Danny Boy Premium Irish Whiskey, 40%, Blend

Danny Boy Irish Whiskey is a slice of recent history in the growing success of the distilling industry in Ireland.

Originally founded by Belfast lottery winner Peter Lavery – Danny Boy used whiskey sourced from Cooley Distillery.

When Beam took over Cooley in 2012 the supply taps were turned off to third parties – Peter Lavery now had a brand with no liquid.

Undeterred he embarked on plans to build a whiskey distillery in Crumlin Jail.

At some point in this bold project Mr Lavery lost control of the plan – and an American backed company took over. Crumlin Jail is now the home of McConnell’s Irish Whisky.

Undaunted – Mr Lavery later resurfaced with a new brand – Titanic Whiskey – and a new distillery based in the Pump House of the docks where the original Titanic Liner was built!

All from the humble beginnings of Danny Boy Irish Whiskey.

So how does it taste?

Well to begin with – the label looks rather dated. The subtle & sombre tones are lifted by gold lettering – but I don’t think it would stand out in the more contemporary bright colours sported by many a new Irish Whiskey brand today.

Danny Boy pours a light golden brown.

There’s a bit of depth to the nose – suggestive of ageing – or just being too long in a miniature bottle?

Softly smooth on the palate. Gently warming too.

A sweet embrace of butterscotch malt, tingly grain & a smidgen of prickly heat to liven things up.

I’m not sure this miniature is as fresh as the day it was bottled – but lovely to have the opportunity to taste a slice of modern Irish Whiskey History!

O Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.

Sláinte

Peter Lavery puts his lottery winnings into whiskey news report here.

Beam buys Cooley news report here.

Founding of Crumlin Jail Distillery here.

RTE new on Crumlin Jail distillery plans here.

Titanic Distillery now open here.

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Red Locks Irish Whiskey, 40%, Blend

The recent World Whiskies Awards 2023 brought a gamut of worthy winners allowing them to boost their profiles & increase sales.

I enjoy perusing the winners – seeing what I’ve already enjoyed – what I could possibly obtain – or simply drool at the unavailable.

One winning bottle that struck me as being eminently affordable – in America – yet unavailable in the country where it was produced – Ireland – caught my eye.

Welcome to Red Locks Irish Whiskey.

Winning the Irish category for Blended Whiskey is no mean feat.

Congratulations to both Kieran Folliard – the entrepreneur behind the brand – and Noel Sweeney – the master blender who created the whiskey.

Kieran – who runs a chain of Irish bars & restaurants in Minnesota – previously launched 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey in the US.

2 Gingers achieved being the only whiskey to survive the shutting down of supply to 3rd parties when Beam took over control at Kilbeggan/Cooley Distilleries in Ireland. The very distilleries Noel Sweeney was Master Distiller at.

Perhaps being a big hit with it’s many customers influenced that decision.

Well the dynamic duo are back again with Red Locks.

Using a combination of ex- sherry, bourbon & rye barrels along with some virgin casks too, this 80/20, corn/barley, column/pot still mix clearly impressed the judges at the World Whiskies Awards.

It’s just a pity I’ll be unlikely to enjoy it in it’s home country of Ireland!

Sláinte

Images courtesy Red Locks website here,

& World Whiskies Awards 2023 page here.

Blog about Beam shutting down supply here.

2 Gingers acquired by Beam here.

The Whiskeys Of Ireland, Peter Mulryan

Peter Mulryan’s publication, The Whiskeys Of Ireland, is a welcome exploration of the Irish Whiskey landscape.

Packed full of historical information, anecdotes & photographs, the current rise of Irish Whiskey is given texture & depth.

The reasons for the demise of Irish Whiskey in the early 1900’s is still a contentious issue.

The usual trinity of prohibition, war & the rise of Scotch are generally trotted out by way of explanation.

However it’s clear from reading this book that opposition by the major players in Irish Distilling at the time to the emerging & revolutionary new technology of the Coffey Still of the 1830’s was a major factor.

Shunning this invention – and lambasting blended whisky as silent – gave the Scotch Whisky industry an opening which they enthusiastically embraced.

It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that Irish Whiskey eventually championed blended whiskey with the launch of a reimagined Jameson coupled with aggressive marketing that things slowly started to turn round.

As late as 1988 Jameson was only selling 466,00 cases globally.

Proper Twelve sold that much alone in the US in it’s first meteoric couple of years.

Irish Whiskey is still dominated by a few players – but there is much more diversity & innovation in the category as a whole.

Cooley kickstarted that diversity by double distilling & reintroducing peated Irish Whiskey to the market. This in turn has led to a positive proliferation of distilleries, brands, styles, customers & consumers flocking to the industry.

It’s fabulous to witness.

Irish Whiskey has never been in better health.

The Whiskeys Of Ireland is a great book to read – preferably with a glass of Irish Whiskey – to grasp what Irish Whiskey was, what it became & where it is now.

Where it’s going is all to play for.

