Dubliner Whiskey, Beer Cask Series, Blends, 40%

The recently opened Dublin Liberties Distillery launched a trio of beer cask finished whiskeys at a highly enjoyable & entertaining event held in the fabulous bar at the distillery itself.

Based on the original bourbon cask matured Dubliner Whiskey the limited edition Beer Cask Series have been finished in casks formerly maturing a variety of Irish Craft Beers.

I managed a small taster of those beers.

O’Hara’s Leann Folláin Irish Stout c/othewhiskeynut

O’Haras Leann Folláin Irish Stout at 8.1% is a full on bourbon cask matured belter of a brew. Full of heavy dark chocolate & molasses this appealed to my tastes.

5 Lamps Brewdolf c/othewhiskeynut

5 Lamps Brewdolf at 9% is a worthy contender too. Based on an amber barley wine finished in bourbon casks there were sweet fruity notes balancing the darker & heavier elements.

Rascals Irish Coffee Stout c/othewhiskeynut

Rascals Irish Coffee Stout at 4.8% has a wonderful coffee aroma on the nose that doesn’t quite follow through on the palate. Having said that – I’m not a big fan of coffee – so this offering isn’t to my palate.

A variety of cocktails were served on the evening – some tasty titbits – a compered introduction to the whiskeys (and the collaborative beers) by none other than Darryl McNally, Master Distiller of Dublin Liberties Distillery himself – as well as the folks behind the craft beers too – all seamlessly guided along by the dulcet tones of Today FM DJ Ed Smith of Ed’s Songs Of Praise fame.

Rebels, Rascals and Raconteurs indeed!

Sampling the whiskey had to wait for later as I was driving – but this is what I found.

Samples at the ready! c/othewhiskeynut

Oh, my test bottles were kindly filled by Dublin Liberties Distillery on the evening.

Dubliner Irish Coffee Stout Whiskey

The blue one c/othewhiskeynut

Lovely warm bourbon cask notes with a subtle depth & clean fresh grainy sweetness. Bit spirity but enjoying the clarity with underlying warmth. Soft prickly spice on a long finish.

Dubliner Irish Stout Whiskey

The golden one c/othewhiskeynut

Deeper, darker & more malty nose. A heavier mouthfeel. The malt has been accentuated & grain mellowed. Long smooth finish.

Dubliner Irish Red Ale Whiskey

The red one c/othewhiskeynut

Slight sweet fruit off the nose which follows through on the palate. The malt comes through cleanly. Long lasting flavoursome finish.

Well well well!

In a reversal of my findings on the beer from which they came – I think I’d go for the Irish Coffee Stout Whiskey as my favourite!

The combination of the clear sweet grain with a nice depth on the malt & just a hint of coffee in the background proved a winning combination over the smoother & darker elements of the others.

All were very enjoyable blends & quite distinctively different in the ways they presented on the palate.

Just goes to show what a few months in wood can achieve!

What is your favourite?

Sláinte

 

Advertisement

8 Degrees Blowhard, 12% vs O’Hara’s Irish Wit, 4%

It’s an unfair comparison – but if your gonna try a few Irish Beer/Whiskey collaborations – these 2 occupy the extremes of the growing genre.

8° Brewing Blowhard Imperial Stout at an eye watering 12% just wipes the 4% O’Hara’s Irish Wit off the counter.

Neither are bad beers – it’s just down to preference – but if I’m going to do a whiskey influenced beer –  I tend to go for something I can get my teeth into – and Blowhard certainly provides that.

Blowhard Imperial Stout, 12% c/othewhiskeynut

Aged in Jameson barrels, Blowhard is rich, dark & heavy.

Solid notes of malt, caramel & burnt molasses assault the palate & demand attention. The whiskey element adds to the complex mix of flavours with a decadent flair that makes you sit back, sip & enjoy.

Irish Wit 4% c/othewhiskeynut

Using Tullamore DEW yeast, Irish Wit is subtle, easy & light.

Appreciable malt on the nose merely hints at the whiskey connection. The body is thin – but would make an enjoyable session beer. It’s one to enjoy with friends.

The contrasting approaches to the style are entertaining to explore.

Which one would you go for?

Sláinte

 

Notorious Red IPA 5%

Bringing a whiskey to market is a long and arduous process fraught with setbacks & obstacles.

Getting planning permission for the distillery itself can be problematic – as the Sliabh Liag Distillery in Donegal have found out recently.

Sliabh Liag Distillery owner says Ardara move is necessary

Says Highland Radio here.

Hopefully they will have better luck in Ardara.

If you manage to build your distillery the next issue is warehouses to store the new make distillate for the required 3 years until it becomes whiskey. Great Northern Distillery are still on the hunt for storage after their plans were knocked back in County Louth.

Teeling looks outside Louth for €20m whiskey warehouse

Says Irish Times  here.

If you manage to overcome these hurdles – yet more await.

What are you going to call your whiskey?

A certain well known Dublin personality had hoped to call his whiskey ‘Notorious’ – but there happened to be a beer already on the market with that name.

O’Hara’s Red IPA c/othewhiskeynut

What else could I do but pop down to my local O’Briens to purchase a few for tasting?

O’Hara’s are one of the original craft beer makers in Ireland. Founded in 1996 they were ahead of the pack and have grown with the times. Now a major player in the craft beer market they produce a varied range of porters, lagers, ales & IPA’s – as well as opening a bar in Kilkenny.

Their Notorious Red IPA is an amalgam of 2 popular styles of beer.

Tasting Notorious c/othewhiskeynut

Red Ale is a relatively light ale usually showing a reddish hue. Notes of malt, soft caramel with a gentle smoke from the roasted malts often used coming through too.

IPA – or Indian Pale Ale to give the original definition – is the hot ticket in the craft beer world. The high hop content displays varying degrees of bitterness ranging from fresh citrussy summer notes to deeper almost woody pine flavours.

I must admit my palate is not a fan of IPA – the bitterness puts me off – but I do enjoy a Red Ale now and then.

So with that caveat in mind – how did I find the Notorious Red IPA?

A decent Red Ale ruined by the hoppy bitterness.

I did reach out to a self declared IPA fan – in the interests of balance – to get a view from the other side.

O’Hara’s Notorious, it’s a Knock Out!

Says Simon here.

Which I suppose it is.

Whiskey a no-go: McGregor suffers KO to brand plan

Says the Independent here.

Beer 1 – Whiskey 0.

Sláinte.