Blending Tennessee Rye with Peated Single Malt Scotch to create a World Whiskey.
It sits outside the rules of both camps and would annoy the ‘traditionalists’ – which is another reason for me to love it before even tasting the liquid!
But as it contains rye whiskey & peated whisky – both styles I enjoy – it would appear to be a ‘no-brainer’ for me to purchase.
So I did.
Packaged in an attractive medicine bottle the whiskey exudes a cheeky fun quality.
Pours a rich golden brown.
Smoking nose!
Very inticing.
Fairly mild start to the palate – do find a sherry finish mutes some of the stronger smoky elements with a sweet veneer – before that smoke – finding it more ‘smoked’ than ‘peated’ – shines through.
There is a tingling dryness on the finish – but can’t work out if that’s the peat or rye?
I often experience a similar finish with many a peated whiskey so wonder what the rye element is actually bringing to this fine blend.
Burnt Ends does float my boat however.
A fun & extremely satisfying whiskey to sip & savour!
I was motivated by the unique collaborative effort of Connacht Whiskey Company & New Liberty Distillery to combine 10 year old Irish & American Whiskeys in a single bottling – & I was also under the impression the American component contained a high rye content.
After the recent release of Powers Rye I was keen to revisit Brothership.
Aware that 6 years is WAY beyond the recommended 2 year time limit for opened spirits bottles – I was a little apprehensive.
How had I allowed this shocking situation to develop?
My constant desire to taste new product had built up a large stash of opened bottles I couldn’t possibly safely consume on my own.
To address this my ‘collection’ – as it is – is always open for sample swaps. Also – with the collaboration of World Famous Sean’s Bar in Athlone – I’ve been holding monthly ‘Whiskey By The Water’ tastings where a small group of us gather, drink & debate the virtues of the varied whiskey – & other spirits – featured.
You’re welcome to contact me to get involved in either initiative.
But back to Brothership!
Well the cork appears unblemished.
A fairly light coloured whiskey greets me – along with a rather shy & muted nose.
An easy start to the palate slowly grows with gentle peppery spices.
The finish flourishes with prickly spiciness tingling away to a dry lip-smacking finale.
Brothership’s charms appear to have not been diminished by it’s long time in storage.
A highly entertaining whiskey!
Sláinte
Blog article on how long to store opened bottles here.
Whiskey By The Water tastings are held 1st Wednesday of every month at Sean’s Bar, Athlone, 7.30pm. Check social media for latest bottle choices #WhiskeyByTheWater
Now here’s a whiskey I instantly fell in love with!
Shortcross Rye And Malt is the 2nd release from the boutique Rademon Estate Distillery in Northern Ireland.
It marks the return of rye to Irish Whiskey with a bold & unapologetic offering.
The 1909 Royal Commission into whiskey – which paved the way for the modern industry we know today – mentions Irish Whiskey usually being made with a mixed mashbill of barley, oats, wheat & rye.
I’m very pleased to see distilleries like Rademon exploring the rich flavours these grains deliver.
Being a self confessed lover of rye – Shortcross Rye And Malt displays that classic rye nose to draw me in.
Some describe it as dry sweet biscuit, my other half experienced almondy nuttiness.
A warming luscious mouthfeel.
The dryness of the rye has been balanced by a barley creaminess.
Offering both depth & complexity Rye And Malt finishes with a flourish of dry peppery spice that delights.
Love it!
Shortcross double distill Irish grown rye & barley & present the whiskey non chill filtered, natural colour at 46%.
Thomas Connolly have an extensive array of Irish Whiskey to suit all palates – especially rye heads!
Distilled at the Great Wagon Road Distillery in North Carolina & claiming Irish heritage with the Rúa name is this non chill filtered , natural colour organic, non GMO barley offering.
A lovely richness to the nose. Mild & mellow on the palate. Slowly builds developing into a very attractive & enjoyable array of flavours which dance merrily away.
Hailing from the long established & popular Four Roses Distillery in Kentucky is this Small Batch release. A blend of different bourbon mash-bills with varying degrees of rye content.
I immediately get a warm dry nose – indicative of the high rye content Four Roses is known for. A satisfying mouthfeel where the dry spiciness of the rye interplays with the smooth sweet corn influence. Leaves with that signature prickly spice.
Nice & easy.
