This is an extremely informative & highly stylised publication that provides a potted history of 10 drinks that changed the world.
They are – in order of appearance in the book;
Baijiu
Cognac
Vodka
Scottish & Irish Whiskies
Shochu
Tequila & Mezcal
Bourbon
Rum
Gin
Absinthe
Packed full of colourful stories, factual details, cocktail recipes & suggested bottle choices – the publication is an entertaining insight into the various worldwide spirits categories.
There’s only two I haven’t yet explored – Shochu & Absinthe.
This book makes me want to seek them out & give them a taste!
Being a blogger I purchased both – with the express intention of doing a back-to-back taste comparison.
Honouring accepted practice I started with the lowest ABV first.
Sainsbury’s Napoleon Brandy VSOP, 36%
Now it doesn’t state Sainsbury’s on the front of the rather plain label – but it’s clearly displayed on the rear.
There’s a confusing trio of terms giving mixed messages.
‘Napoleon’ denotes aged in oak & ‘Aged 3 Years’ is the youngest of the blending components – but ‘VSOP’ suggests 4 years in Cognac terms. Perhaps it doesn’t mean the same for Brandy?
Presented in a plastic bottle at 36% & labelled as Brandy clearly reduces the costs – but does it impact on the flavour?
Golden brown in colour. Soft nose of gentle sweet dark plums follows through into a mild – yet rich & warming – palate. Develops a slightly prickly finish fading slowly away.
An attractive easy going brandy with a touch of flair on the rear.
Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, 40%
Courvoisier pours an identical colour to Napoleon. The nose is rather shy too – but lifted by hints of woodiness. A similar mild palate grows with tannic spiciness on the rear.
The woody oakiness lifts this Cognac’s appeal.
Thoughts
For such a large price difference I was expecting a lot more from Courvoisier.
What I experienced were 2 very similarly tasting brandies with only the extra ageing giving an oaky lift to the cognac.
Given Sainsbury’s lists the 70cl bottles at £11.50 for Napoleon & £38 for Courvoisier – I’d rather spend my money exploring other brandy varieties before choosing the big brand again.
Sláinte
Prices listed March 2023 on Sainsbury’s webpage here.
Distilleries round the globe have also experienced court cases focused on fungus – which clearly adds delays & inevitably cost to the industry, ultimately being passed on to the consumer.
In the wonderful world of nature wherever there is a food source there will be an organism to take advantage of it.
The food source here is ethanol vapour.
Black fungus is the organism – or to give it a scientific name – Baudoinia compniacenis.
Originally identified back in the 1870’s inhabiting surfaces around Cognac Distilleries in France – It has now spread globally.
Research on it has been minimal – but will obviously ramp up in gear now financial implications are in play.
Modern papers on the fungus now show there are sub-species that feed on differing spirits. A case of whiskey fungus, cognac fungus, tequila fungus perhaps? And yet another example of the diversity of nature to exploit niche habitats.
Not only that. Species of micro moths which eat fungus have been found clustered around distilleries too!
Solutions to the problem are being sought.
The simplest is a cordon of trees around the facility to capture the black fungus before it escapes into the wider environment – & no, the trees aren’t hurt. This was proposed at the Moyvore Maturation site consultation meeting I attended back in 2017.
Maybe higher tech devices such as vapour recovery or spray suppressants are being investigated for more space restricted sites.
Whatever the outcome – it must be stated the brandy industry suffered a collapse due to a tiny organism – who remembers Phylloxera?
Raiding the drinks cabinet at a friend’s house can sometimes uncover the unexpected – like this Hennessy x Julien Colombier Cognac.
Not sporting the usual golden label did make me wonder if the contents were different – so I poured a glass!
Dark, woody aromas greeted me.
A smooth, easy palate gave a warming embrace.
I enjoyed the lovely turn of tannic spice towards the finish.
A very easy & attractive cognac with suitable depth & complexity to sip & enjoy.
Turns out Hennessy have commissioned a number of limited-edition artworks to grace their famous brand. Paris based Julien Colombier’s happens to be the one I had the good fortune to encounter.
Hennessy’s art of distilling, maturing & blending the cognac reassuringly stays the same.
I won this lovely bottle of whiskey courtesy of the Celtic Whiskey Club and Walsh Whiskey themselves – very much appreciated.
Celtic Whiskey Club is an open invite whiskey club organised by the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin. You can follow the link to their website.
Whiskey samples are sent out regularly – both Ireland & abroad – to members who are then invited to participate in tweet tastings. Drinking whiskey with others – even at the end of the internet – is far more entertaining.
Walsh Whiskey double bill in Tuath glasses. c/othewhiskeynut
On this particular occasion – a double bill Writers’ Tears release from Walsh Whiskey – 2 participants won a bottle each. I happily obtained the Double Oak – my preferred choice.
So how was it?
A gorgeously warm ‘Bear Hug’ of a whiskey with dark sweet cherry notes contrasting with gentle prickly oaky spiceiness. Cue video!
Double Oak is a blend of single pot still & single malt whiskeys finished in a combination of ex bourbon & ex cognac casks to give it that deep dark sweet character with plenty of warmth & added spice.
Double Oak back label c/othewhiskeynut
Along with other Writers’ Tears releases Double Oak is presented at 46% with non chill filtering allowing the full flavours to shine.
Another fabulously tasty release from Walsh Whiskey.
It’s not very often you get to attend the launch of a whiskey in the Council Chambers of a local Town Hall.
Egan’s Whiskey in the Chambers c/othewhiskeynut
But then this is no ordinary whiskey.
It’s a whiskey steeped with history, heritage & family.
