English Park Blended Whisky, 6 Years Old, Special Reserve, 40%

Given the s**t show that’s English politics right now I thought it time to crack open this English Park Whisky to celebrate the demise of Liz Truss.

Purchased as an exercise to see if Amazon.co.uk could continue to offer a service to Ireland post Brexit – English Park was the only bottle that made it through.

All the others failed to arrive – just like those mythical ‘benefits from Brexit’ soundbites Liz was fond of spouting.

So what of English Park Whisky?

Well the bottle presentation is pretty cool.

Clearly capitalising on the patriotic fervour ensuing in England with Union Jack emblems there’s nonetheless attention to detail shown by ‘1835’ embossed on the front neck as well as ‘Double Oak’ on the rear & a neat representation of a still complete with worm-tube too.

The sales patter had me lost however. It’s in a language not familiar to me.

Turns out to be slovak – where the whisky is distilled by the Nestville Distillery.

So how does English Park taste?

Not too bad!

Exhibiting a deep golden brown with decent legs in the glass. There is no mention of chill filtering or natural colour I can make out.

A warm caramelly nose.

Smooth & easy palate, slightly warming.

The finish offered up an entertaining biscuity malt with hints of burnt oak that raised the experience.

Found English Park a very approachable drinking blend with enough depth to keep it quaffable.

I admire the entrepreneurial flair of whomever produced this brand to get it to the masses. I also admire the distillery for putting together a perfectly palatable blended whisky.

It’s already lasted longer than 44 days!

Na Zdrovie!

My Amazon.co.uk experiment here.

Nestville Distillery webpage here.

Whisky purchased via Gargara storefront on Amazon here.

Advertisement

Royal Envy, Exclusive Premium Whisky, 42.8%, India

I wouldn’t mind getting hold of this bottle.

Courtesy winewell.in

A number of things strike me.

Tales of solid smokiness tempt me.

While the name, labelling & general packaging all allude to a superior product- even if it’s a regular Indian made whisky using imported Scotch malt blended with Indian grain.

So much in the whisky world hinges on desirability, exclusivity & limited runs – often to the detriment of what really matters to me – taste.

Courtesy nvgroup.co.in

Royal Envy seems to be the ‘crowning glory’ of that exclusivity bubble – although it might be tainted by a certain royal payment to quieten a paedophilia scandal.

But a smoky Indian whisky is something I’d like to savour.

Sláinte

Tipperary Irish Whiskey Artisan Ice Cream, 1%

Irish Whiskey comes in many shapes & forms with exciting new releases appearing on an almost weekly basis.

Yum yum! c/othewhiskeynut

One innovative idea I came across in my local Lidl was Tipperary Irish Whiskey Artisan Ice Cream.

How could I resist?

Sounds good! c/othewhiskeynut

A serving was prepared – neat to begin with – although extra toppings of strawberries, cream & even a dash of single malt were later enjoyed!

The ice cream was exceptionally smooth, creamy & lucious.

A hint of maltiness came through the rich vanilla base.

Made in Tipperary using whiskey sourced from Kilbeggan Distillery – this ice cream has no artificial additives or colouring.

Small batch ice cream. c/othewhiskeynut

A highly entertaining dessert that can be enjoyed in numerable ways.

Delicious!

 

Waitrose 3 Year Old Blended Scotch, 40%

In London for the weekend – waking up to Brexitland – I needed a drink.

All the supermarket stores do their own label Scotch.

Waitrose 3yo c/othewhiskeynut

Waitrose’s is a 3yo proclaiming itself  ‘Rich and Warming’.

It’s certainly rich – with added caramel – which dominated the taste for me.

Back c/othewhiskeynut

There were hints of fresh young malt & sweet grain underneath – and it is warming – but those caramelly notes lingered.

Basic entry level fare.

Slàinte

Rascals, Barrel Aged Old Fashioned, Blonde Ale, 6.3%

This is a barrel aged beer with a bit of a twist.

To begin with – it’s a blonde ale.

Most barrel aged beers tend to be porters, dark ales or otherwise ‘heavies’.

But the real twist of this Rascals brewed ale in collaboration with Dubliner Irish Whiskey is – well – it’s orange!

Both in colour,

An orange twist! c/othewhiskeynut

And taste.

A bright, refreshingly zesty blood orange aroma greeted me on first acquaintance – shortly followed by a biscuity malty base on the palate – all wrapped up in a delightfully lagery mouthfeel.

Beer info c/othewhiskeynut

It’s a twist I really enjoyed.

Best served lightly chilled.

Slàinte

ChapelGate’s Chosen vs McGregor’s Proper Twelve

It may seem an incongruous pair of whiskeys to compare – but in my opinion – the two offerings above represent the growing maturity, complexity and coming of age of Irish Whiskey.

Photo c/oYouTube

On the one hand you have ChapelGate’s ultra premium exquisitely packaged and presented Chosen,

On the other,  McGregor’s mass market blend Proper Twelve.

Proper Whiskey c/othewhiskeynut

Both have delivered a product that satisfies the demands of their specific target audiences,

And both are excelling within their respective categories.

My blog welcoming the arrival of Proper Twelve to the market stated;

‘Irish Whiskey will never be the same again’

Has certainly been proven true.

McGregor c/oProperTwelve

For a newly released brand to be seriously challenging the dominance of Jameson – as in an Irish Times article – is truly outstanding. Despite the recent deplorable antics – perhaps even because of? – there seems to be no slowing down of Proper Twelve’s growth trajectory.

It is opening the market to a new generation of Irish Whiskey drinkers around the world and recently expanded into Poland & South Africa.