Sláinte

Fercullen Falls, Small Batch Irish Whiskey, 43%, Blend

When Powerscourt Distillery originally released their core range of Irish Whiskey much of the commentary made a big play of the fact Head Distiller – Noel Sweeney – had overseen the distilling of the liquid whilst at Cooley Distillery & then latterly supervised the blending of the casks at Powerscourt.

Now Mr Sweeney has left Powerscourt – does this lessen the ‘story’ of the whiskeys?

If you rate whiskey by the personality of key players involved in bringing it to market – then perhaps yes?

On the other hand, if you appraise a whiskey based on the taste & flavour of the liquid in the glass before you – it doesn’t matter.

Most whiskey has been produced by a large team of mainly un-named people who all contribute – in one way or another – to making & marketing the final product.

That product – especially if it’s a core release like this Fercullen Falls blend – can be presented to the public as a consistent expression regardless of the potential changing personnel who participate in its existence.

As it is, Fercullen Falls is a non-age statement blend of whiskeys both from outside sources and Powerscourt Distillery itself.

I like the name.

Fercullen Falls themselves are an impressive spectacle set in Powerscourt Estate grounds – and well worth a visit they are too!

So, onto the whiskey!

Pale straw in colour. No mention of added caramel or chill filtering.

A very easy, pleasant soft aroma of vanilla & caramel.

Smooth palate with a touch of honeyed maltiness on the body.

Livens up on the finish with a lovely prickly sensation & decent depth of flavours which fade slowly.

A very well-presented easy drinking blend with no rough edges, fine heritage & an entertaining flourish on the finale.

Sláinte

All images authors own.

Fercullen Falls Whiskey information here.

Noel Sweeney information here.

A Posse of Poitín, Hackler, 40%, Straw Boys, 46% & The Big Field, 47%

Poitín Now is happening on 20th November 2022.

Image courtesy Poitín Now

I thought a ‘warm up’ tasting of this posse of poitín before the inaugural Dublin based event would ease me in.

Hackler, 40%

I knew nothing about Hackler before purchasing this sample from Tiny Tipple. Turns out it was a late 1990’s launch by Diageo – distilled by Cooley – to build the Poitín market. On failing to meet ‘targets’ it was unceremonially dropped.

A rather shy nose, sweet & sour. Easy on the palate. A sweet warming spice on the finish.

A very pleasant easily quaffable poitín – if a tad too artificially sweet for my liking. Smacks as a bit of a crowd pleaser – not sure why it didn’t catch on?

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop

Straw Boys, 46%

Connacht Distillery’s venture into Poitín is presented in a very attractive bottle.

Richly pungent, offering that sour new make nose I associate with poitín. Gently oily palate. Noticeable bite on the finish, leaves with a strong tingling sensation.

A classic poitín drinking experience.

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop

The Big Field, 46%

Distilled using barley grown on Tipperary Distillery’s own ‘big field’ using a 50/50 mix of malted/unmalted barley it’s taken me a little while to sample this one.

A softly muted nose. Wonderfully oily palate. The finish bites with a healthy dose of spiciness.

Highly entertaining!

Thoughts

An extremely varied tasting experience from this trio!

Can’t help thinking Hackler is a toned down poitín to appeal to the masses. Certainly makes for a very easy drinker. Pity it never caught on. Perhaps Diageo were ahead of the curve?

Both Straw Boys & Big Field are a bit more challenging yet offer- to me at least – a grounded authenticity.

With the former you have malted barley alone – while the later has that malted/unmalted mix giving added spice & an enhanced appeal.

It’s hard to pick one out from this diverse & very well delivered variety of poitín styles – but for me Straw Boys does it!

Sláinte

Poitín Now event site here.

Diageo drops Hackler news report here.

Connacht Distillery website here.

Tipperary Boutique Distillery here.

2 Controversial Whiskey Blends, John L Sullivan, 40% & Celtic Nations, 46%

Both these whiskeys attracted a degree of controversy when originally released.

Most of it centred around the interpretation of ‘rules’ – but I was curious to taste the results.

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop

John L Sullivan Irish Whiskey, 40%

Named after a famous Irish/American boxer of the late 1800’s – which attracted initial upset – an original bottling of John L Sullivan displayed the legend ‘Irish Bourbon’.

Image courtesy Whiskey Jug

Attempting to celebrate the Irish/American heritage with a blend of Irish & Bourbon whiskeys fell foul of labelling laws & the bottle was withdrawn.

Before me is a sample from a bottle labelled John L Sullivan Irish Whiskey – aged in bourbon casks.

Pale straw in colour, shy nose, not giving much away, smooth easy palate, gentle growing warmth with a hug of sweet vanilla & caramel, flourish of mild spice on the rear.

An easy going entry level offering.

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Celtic Nations, 46%

A collaboration between the Irish Teeling Whiskey Co & Scotch Bruichladdich Distillery to create a harmonious blend of single malts to celebrate the 2 nations spirits.

Didn’t meet the approval of the SWA & was banned.

Pale straw colour, gorgeous expressive nose of gentle peat coming through, the palate displays more soft Irish notes before the embers of a peat fire warms up the finish.

An entertaining soft peater.

Thoughts

Both of these whiskeys had great potential.

