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!
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?
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!
A whiskey bought in the local Spar in Lagos – which I can afford – excites me as much as one accompanied with a Fabergé egg in Ireland – which I cannot.
Bacardí assets were nationalized & they set up business abroad while Pernod Ricard latterly took a stake in Cuba & released Havana Club.
Havana 7 c/othewhiskeynut
Despite no longer producing in the country Bacardí claim Cuban heritage & there is a long running dispute between the 2 companies over labelling & trademark.
Cuban rum meanwhile has a set of rules – one of which is only rums produced there can display the ‘Republica De Garantia’ logo – as shown on Havana 7.
Guaranteed Cuban c/othewhiskey
Golden brown in the Tuath Glass exhibiting thick legs.
Sweet dark caramels, toffee & hints of woody oak on the nose.
Easy enveloping mouthfeel develops a tingling spiciness which grows towards the finish.
If anything – Irish Whiskey is late to this social media led personality trend – and I’d be more worried if there wasn’t an Irish celebrity wanting to get involved.
Proper Whiskey fans stock up c/otwitter
Right from the beginning however – even before it’s release – I posted a piece with the headline ‘We need to talk about Conor’ and got the following response;
“No we don’t”
Kind of sets the tone for what followed when Proper Twelve was launched.
“It’s barely legal”
Well at 3 years old it is legal.
Funny though – that issue never came up when punters were outbidding each other to get hold of ‘barely legal’ Dingle or Teeling whiskey when it was first released.
Then comes the condemnation.
“Heavily adulterated with caramel”
Yes there is added caramel – it says so on the label. Caramel is a legally allowed additive both within Irish Whiskey and Scottish Whisky. The same criticism can be levelled at virtually every Jameson product, Bushmill bottle, Johnnie Walker whisky and many others as they all contain caramel. Why single out one offender?
Proper Whiskey fans post images of delivery trucks in NYC c/otwitter
Then you start to get to the heart of the matter.
“See, Bono’s doing it right….he’s supporting the build of an ACTUAL distillery!”
Since when did you need a distillery to build a brand?
The Spot whiskeys started out from a grocers. So too did the best selling Johnnie Walker. Many a big brand of today began as non distillery producers – it’s a well trodden path.
And then you get plain old bias.
“I have no intention of ever trying it.”
Which is probably just as well – as blogger after blogger lined up to do a hatchet job on the liquid. The best described the whiskey as;
“Toilet cleaner”
Really?
Now in all probability Proper Twelve was distilled at Bushmills for the malt content and Midleton for the grain. There is no law in either Irish or Scottish rules stating you must name the distillery which made the blend.
So effectively the same teams that make all Bushmills product – from the White Bush blend to the lauded 21 Year Old Single Malt – as well as the folks that make all the Jameson, Powers, Paddy’s & Midleton products have somehow dropped their standards to allow ‘toilet cleaner’ to be made in their stills, stored in their barrels and blended in their tanks?
I don’t think so.
Proper Whiskey CEO checking stocks c/oinstagram
What I found on tasting was a very easy going, approachable blend with a slight charred cask influence and a hint of spice.
It sits very well among the other Irish whiskey blends out there.
But then what is getting people irate – from what I can see – is not really the whiskey – it’s the man behind it – Conor McGregor.
The idea that a somewhat colourful & controversial kid from Crumlin can just swan in with his millions and release a whiskey that has the whole world talking – buying – and drinking – is obviously too much to bear .
It upsets the cosy consensus that assumed ‘premiumisation’ was the way to go – or that ‘transparency’ is key.
For a whiskey that sold out 6 months worth of stock within a matter of weeks – I think it just proved there was a vast untapped market out there waiting to be filled. It’s a marketing master stroke and something of a social media phenomenon.
But of course – when all else fails – slag off the customer.
“There are just enough rednecks and hooligans out there that will actually make this crap a success.”
I find it ironic that those who criticize Mr McGregor the loudest seem to descend to his level of pre-fight ritual lambasting.
Which is a pity.
As Mr McGregor and his Proper Twelve brand have just pulled off a massive publicity stunt that is getting Irish Whiskey instant worldwide recognition and potential sales far beyond anything that has gone before.
Success to Proper No Twelve! c/othewhiskeynut
It is without doubt my Irish Whiskey of the year 2018.
Sláinte
All quotes in italics are from social media posts by various whiskey fans. They are by no means the only ones. I have chosen the milder variety.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 