily smooth mouthfeel with enticing flavours. A touch of nuttiness on the finish topped off with a pleasing drying prickleness.
A rather unique poitín offering – very happy with this one!
Mourne DEW Blend, 40%
Blend c/othewhiskeynut
Like encountering an old friend!
A clean & fresh nose, smooth honeyed palate drying out towards the finish leaving with a tingling spiciness.
A characterful little number!
Mourne DEW Single Malt, 43%
Single Malt c/othewhiskeyut
Just a word on the colour – of the 3 – it appears the palest!
Clearly no caramel here & a relatively young malt – which works well for a peater – as the nose brings me back to sitting by an open turf fire!
What can I say about this one?
A delightfully young & vibrant peater – loved it!
Thoughts
For a small distillery nestled on the pretty banks of Carlingford Lough in Warrenpoint – Mourne DEW are releasing a flavourful range of spirits to charm & entertain.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 