RTD – Ready To Drink – offerings seem to be everywhere.
Quarter Hoop was available in my local Aldi.
I found the can visually attractive & thought ‘Why not?‘
Now I don’t normally add coke to my whiskey – I tend to find it ‘drowns out’ the whiskey flavours.
Perhaps that’s the whole point of RTD’s?
As it is Quarter Hoop provides a richer, wholesome & fuller style of coke drinking experience.
Still wouldn’t leave it lying around for my young teenage grand-daughter to consume though!
Sláinte
Poitín Now was a while ago – but I still have a few samples hanging around from the event.
Little & Green Sneaky Orchard is an RTD – Ready To Drink – poitín based cocktail made with Mad March Hare Irish Poitín & the folks at Bar 1661 are behind this creation.
Now I freely admit I’m not the target audience.
I’m very happy to enjoy my poitín neat.
Having said that I do recognise poitín has an ‘old man’ image – so hats off to the crew at Bar 1661 for attempting to popularise poitín for the younger generation!
So how did an ‘old man’ find Sneaky Orchard?
Pours pale green in colour with a noticeable fizz & clean aromas of fresh apple orchards.
Very refreshing on the palate!
Reminds me of something like an appletiser – yet Sneaky Orchard packs a potent 5% ABV.
Didn’t detect any obvious poitín elements – although there is a decent body to the cocktail which leaves with a dry apple sensation.
Actually really enjoyed this one.
Trouble is – it’s too easy to drink!
Sláinte
Original blog for Poitín Now here.
Bar 1661 website here.
Little & Green website here.
When in Anstruther I usually pick up a few bottles in the Wee Couper Of Fife Whisky Shop.
They have a varied selection of miniatures – mainly for the tourist trade – as well as single cask bottlings for the aficionados.
I enjoy sampling the miniatures myself – so picked up a pair of themed minis from the Cumbrae Supply Co.
The Jockey & The Fisherman sport stylised images of their namesakes, are presented at 40% with no mention of distilleries sourced from, nor chill filtering or added caramel, which I’d expect for this type of product.
Without further ado I poured some glasses.
The Jockey
Sweet biscuity malt, very easy palate, slight hints of drying leather on the rear.
A very decent blend.
The Fisherman
Similar nose, if anything an easier palate, softer, sweeter, with less dryness on the rear.
Thoughts
I was expecting to find this pair to share the same source – but they did differ slightly on drinking.
For me The Jockey has pulled clear of the sedentary Fisherman.
An entertaining duo!
Sláinte
Cumbrae Supply Co website here.
Wee Couper Of Fife website here.
All images authors own.
This is my 1st Grappa since returning from Lucca.
Grappa is fierce hard to get hold of in Ireland outside of specialist shops or select restaurants.
Nardini – who began distilling in 1779 – appear to be the only brand readily available here.
I enjoyed their Bianca – clear, unaged – offering previously so moved up a notch with this Riserva – aged in Slavonian oak barrels – presented at 50%.
Pale gold in colour.
Rich pungent nuttiness, dried fruit & chocolate on the nose.
Lovely smooth mouthfeel belies the high ABV.
Slowly builds intensity with those nutty flavours mixed into a growing prickly dryness on a lip-smacking finish.
A rather intense – yet invigorating – experience!
Sláinte
Nardini website here.
Lucca blog post here.
Nardini Bianca blog post here.
I always enjoy a blind tasting.
Stripped of any clues as to what’s before you it heightens your senses to the tastes & flavours experienced on drinking the liquid.
Presented before me were 6 samples. I duly poured them into 6 identical Túath glasses & proceeded to savour the contents.
For some reason I thought this was a rum tasting – & quickly revised this theory as No 1 ‘despite having a bit of a sour nose the lack of body on the palate & high ABV kick signalled to me a poitín! Can’t say it did much for me. Nice experience – but not an approachable spirit’.
There was no No 2 so No 3 ‘proved intriguing. The pale yellow colour, soft fruity nose, easy palate with slight hints of burnt notes on the rear drew me in. I could drink this one again!’.
With No 4 ‘I experienced a slightly musty nose, indicative of long ageing, perfectly fine palate yet lacked a bit of body & very dry on the rear. Rather nonplussed by this one’.
