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.
It’s not very often you get the opportunity to enjoy a couple of whiskeys in the bar of a 12th Century Castle in County Kildare – so when you do, you make them a memorable duo!
I was fortunate enough to be overnighting in Kilkea Castle Lodges so a few drinks in Kilkea Castle’s Keep Bar itself before dinner was in order.
The Keep Bar has an extensive array of spirits – mainly concentrating on high end Irish Whiskey. No doubt catering for the mainly 70% American clientele that pass this way.
Not quite being in the market for a 33 Year Old Bushmills Malt at around €125 a glass – a more realistic pour of Teeling 15 Year Old Single Grain was ordered.
Teeling 15 Year Old Single Grain, 50%
The bottle attracted my eye. The Phoenix embossed top allowed the relatively light brown liquid to shine while the bottom label denoted the contents.
Single Grain Whiskey is often overlooked – which is a great pity – as this 15yo Teeling certainly shone on my palate!
A very expressive nose replete with vanillas & caramel associated with bourbon cask maturation were augmented by a rich sweetness from a finish in sauvignon blanc casks.
The palate started of smoothly – before growing in warmth & depth with a luxuriant mouthfeel.
The 50% ABV made it’s appearance on the rear with an appreciative bite before leaving lingering flavours dancing slowly away.
A lovely tipple indeed!
Basil Hayden Toast, 40%
In a nod to the American visitors a glass of the highly colourfully labelled Basil Hayden Toast followed.
This is a rather unusual bottle in that brown rice has been used in the mixed mashbill for this whiskey.
A warm inviting nose of rich dark caramels greeted me.
The palate was quite mild – a trait I’ve experienced with other rice based spirits – before gently warming up.
The finish provided a flourish of spice. I initially had this down as a rye influence but as that grain had been substituted with brown rice, perhaps it came from the virgin oak cask required for bourbon maturation. Whatever the cause – it perked up this ever so easy drinking whiskey for me.
There was a gradual slow fade away of flavour to savour on the finish.
Very unusual, very entertaining & very nice.
Thoughts
There were more spirits for me to explore in The Keep Bar – but dinner called.
If you ever get the opportunity to visit – jump at it!
You won’t be disappointed by the eclectic array of whiskey, gin, rum & tequila on offer. Not forgetting a log fuelled warming open fire, fancy dining, extensive grounds & a golf course to explore on the castle estate too!
I was certainly very happy with the contrasting styles shown by Teeling 15yo Single Grain & Basil Hayden Toast!
Given well respected & highly regarded Whiskey Ambassador Ger Garland has followed his former work colleague Master Distiller Brian Nation to O’Shaughnessy Distilling in America will Keeper’s Heart get a boost with these 2 personalities?
Ger Garland at the Redbreast 12 event. Photograph: Conor Mulhern
I certainly think so.
It’s the same phenomenon that led Proper Twelve Whiskey to the high sales echelons worldwide with the controversial personality of Conor McGregor.
Image c/oinstagram
Conor’s Marmite character – love him or hate him – in my opinion coloured the reviews of his whiskey.
Rather than appraise Proper Twelve as a smooth, easy going & accessible blend – which in itself is a big boost to gaining new entrants to whiskey – many a blogger tripped over themselves to denigrate the product as piss.
Now in all likelihood Proper Twelve is made in the same stills – Midleton & Bushmills – that Brian Nation & Ger Garland used to promote. Both these distilleries were part of the same company for many a year & have a long-standing tradition of sharing each others distillate.
I’m pretty sure if Proper Twelve had been released as a Jameson product – with exactly the same make up – the reaction would have been entirely different.
O’Shaugnessy Distillery with their Keeper’s Heart range have – as yet – not released any of their own spirit. Using sourced distillate to promote a brand in advance of slowly maturing whiskey is a well trodden path utilised by many.
Connacht Distillery did it with their Brothership release which I must admit I preferred taste-wise over Keeper’s Heart – but then taste isn’t the main decider when personalities are involved.
The cult & promotion of personality is more about the character, caché & kudos of the individual rather than the greater collective of folks involved in bringing a whiskey to market – let alone the actual taste of the liquid.
I’ve no doubt O’Shaugnessy Distillery will gain from this latest move though.
The flip side is – will Jameson suffer?
Sláinte
Ger Garland image courtesy Irish Times article here.
Information on the web was scant – but it appears the brand went through a number of multi-national owners over the years.