ChapelGate’s Chosen is also taking Irish Whiskey into new – and to many unthinkable – territory, the ultra premium luxury market. I highly commend founder Louise McGuane for her courage in doing so.

Louise McGuane launches Chosen c/oindependent.ie

The dedication, careful selection of stock and variety of quality casks at her bonded warehouse in County Clare was outstanding. I chanced a visit over two and a half years ago – even before her first release – which you can read about here.

To chart the growing success of ChapelGate since then – as well as tasting JJ Corry’s fabulous whiskey releases – has been a wonderful journey.

The reaction to Chosen and Proper Twelve has been immense – and divisive.

Both have taken Irish Whiskey out of the narrowly defined one dimensional stereotypes of the past.

They represent a multi dimensional & complex Irish Whiskey scene that can be double distilled, peated, flavourful, rough round the edges, brash & youthful, aged & nuanced all at the same time.

Both dreamed big and played far beyond the boundaries.

Meet the new trendsetters of Irish Whiskey.

Meet Chosen & Proper Twelve.

Putting dreams into action.

Sláinte

 

Erne Larder, Irish Whiskey Marmalade, 2%

What better way to enjoy breakfast than indulge yourself with Irish Whiskey Marmalade on yer toast?

How could I resist? c/othewhiskeynut

Erne Larder is currently available in the Lidl chain of stores and I happily spread a liberal amount all over my sourdough toast earlier.

Whiskey Marmalade! c/othewhiskeynut

The marmalade has a solid consistency – it doesn’t run over the toast – is fairly dark in colour and comes with orange peel in the mix to give added bite & texture.

The nose was rich & inviting, heavy with orange, a hint of malt & fresh zestiness too.

The taste was wholesome, bursting with flavour & full bodied.

If this was a whiskey I’d be saying it possessed character, depth & added flair.

A very satisfying way to start the day.

Sláinte

NB – Please note the 2% refers to the percentage of Irish Whiskey – source not stated – in the recipe, not the ABV of the marmalade.

Ingredients c/othewhiskeynut

Irish American Whiskey Trio Taste-Off

I couldn’t say goodbye to my latest selection of Irish Whiskey brands only available in America without a taste challenge.

Emptying what was left of the miniatures – and a pour from the 750 ml US size bottle – the first thing I noticed was the almost identical golden colour from all 3 whiskeys.

All 3 are NAS – non age statement – offerings at 40% ABV.

All 3 are sourced brands from unspecified Irish Distilleries and

All 3 taste remarkably different from each other.

I’ll kick off with Kilbrin.

The attractive front of Kilbrin c/othewhiskeynut

This one immediately appealed to my palate. Fresh, lively & inviting. A gorgeous spicy kick towards the end endeared this blend to me.

Kavanagh was up next.

Kavanagh Single Malt c/othewhiskeynut

More malty – biscuity even. Hardly surprising as it’s a single malt. A smoother delivery – cultured perhaps – with a gentler spiciness adding some character.

Wolfhound rounded up the trio.

The Gentle Giant c/othewhiskeynut

Compared to the others, I found the ‘roar’ of the hound a rather dull & muted affair. The honeyed sweetness just didn’t set my palate alight.

Without a doubt my clear winner – and rather surprisingly so – was Kilbrin Irish Whiskey.

It has character & attitude in abundance.

For me it captures the beauty of a good blend.

The balance of both malt & grain whiskeys compliment each other giving complexity to the palate.

Kudos to Kilbrin!

Sláinte

Kilbrin Irish Whiskey, Blend, 40%

Mrs Whiskey brought back a selection of Irish Whiskeys from America after a recent trip.

They aren’t available in Ireland – and I was keen to check them out.

Kilbrin is an actual place in Ireland. A parish in County Cork with a GAA club, a school and a church. But no whiskey distillery.

Kilbrin Irish Whiskey is a sourced brand – I’ve no problem with that.

The attractive front of Kilbrin c/othewhiskeynut

A search of their website here – leads you onto Quality Spirits International here – who specialise in Own Brand and Private Label products.

Quality Spirits International are in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of ‘the largest independent Scotch Whisky Company’ – which to you and me is William Grant & Sons – owners of Tullamore DEW, Glenfiddich, Grant’s and others.

Kilbrin back c/othewhiskeynut

What interested me though was how the whiskey tasted.

The nose was caramelly sweet, honeyed & slightly fruity.

This followed through on the palate – which opened up into a decent sweet grainy feel with a lovely prickly spice developing.

The finish was sadly short – but the overall effect was rather appealing.

I quite enjoyed this one.

A pleasant easy going entry level blend with a bit of character & spice towards the end.

Nice one Kilbrin!

Sláinte

 

Dream To Dram, Single Malt, 46% at Dreel Tavern, Anstruther.

The Dreel Tavern is an attractive stone built gastropub sitting above the Dreel Burn that flows into the Firth Of Forth at the endearing ‘stepping stones’ area of Anstruther.

Only suitable to cross at low tide! c/othewhiskeynut

Popping in for a drink I spotted the local Fife based Kingsbarns Distillery‘s first release – Dream To Dram – and was keen to taste this Lowland Malt.

Kingsbarns Dream To Dram c/othewhiskeynut

The nose was rather muted. Fresh soft subtle vanilla going on.

The palate started off gently too – before an exuberant spirity kick punched in.

Definitely youthful – perhaps too much so!

I’d have preferred a few more years in the cask.

Dream To Dram label c/othewhiskeynut

There is pressure on new distilleries to show off their wares – and I commend Kingsbarns for releasing this fresh malt.

At the very least it allows fans the opportunity to try out the new spirit & see how it compares with future more aged releases.

I’m putting it in my ‘Work in Progress’ file.

Sláinte