No 5 ‘had a sherry like influence, smooth & silky on the palate with a nice touch of dryness on the rear. Could be a low ppm peater? Not quite enough to excite me if it is’.
No 6 ‘initially blew me away! Suggestive of high ABV. On a 2nd tasting it still didn’t entice me’.
No 7 ‘kinda hooked me, if only for a more pronounced smoky influence. Elegant yet challenging all at the same time’.
So that was it! My initial thoughts are in italics.
Samples 3 & 7 stood out for me in this selection.
So what were they?
3 – Dunville’s 1808, Blended Irish Whiskey, 40%
What can I say? A very pleasant easy drinker with enough depth of character to keep me coming back for more.
7 – Smögen 100 Proof, 6 Year Old, Swedish Single Malt, 57.1%
A heavy peater finished in oloroso casks at a challenging high ABV. Think I’d have enjoyed this one more at 46% without the oloroso finish myself.
And the others?
1 – Black’s Single Pot New Make, 63.5%
4 – Jamesons Black Barrel Proof, Blend, 50%
5 – High Coast, Dálvve Sherry Influence, Swedish Single Malt, 48%
A light peater with 50/50 bourbon/sherry influence. A bit of a let down from the original high peater Box Dálvve I enjoyed at Gothenberg Airport here.
6 – Bushmills Causeway Collection, 2008 Muscatel Casks, Single Malt, 56.4%
Given that Smögen is a bit of a unicorn bottle – hard to get hold of, pricey & limited edition – as are some of the other bottles – I think Dunville’s 1808 performed extremely well on my palate.
I took away a few themes from this tasting. High ABV can blow away the flavours for me & make for a challenging drinking experience. Sherry cask influence isn’t my style of choice & when it comes to enjoyable, affordable drinking – you can’t beat a good blend!
What would your palate have chosen?
Sláinte
Many thanks to fellow Whiskey Blogger S for the blind samples & bottle photo.
Lacking proper glasses I was reduced to sampling out of a ceramic cup!
Didn’t deter the wonderful taste experience!
Baijiu – a clear colourless Chinese spirit mainly made with sorghum grain & possessing a centuries old distilling tradition.
Ming River is a collaboration with Luzhou Laojiao – 3rd most valuable spirit brand in the world 2022 – & renowned author Derek Sandhaus to try & bring Baijiu’s charms to a western audience.
As such it’s presented at a lower strength of 45% as opposed the the usual 52% or over of other baijiu I’ve tried.
If anything this allows those distinctive umami style flavours to shine even more as I often find high ABV spirits can sometimes numb the tastebuds.
Ming River certainly opens with a flourish of meaty BBQ notes.
On the palate it’s quite mild & mellow – allowing those gorgeous notes to fully coat the mouth.
I love the drying, slightly tingling, salty BBQ style of flavours going on in the finish.
Ming River displays all the classic attributes of Baijiu without the high strength explosion associated with stronger offerings.
Derek Sandhaus & Luzhou Laojiao have created a worthy addition to the baijiu cannon.
If you haven’t tried baijiu yet – get your hands on Ming River!
Sláinte
The Spirits Business article on the World’s Biggest Brands here.
My blog on Derek Sandhaus’ book here.
This one’s eluded me for a while.
Sitting at the back of my cupboard – possibly for a few years – is one of Archie Rose’s first offerings – a 40% White Rye.
They’ve come a long way since 2016 – when this White Rye was bottled. The matured rye can now be enjoyed!
Going back a few years however to the start of their journey is this White Rye – which I was glad to re-discover.
An earthy rye note greeted me – full of promise & flavour.
Smooth mouthfeel – touch of new make going on – but builds to a warm spiciness on the rear.
Leaves the palate tingling with a soft prickly experience.
An engaging little number that set Archie Rose out on the distilling road.
Maybe I’ll have to check out what they’re up to know!
Sláinte
All images authors own.
Irish Whiskey is often triple distilled, but this triple tasting includes rum distilled at the Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee.
I’d already purchased their Smugglers Reserve Overproof – read about it here – & found it a lively powerfully funky rum.