Seagrams previously owned Don Julio, followed by Jose Cuervo – who gained Bushmills in a deal with Diageo when they in turn acquired full control of Don Julio in 2014.
My bottle is probably sometime before Diageo’s involvement with Don Julio – which began in 2003 – making this bottle around 20 years old!
There’s also odd labelling too.
It simply states ‘aged’.
No reposado or anejo.
Another indicator this predates the ‘Official Mexican Standards For Tequila‘ issued in 2005.
So I cracked it open to have a taste of tequila history!
Once it’s poured from the dumpy brown bottle a very pale yellowing colour presents itself.
What it’s aged in or for how long isn’t divulged – but from the colour it would probably come under the current reposado category.
There’s a lovely richness to the nose – classic earthy agave with a black pepper spice.
Very smooth in the mouth – oily too.
A growing warmth develops before leaving with that signature dry pepper spice which pleases my palate.
The proposed Bacardi takeover of Teeling Whiskey Distillery in Dublin marks the future global growth of Irish Whiskey.
No longer seen as a minor backwater of whiskey – Ireland is now poised to become a threat to the dominance of Scotch in the world of whiskey.
The monies, marketing & reach this requires is beyond what a relatively small Irish Distillery can cope with & abilities only a multinational player can provide.
I welcome this latest development as an inevitable consequence of the growing demand & attractiveness of Irish Whiskey.
I also welcome this development as it provides added competition to the almost monopolistic like presence Jameson has previously played in the category.
Jameson – it must be noted – has been owned by French based multinational Pernod-Ricard since 1988 & often appears to be above any form of criticism within Irish Whiskey circles.
Teeling’s takeover follows in the footsteps of Paddy’s going to US based multinational Sazerac, Tullamore to Scottish based Grants, Kilbeggan to Beam & later Japanese conglomerate Suntory, with Roe already owned by giant Diageo & Bushmills by tequila company Jose Cuervo.
You either want Irish Whiskey to be a growing global player – or to be a small, elitist & pricey backwater for a select band of aficionados.
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.
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.
Continuing my miniature series are a pair of releases from across the pond with links to Ireland.
Great Wagon Road Distilling in North Carolina play homage to their Irish roots with Quinn’s Barrel Rested Poitin while Canadian company Seagram’s at one time used to own Bushmills Distillery.
Golden brown in colour, slightly darker than Seagram’s. A pleasant sweet fruity nose, suggestive of sherry influence. Smooth, oily mouthfeel with good depth of flavour. Luscious mouth watering finish, reminiscent of fruit pastilles.
A tad sweet for my palate – but a very entertaining tipple!
Turns out this poitin is made with organic barley & wheat – which perhaps gives the sweetness? – & is rested in new oak barrels.
I always find it fascinating looking back into the history of Irish Whiskey.
This 1983 publication on Old Bushmills catalogues the rich tapestry of the distillery through it’s folklore, scenery, politics, changing fortunes, characters & calamities.
The book clearly displays there’s a lot more to simply enjoying the glass of whiskey in front of you – there’s always a whole back story.
Illustrated with many photographs & tales of the people involved – both from the boardroom as well as the distillery floor – Spirit Of The Age is a testament to the longevity of Irish Whiskey.
At the time of publication Old Bushmills was owned by Irish Distillers – but history is ongoing & Tequila makers Jose Cuervo are now in control.
Ironically one of Bushmills biggest sellers no longer bares it’s name – Proper Twelve has now overtaken the lead sales position Bushmills used to enjoy – and marks yet another chapter in the changing faces of Irish Whiskey.
I found this highly informative & entertaining publication through Libraries Ireland – well worth reading.
Long may Old Bushmills continue producing Irish Whiskey!
Northern Irish Whiskey isn’t a separate category – although shifting political structures between Ireland, UK & Europe might influence that.
Presented before me were 5 sample bottles, below are 5 impressions in italics before the reveal & the 5 bottles uncovered.
Bréifne – Hinch Single Pot Still, 43%
Pale straw. Intriguing nice deep nose. Clean, fresh, spicey & sweet. Rye like finish. Nice!
The spice was so intense & lively I could’ve mistaken this for a rye whiskey! Hinch SPS is a sourced product while their own distillate matures. Really enjoyable.
Slemish – Powers Distiller’s Cut, 43.2%
Dark straw. Clean, sweet dark fruits. Shy palate. Nice depth & spice on the finish. Yeah!
