Musings On Personalities & Distillery Character Via Fercullen Falls Small Batch Blend, 43% & Fercullen Single Malt, 46%

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!

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Powerscourt Distillery website here.

Irish Whiskey Around The World No 15, McCormack’s

McCormack’s Irish Whiskey was brought to my attention by a random tweet featuring a photo of a French supermarket spirits shelf.

The discussion mainly revolved around the varying prices brought about by the taxes charged in the respective countries – but what interested me was the fact that sitting beside a well known staple – Bushmills – is a brand unheard of in Ireland – McCormack’s.

A bit of digging reveals it to be a West Cork Distillers brand. For it to be listed in LeClerc stores suggests it’s quite a big seller. A European Supermarket Magazine article from January 2024 has E.Leclerc as the largest retail chain in France – view article here.

Not a bad gig for any Irish Whiskey!

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Images courtesy @HelenORahilly & whiskybase.com

3 Horses Malt Beverage, 0%

I was despatched for poppy seeds for herself & found them in the local Asian Store.

While inside I browsed the drinks cabinet & spotted some Malt Beverage soft drinks. Curious – one made it home.

3 Horses Malt Beverage looks like a can of beer. It shares some of the same ingredients, Barley Malt, Hops, Water & a touch of Colouring.

Made under licence in the Netherlands by United Dutch Breweries, 3 Horses clearly has a wide distribution with all the languages on the label.

Pours like a stout.

Extremely rich bready malt on the nose.

The malt dominated the palate too. A light carbonation & rather a soft body.

Leaves with a touch of sweet breadiness.

Found it quite a refreshing & easy drinker with bags of character.

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United Dutch Breweries website here.

Gentleman Jack & Cola, 10%

At this German 10% strength I can actually smell the sweet oaky notes of the bourbon.

I was intrigued by the slightly more premium Gentleman Jack offering dosed with cola.

This is a 25/75 mix & at these percentages Jack shines through.

Mit Farbstoff – added caramel – is still included.

I think I’d have preferred it without.

Makes for an entertaining serve however.

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Jack & Victor, Blended Scotch. 40%

I’d finished my bottle of Johnnie Walker & found myself without an opened Scotch.

Turning to the cupboard revealed I’d 9 full bottles of the golden liquid from that country alone – there were other countries & various spirits beyond too.

I picked out 4 & asked X to choose.

Not unsurprisingly X chose a Single Malt – Highland Park – but my original question – Which Scotch should I open next? – left interpretation of the term Scotch undefined. I however associate Scotch with blended whisky.

Blended whisky is what made Scotch – after the introduction of the Coffey Still – the colossus it is today.

Another growing colossus phenomena is the celebrity brand- a Spirits Business article on Tequila demonstrates this here.

That effectively narrowed my choice down to one – Jack & Victor.

Who the hell are Jack & Victor? I hear you say.

Well they’re a fictitious comedy pair of pensioners behaving like teenagers in a long running hit sitcom by the name of Still Game.

On my last visit to Scotland – Jan 2023 – episodes were still being shown on Scottish TV channels & their whisky seemed to be everywhere.

The comedy itself did raise a laugh – but I did find playing along with some stereotypical tropes like gossipy woman & Asian shopkeeper rather pedestrian. Nonetheless Still Game follows on from other Scottish comedies like The Tales of Para Handy & Rab C Nesbit.

If you haven’t seen it before I’d recommend Drama, Season 5 Episode 1 where Jack & Victor win a trip to a distillery.

With all celebrity brands however I can park my views of the characters involved & approach the whisky as I would with any other – an open mind.

Jack & Victor hails from the celebrated Loch Lomond Distillery who can produce a wide range of styles & flavours under the one roof.

I was pleased to see an element of peat in the mix – always a plus on my palate!

Presented reasonably priced in a cardboard tube – perhaps unnecessary in these eco times? – at 40% with no mention of chill-filtering or added caramel – so I assume it has both.

How did it fare?

Pours a darkish golden brown with decent legs.

The nose exhibits that muddied impression I associate with added caramel damping down any clear flavours within.

Soft, smooth & easy palate – not giving much away.

Comes alive on the finish for me.

A lovely flourish of dry yet ever-so-softly-smoky dusting on the rear leaves a lip-smacking tingling that makes you want more.

Oddly this whisky almost matches my feelings about the show in perfect symmetry. It would be well at home on the shelves of Navid’s convenience store.

It has the makings of a big seller too.

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An observation on the contrasting availability of Half-Bottle Supermarket Whiskey Brands in Ireland & Scotland via a review of McKendrick’s Blended Scotch Whisky, 40%

I normally stock up on a few Supermarket Own Brands when over in Scotland.

It’s a category I like to explore.

The offerings are readily affordable, easily available & can vary quite a bit from overly-honeyed-&-cloying-from-too-much-added-caramel to easily-drinkable-enjoyable-tipples.

The half-bottle – 35cl – size makes them even more attractive. Small enough to finish even the not-so-pleasant ones yet plenty to savour the enjoyable.

McKendrick’s from Asda is a typical example.

Virtually every supermarket in Scotland – or rather Northern Ireland where this one was picked up – has it’s own brand. This is not the situation in Ireland.

Here the 35cl market is dominated by Irish Distillers offering their big branded Jameson, Powers & the recently-sold-to-Sazerac Paddy bottles. There simply isn’t the wide variety of choice & diversity experienced in Scotland.

With McKendrick’s you get all the attributes associated with Supermarket Brands.