Their Smugglers Reserve Bordeaux Cru Rum at 42% won out over a couple of other Irish Rums also due to the funk – blog here.
So will the standard Smugglers Reserve at 40% hold up to scrutiny?
Well the nose certainly promised it would!
That sweet fruity funk lured me in. An engaging oily mouthfeel enveloped the senses delivering that rich funkiness & prickly enticing spice on the finish.
Lovely stuff.
The last remnants of my Grand Cru sample continued to delight. If anything – it delivered a more mellowed & cultured mouthfeel. Perhaps some would find this more appealing – but the straight forward bold flavours of the original still won me over.
The Overproof meanwhile managed to excite!
A powerful explosion of funky flavour, high ABV & an intense drinking experience is something to behold.
I must say I was mightily impressed by all 3!
That fruity funk signature note I love presents itself clearly in all variants making it hard to choose a favourite.
For ease of delivery, richness of flavour & overall accessibility & affordability however – I’m giving it to Smugglers Reserve, 40%.
Who got the funk?
Copeland Rum’s got the funk!
Sláinte
For clarity, Overproof was purchased in Donaghadee, Grand Cru was sample swapped & Original was kindly donated by Copeland Distillery.
Copeland Distillery website here.
I previously tried this attractive trio – blog here – but now they’ve appeared in an eye-catching miniature set complete with historical stories regarding the Earls portrayed & tasting notes on the whiskeys too – I thought I’d give them another go!
Red Earl, Blended Irish Whiskey, 40%
Triple casked, finished in Rioja casks. This light brown blend has a gentle aroma of soft dark fruits. The palate is quite soft yet there’s a delightful fruit bomb on the finish. An added prickly spice livens up the finish.
A very pleasant offering.
Great Earl, Single Grain Irish Whiskey, 40%
Triple casked, finished in Sangiovese casks. Not come across that wine before! Slightly paler in colour. Finding the nose more expressive than the blend – richer & more redolent. A lovely sweet grainy appeal on the palate slowly develops into a punchier finish.
Liking this one!
Spanish Earl, Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 43%
Triple casked, finished in Stout casks. Upping the game with a few extra ABV! A darker shade of straw. Finding the nose a tad muted – but darker & heavier when it does appear. Very smooth & silky palate. The stout cask flavours emerge with dark toffee & burnt toast notes.
Vey attractive.
Thoughts
A terrific trio!
It’s actually hard to pick a favourite from these well presented whiskeys. All lean towards a sweet wine cask finished style with the malt introducing darker stout elements. On this occasion Spanish Earl won me over. What it lost on the nose was more than compensated by a rich finish.
Olé
Kinsale Spirits Co website here.
All images authors own.
Well here’s one that almost got away!
I’ve taken to hosting ‘Whiskey By The Water’ tasting evenings in one of my local bars.
The water being the Shannon & the bar Sean’s.
It’s a way of sharing my growing drinks cabinet that would be folly of me to consume on my own.
Old Horseshoe is an Aldi brand from an un-named source.
The 70 Proof is a throwback to the Sikes system of alcohol strength as used in the UK until the 1980’s – they might yet go back to it after leaving Europe.
Deep brown in colour with viscous legs.
I’m getting a classic high-rye bourbon style of nose from Old Horseshoe – very reminiscent of Four Roses.
Quite a dry mouthfeel.
The dry peppery nuttiness is long lasting.
A lovely drop.
Sláinte
Sean’s Bar website here.
Discover The Shannon website here.
Old Horseshoe Aldi website here.
Sikes proof system explanation here.
Warning: content might leak!
Micropubs, Breweries, Pubs and more……
A blog about things I have drunk
a humble blog about Italian craft beers and breweries
It’s not the quality of the bourbon; it’s the quality of the friends you share it with.
Women for Whiskey
Keeping Louisville Lit
Whiskeys from $30-40 a Bottle
Your dedicated source of all things rum. Reviews, ramblings and obscure folkflore guranteed.
Another UK rum blog
This is a listing of the whiskys that I have collected over the years
Thinking, Drinking & Enjoying
tokyo bar & cocktail guide
Deep insights into spirits and cocktails
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 