Of the 3 Midleton brands, Jameson, Paddy & Powers, Powers has always been my favourite. This blind tasting only appears to confirm this with the latest UK Distiller’s Cut edition.
Iveagh – Kirker & Greer, 10 Year Old Single Grain, 43%
Golden brown. Expressive. Wine cask influence? Warm, inviting. Soft finish. Spice on rear. Interesting.
Kirker & Greer are a Belfast based independent bottling company revitalising an old tradition. An easy going single grain offering.
Donard – Bushmills American Cask Finish, 40%
Dark straw. Mild, mellow & sweet. Smooth easy palate. Touch of spice on rear. Grand.
I’d have to congratulate Bushmills on releasing some new bottles to market & updating their core range labels – even if I found this one rather ‘pedestrian’.
Oriel – Bushmills Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, 40%
Dark straw. Cookie dough. Slightly muddy. Smooth, mellow & soft. Short finish. Not exciting.
Sadly this one just wasn’t for me.
Thoughts
I had an entertaining evening picking out the flavours from this quintet of whiskey.
There was a clear winner – as well as loser – on my palate with the middle 3 being somewhat closer in experience.
In terms of trends my palate appears to favour the spicey side of things – usually non chill filtered & natural colour helps too. Which partly explains the poor showing of Bushmills here.
The tasting also shows no division regarding sourced or distillery product in enjoyment of the whiskey.
The tasting is what it’s all about at Whiskey Nut.
Global drinks group Jose Cuervo’s Tequilas regularly top the best selling charts.
In Ireland they aren’t doing too badly either with Bushmills coming in at No 3 for the Irish Whiskey category.
The recent hot weather prompted me to sample some Jose Cuervo Tequila.
One positive from the pandemic is a profusion of outlets offering tasting packs to whet your appetite.
c/oCelticWhiskeyShop
This particular 6 bottle selection was ordered from Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder – although other providers exist.
A zoom tasting accompanied it – I missed the date – but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the tequila!
Comprising of 3 separate ranges – all 100% blue agave & 38% ABV – I chose initially to compare within each brand starting with the Tradicional offerings.
Tradicional Tequila c/oCelticWhiskeyShop
Traditional Silver
That classic earthy agave pungency greeted me with a hint of peppery spice.
Smooth & silky palate topped off with a hearty serving of signature black pepper spice on the finish.
Just what I expect from a tequila.
Traditional Reposado
The agave pungency was tempered a touch by hints of barrel ageing.
More complexity on the palate as the interplay between the raw ingredients used & wood maturation played out & added a hint of oakiness to the finish.
Very enjoyable – although the clear simplicity of the Silver won me over.
A trio of brand 1800 came next.
1800 Tequila c/oCelticWhiskeyShop
1800 Silver
Back – for me at least – to the signature agave & spice combination.
Lovely.
1800 Reposado
Once again – a lovely interplay between the distilling ingredients & wooden maturation.
1800 Anejo
I was beginning to miss the agave influence with this one!
It was there – but the barrel ageing dominated for me & detracted from what I’m looking for in tequila.
All 1800’s were enjoyable tipples – with Silver gaining my affections most.
Reserva Tequila c/oCelticWhiskeyShop
Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo
A solo offering that stood out from the others with a noticeably darker colour & clearly perceptible & pronounced wooden cask influence.
The sweet agave came through on the nose – but caramels & hints of vanilla more reminiscent of whiskey were evident.
Very smooth, very cultured & very engaging – tequila for the whiskey lover?
For a 2nd round I compared the Silver & Reposado offerings.
Silver Tequila c/oCelticWhiskeyShop
Silver
Traditional’s flavour profile shone through with it’s defining features.
1800 delivered similar – but I found it a smoother, sweeter & ultimately a less exuberant offering.
Traditional for me!
Reposado Tequila c/oCelticWhiskeyShop
Reposado
Tradicional was a shade lighter than 1800 – which suggests a shorter period in wood.
This played out in the tasting.
1800 had less spice, a sweeter & subdued feel to it with the wood influence a tad more forward.
The differences weren’t massive – & would be hard to pick up unless a back to back comparison was possible – but once more – Tradicional won the day.
Overall
As in all these tastings – I like to choose my favourite.
For the sheer clarity of flavours & bold display of the agave used in distillation there could only be one winner for me – Tradicional Silver.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 