Thoughts
I enjoyed both of these!
Trying to pick a winner is a bit tricky.
Do I go for the subtle yet engaging flavours of the newcomer single malt?
Or stick with the bolder rye spices of the established player?
Four Roses are relatively easy to encounter – but I do think Rúa is worth seeking out.
It’s constantly seeking new experiences that engage me on this spirit journey – so Rúa it is!
Authors from differing disciplines were invited to submit essays on varying aspects relating to whiskey.
The results are highly entertaining, thought provoking and at times – challenging.
Can you apply Hegelian thought, Aristotle virtue, the philosophy of Dualism, Buddhism or plain old group think & social cohesion to tasting a whiskey?
It’s all in the mix of this publication.
Why do you like one whiskey over another?
Is taste malleable?
Does knowing the master blender, visiting the distillery, being part of the clan, liking the manufacturing techniques, agreeing with the sustainable policies, bottle design, price point all alter our experience of drinking whiskey?
I certainly have my views of the above – and they’ve been further enlightened by the discourse within the pages of this book.
Whiskey & Philosophy is a bold publication full of complexity & rich depth. The diverse elements combine elegantly giving creative excitement to this blended entity.
My 1st encounter with Bart’s Whiskey – a core release blend for Lough Ree Distillery in advance of their own distillate – was in the comfort & warmth of Skelly’s Bar Ballymahon.
Sitting by an open turf fire I found Bart’s to be clean & fresh with a lively citrusy nose.
A smooth silky mouthfeel with touches of oiliness warmed to me.
Delightful soft kisses of smoky turf on the finish left an engaging dry spiciness melting away.
A highly entertaining & complex whiskey!
The following week found me in possession of a bottle with the chance to explore further.
Meeting Bart’s in Skelly’s had already won me over – but the additional information only confirmed this.
Complete with QR code for all the geeks out there – a lovely passage honoured the memory of Lough Ree Distillery’s founders father Bart.
A component breakdown of the blend explained my brief tasting notes.
‘Clean & fresh’ equates to non chill filtered & natural colour.
The high – & probably youthful – grain percentage explains ‘lively’.
The pot still ‘oiliness’ is evident.
But the crowning glory – for my palate anyway – is undoubtedly the rye cask & peated malt giving those ‘smoky kisses’ & ‘dry spice’ on the gorgeous finish.
Some demand such information on the bottle.
For me it’s an optional extra & an additional selling point.
Even if all the label stated was ‘Bart’s Irish Whiskey’ – my palate told me this is a damn fine whiskey!
There’s a bright new shiny brand of Irish Whiskey from Limerick creating a few waves.
Using artwork designed by a local illustrator Foxes Bow strikes a bold, fresh & contemporary pose – and that’s only the bottle label!
So what of the liquid?
Positively sparkles on my palate!
A light, clean & fresh nose offers up hints of peppery spice.
Smooth mouth coating palate.
Dries out towards the finish but leaves a fruity juiciness gently fading away too.
The bourbon cask maturation with Oloroso & Rye barrel finishing has created a highly entertaining blend with an engaging array of flavours to tease out.
Very enjoyable!
Sláinte
All images courtesy Foxes Bow website & social media.
Living up to it’s ‘cult’ status a fellow whiskey fan expressed interest in sample swaps.
As I’m sitting on close to 100 opened bottles that will damage my health if I drank the lot – I’m still damaging my wallet by eagerly seeking the next flavour adventure.
My cupboard is always open for exchanges so Old Grand-Dad went one way & a couple of ryes came mine.
This Texas Rye initially offers up a more traditional nose of sweet vanilla & dark caramels.
A rich earthiness – not normally found in US rye – began to make it’s presence felt in a very attractive & enticing way.
For 50% I found Balcones Rye to be full of flavour with a rich warm spiciness on the finish wrapped up with a hint of tobacco too!
Dry yet lip smacking all at the same time.
Using Texas grown rye – along with crystal, chocolate & toasted rye in the mashbill – a melange of unexpected & highly engaging flavours were experienced.
Balcones Rye c/othewhiskeynut
Thoughts
Both these ryes are a delight.
Using mashbills & ingredients not normally encountered elsewhere the range of flavours are boosted adding a richness of depth & complexity I found very alluring.
Both push the rye category forward in new & exciting ways.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 