The pugilist inspired John L Sullivan pre-dated the global success of Proper Twelve & there’s been subsequent Irish/American Whiskey/Bourbon collaborations on the market since.

Cross nation blends have been a staple earning for both Scotch & Irish distilleries over the years – mainly for the lower end of the market. Perhaps this high profile open & transparent offering was just too much for the SWA?

Whatever the reasons – controversy is not a tasting note I encountered in either of these blends.

Sláinte

A Pair Of Peated Irish Whiskey From The Recent Past, Magilligan & Clonmel, 8 Year Old Peated Single Malts plus a Magilligan non peater, 40%

There’s a misconception Irish Whiskey isn’t peaty.

It has been – for a long time.

Irish Distillers released a 45 Year Old Peated Malt from the Old Midleton Distillery a while ago.

The whiskey for this tasting however came from Cooley – who have done a lot to revive the peaty category in Irish Whiskey.

Trying out a pair of 8 Year Old Peated Single Malts from the same source appealed to me – so let’s dive in!

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Magilligan Single Malt, 40%

An Irish brand dating from the 1990’s using Cooley malt bottled for Ian Macleod Distillers.

Golden brown colour with decent legs. Fusty leathery nose with a sweet fruitiness & wholesome palate. An appreciative bite on the finish.

Quite a belter!

Courtesy Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Magilligan 8 Year Old Peated Single Malt, 40%

Pale straw with decent legs. Gorgeous coastal iodine like smoke. An almost oily mouthfeel. The fabulous peat stacks up like a cosy warming fire on the finish.

Love this one!

Courtesy Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Clonmel 8 Year Old Peated Single Malt, 40%

Bottled for the Celtic Whiskey Compagnie in France.

Pale straw, decent legs. Soft gentle kiss of turf. Light palate yet smoke comes through. A more balanced well stacked glowing fire gradually fades away.

Nice

Thoughts

A tough choice!

2 gorgeous peaters – the full on Mulligan or gently cultured Clonmel?

Can depend on the mood at the time – but I’m giving it to the fabulous peaty exuberance of Mulligan 8yo.

Sláinte

Concannon Irish Whiskey, Blend, 40%

You’d be forgiven for never hearing of Concannon Irish Whiskey before if you live in Ireland – as it’s mainly sold in the USA!

Concannon is a popular seller over the pond making it into the Top 10 of the biggest brands – appearing above Powers & Black Bush – so when an opportunity arose to purchase a miniature from the Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder’s new sample service – Drams Delivered – my curiosity was piqued.

Interestingly this whiskey is finished in Petite Sirah casks from the Concannon Vineyard in California – which might partly explain it’s impressive sales!

c/o Total Wine

The colour was reassuringly pale for a wine cask finish.

Sweet, fruity & honeyed on the nose. Gently inviting.

Quite a light palate with an attractive freshness.

Juicy sweet grain appears before a pleasing fruitiness topped off with a touch of prickliness gently fades away.

A very pleasant easy drinker with enough depth of flavour to keep it entertaining.

Nice!

Sláinte

Concannon Vineyard website here.

Irish Whiskey Sales in America 2020 here.

Hot Whiskey by James Morrissey, 1989.

Irish Whiskey was in a perilous state in 1987.

This revealing book by James Morrissey focuses on the remarkable turn of events culminating in the Pernod-Ricard takeover of Irish Distillers.

The most sobering chapters however expose the dismal performance & inability of Irish Distillers to drive the category forward – the very reasons a speculative takeover war started.

Irish Whiskey was a monopoly in 1987.

Irish Distillers owned all the distilleries – 2, Midleton & Bushmills – & all the brands – 15 – & was losing sales.

Cooley Distillery in County Louth was just being founded & had yet to mature any whiskey.

Irish Distillers main sales in 1987 were the domestic market followed by bulk sales to places like Japan – whose blending practices have a long history of using non-Japanese stock.

Sales in the lucrative American market dwindled down to a low of around 250,000 cases – about the same as Conor MacGregor’s Proper Twelve sold alone in 2021 – yet Irish Distillers marketing strategies were effectively underfunded & ineffective.

Without the takeover of Pernod-Ricard & increased competition from Cooley who knows where Irish Whiskey would have ended up.

Irish Whiskey today is in a far more healthier situation.

New brands, new bottles & new distilleries are being announced on an almost weekly basis.

I welcome each and every single one of them as they collectively strive to rebuild Irish Whiskey.

A read of Hot Whiskey sobers you up as to how grim things were a mere 35 years ago.

Sláinte

All images authors own.

Hot Whiskey available at www.librariesireland.ie

Galway Irish Whiskey, 40%

A range of miniature Irish Whiskey labelled up in Irish County colours make for an entertaining gift.

I picked mine up at the Celtic Whiskey Shop.

Galway is pale straw in colour.

Has a soft honeyed aroma.

Smooth & mellow in the mouth.

With an engaging hint of spice on the finish.

No mention regards source – but reminds me of the best blended Cooley used to offer.

An easy drinking Irish Whskey.

Sláinte

All images authors own.