The man, the whiskey, the heritage. c/othewhiskeynut
A whiskey commemorating the 100th anniversary of the passing of Henry Egan.
Descendants of Henry gathered together outside his former house – now Tullamore Town Hall – not only to remember him – but also to revive the family tradition – Irish Whiskey.
An Egan family get together. c/othewhiskeynut
The well respected Midland’s business of P&H Egan loomed large in Tullamore from the 1850’s right up to the 1960’s. Alongside whiskey blending, many other businesses were engaged in by generations of the family. A walk round the town showed the extent of the family’s influence with the current Bridge House Hotel being originally built as the main shop & head office for the Egan’s operations.
Offaly History do a blog detailing much information on the Egan family history in Tullamore here.
Precious cargo! c/othewhiskeynut
During the walk a bottle of Egan’s Whiskey was given to the owners of barge 42B. The very same barge P&H Egan’s had owned back in the day to transport goods to and from Dublin via the Grand Canal – the motorway of it’s day.
The highlight of the proceedings was undoubtedly the unveiling of Egan’s Centenary Irish Whiskey in the Brewery Tap Bar – also previously owned by P&H Egan’s as a brewery for their Ales.
Whiskey tasting ahead! c/othewhiskeynut
The complete collection of Egan’s Whiskeys were laid out for an eager gathering of family & friends at the bar.
To start off the tasting, Egan’s Vintage Grain.
A gorgeously warm single grain presented at 46% & non chill filtered – as all Egan’s Whiskeys are – full of vanillas & caramel from the ex-bourbon cask maturation.
Egan’s Fortitude Single Malt.
Fully matured in PX Sherry casks this non age statement – NAS – offering didn’t excite my palate as much. There were more dark fruits present – and a lovely soft spicy dryness at the end – but it just missed the mark for me.
Egan’s 10 Year Old Single Malt.
Everyone at my table enjoyed this one!
Boasting a 47% ABV this single malt was easy on the palate yet bursting with fruity juiciness & gentle spices at the end.
Egan’s 15 Year Old Legacy Reserve.
A rare treat to encounter this lovely rich whiskey again. I particularly enjoyed the depth of character with dry oaky tannins, leathery & tobacco notes from the long maturation. It didn’t suit everyone though – as I found out by chatting to my fellow imbibers. A few of them happened to be Egan descendants themselves! Although not involved with the whiskey venturing Egan’s of the present day.
And then the glorious finale!
Egan’s First Lady of Whiskey presenting Egan’s Centenary Irish Whiskey. c/othewhiskeynut
Egan’s Centenary Irish Whiskey – poured individually out of the first bottle ever to be opened by the Intrepid Spirits founder himself – with the elegantly displayed packaging showcased by the Egan’s First Lady of Whiskey too!
The nose was initially softer, cleaner almost – before the gentle subtleness of dark fruits opened up.
The taste was attractively warming. A smooth velvety mouthfeel with dark cherry fruitiness from the ex-cognac casks used to finish this blend.
A flourish of spice rounded off this fabulous whiskey.
A small privately owned island off the East Coast of Ireland with a rich historical background and a thriving biodiversity.
Lambay Whiskey
A business venture by the current Lambay Island owners and French based drinks producer Camus to launch Ireland’s first Cognac cask finished Irish whiskeys.
Sean’s Bar Athlone
Sean’s Bar Athlone c/othewhiskeynut
The Oldest Bar In Ireland. Also happens to be a local of mine where a tasting of the Lambay Whiskey range was held with their entertaining & informative ambassador Calum.
Lambay Small Batch Blend c/othewhiskeynut
Lambay Small Batch Blend
A small batch sourced blend – West Cork Distillers – of malt & grain Irish whiskeys triple distilled, matured in ex-bourbon barrels & finished in cognac casks.
I was looking forward to trying this one.
A lovely soft, sweet yet surprisingly fresh & lively grainy nose pulled you in to a fruity & floral mix complimented by some nutty, almondy notes – presumably from the cognac influence.
The taste was clean & crisp – very engaging. Even at the 40% presentation there was appreciable depth of flavour with more of those nutty notes slowly fading to give that lovely dry mouth feel I enjoy.
This small batch blend certainly introduces a new and exciting flavour profile to the Irish whiskey scene.
Lambay Single Malt Story c/othewhiskeynut
Lambay Single Malt
Also sharing the same source and maturation as the small batch blend, the single malt spent a little while longer in the cognac casks. Some of them were even matured on Lambay Island itself in a small warehouse used for the cognac finishing.
A softer, more malty & rounded nose led to a very smooth vanilla & caramel taste from the ex-bourbon barrels before the deeper almost cherry fruit notes of the cognac casks came through.
The finish wasn’t as dry – which allowed more of the lovely flavours to linger on the palate.
Conclusion
Both of these new expressions bring a welcome additional taste & flavour to Irish whiskey. Cognac cask finishing is new to Ireland – and relatively new to the whiskey world in general. I congratulate Lambay Whiskey – and all their partners – in delivering a lovely pair of great tasting and exciting whiskeys to the market.
For what it’s worth – I enjoyed the youthful vitality of the blend over and above the smoother single malt. The grain element provided a pleasant kick which contrasted with the softer fruitier depth of the cognac cask influence. Very enjoyable indeed.
Sean’s Bar Whiskey Club
A friendly gathering of whiskey fans to meet, discuss & enjoy fine tasting whiskeys from around the world. For details of future events, membership & activities please email westmeathwhiskeyworld@eircom.net – or chat to a member of staff at Sean’s Bar, Athlone.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 