They’re usually minimum age.

The brand name is brain stormed by the supermarket marketing department.

The distilleries of origin along with barrels used for maturation & blend ratios are usually not given.

Chill filtration & added caramel is expected.

Yet for all that the element of luck – & genuine surprise – when you encounter a decent one is worth the chase.

I still remember purchasing a blister-packaged Charles House Scotch in a French local grocery store to discover a lightly peated palate pleaser.

And also the rather disappointing too-much-caramel Waitrose 3yo.

You can’t win them all.

So back to McKendrick’s.

Fairly standard screw cap bottle with perfunctory plain labelling stating the legal requirements. The back label has an amusing array of questions including How do I use it? There are 3 suggestions. I could offer a lot more – depending on how it tastes – but I doubt accelerant for a garden bonfire isn’t what Asda had in mind for this product.

I duly followed the first of the 3 suggestions & poured a glass of McKendrick’s neat where it displays a light golden brown colour.

The nose is fairly quiet – gently honeyed with a hint of depth when it does appear.

A very easy & even oily mouthfeel makes a welcome presence. The honey influence further develops – almost like boiled sweets – building a little heat with a soft prickle on the finish. Leaves with caramel notes seeping through.

A pleasant enough inoffensive whisky that ticks all the right boxes but doesn’t exactly shine for my palate. Do think the tag line on the bottle Supple, Strong And Silky is apt.

Performs very well for it’s price point.

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My blog on Charles House here.

My blog on Waitrose 3yo here.

Asda whisky selection here.

Hooper’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, 4%

I do like a Ginger Beer – alcoholic or not – & generally pick up any new ones I encounter for a taster.

Hooper’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer happened to be in the Spar in Castletownbere.

The nose was redolent of a sweet & pungent gingery appeal.

A lively fresh fizz on the palate further enhanced the spicy ginger & rather unusually for a beer this taste sensation slowly faded away on the finish.

I’m not sure any actual ginger featured in this drink – the label states Ginger Flavour Drink on the rear – yet I found it very satisfying.

Hooper’s is part of the Global Brands independent drinks & distribution company.

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Global Brands website here.

Irish Labelling of Alcohol Proposals, Transparency, Clarity & Honesty in Action

The Alcohol Industry across Europe is getting a bit hot under the collar over Irish plans to label all alcoholic drinks with a health warning.

Labelling on a Pan European Rum – except in Germany where it’s Ron Bengalo!

I find the furore quite amusing.

It was – and still is – popular among many pundits to clamour for stricter labelling on alcoholic products. Be it whether caramel colouring was added or not, distillery of origin or cask maturation regime used in creating the liquid – it all results in further information being displayed on the label to inform the consumer.

Distilled in Bow St Distillery?

Some purists take it a step further in calling drinks companies dishonest for not showing such detail.

Yet when it comes to displaying additional health information – there seems to be opposition?

Mit Farbstoff – for Germany

The buzzwords used by the information brigade appear to hold true for the health label proposals.

It’s transparently clear there are health risks associated with drinking alcohol.

The labels will be giving clarity to those risks by displaying a warning.

What can be more honest than allowing such proposals to proceed?

Is the drinks business trying to hide something?

I find the outcry of extra costs to be a lame excuse.

Would Italian wording work in Ireland?

Various EU countries have a variety of labelling rules in action. Germany – for example – requires a statement to say if caramel colouring is added. Any producer operating in these jurisdictions already have to provide labelling to those differing states.

It’s business as usual as far as I can see.

I would however take a dim view of any producer lobbying against the health proposals.

Health warnings in Vietnam

To use the language of the purists – there’s a level of dishonesty by opposing such transparent & clear proposals designed to give additional information to the consumers.

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Lancet article on Irish Health Proposals on Alcohol labelling here.

Opposition to health warnings here.

The Jockey vs The Fisherman, Blended Scotch Whisky, 40%

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!

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Cumbrae Supply Co website here.

Wee Couper Of Fife website here.

All images authors own.

Crag & Glen, Blended Scotch Whisky, 40%

I picked up Crag & Glen on my last Scottish trip.

Usually I stop at the last supermarket before the ferry to top up on haggis & booze that isn’t readily available in Ireland.

Sadly the Asda in Girvan had only 1 haggis left & it was too early in the morning for alcohol sales – so another plan emerged.

Sainsbury’s in Lisburn provided my needs.

There are no Sainsbury’s in Ireland – hence Argos pulling out – but Northern Ireland has them – so I indulged in some supermarket spirits.

I do enjoy trying out this category. There can be some good ones & being only a 35cl serving the outlay is minimal. Pity there’s little choice in this size.

Crag & Glen is Sainsbury’s own bottling. It has a suitably bold name that conjures up romantic notions of rugged Highland scenery, magnificent stags & warm drinks by a roaring fire.

Can tasting the whisky match the imagery?

First thing I notice is the golden brown hue of this 3 year old – very suggestive of added colouring & chill filtering – which you kinda have to expect at this price point.

The nose is mild, caramelly & honeyed sweet.

The label very aptly displays ‘smooth & rounded‘ – an accurate descriptor of the mouthfeel.

The finish is the best bit for me – a warm juiciness topped off with joyful prickliness leaving a dry lip-smacking finale.

As basic supermarket brands go Crag & Glen lives up to it’s imagery – minus the roaring fire!

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Link to Sainsbury’s whisky page here.

Argos pulls out of Ireland here.