There will be a rerun of last week's single pot still tasting in the elegant Merrion hotel bar in Dublin, on October 19th and November 16th. The same whiskeys will be lined up (the description doesn't mention the new Redbreast Cask Strength but it would be odd if it wasn't included) and they will, once again, be introduced by Liam Donegan. Great whiskeys with insider commentary - can't ask for more.
If you can't get to The Merrion, your next best option is to visit the lavish new website that Irish Distillers launched last week to complement their single pot still range. The content of the site has clearly been driven by those who make the whiskey and truly appreciate the heritage of their craft. There is a ton of fascinating detail here so take some time to drill down through the pages (and to watch the videos from whiskey writer, Peter Mulryan).
There is an interesting credit on the Redbreast history page: "Courtesy of Irish Whiskey Society". Our president, Leo Phelan, is a very committed Irish whiskey researcher and deserves the real kudos for sharing this little-known story with the world.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Redbreast 12yo Cask Strength launched
Last night, the Irish Whiskey Society was invited to the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin to be the first to sample an exciting new whiskey. None of us knew in advance exactly what it was, though a strong hint was dropped that it would be an extension to the Single Pot Still (SPS) range.
Irish Distillers has already added two new whiskeys to that range this year, and repackaged the existing SPS brands, Green Spot and Redbreast so to add a third new bottling is just spoiling us at this stage.
We were kept on tenterhooks as we worked our way through all of the existing SPS whiskeys: Green Spot, Redbreast 12yo, Redbreast 15yo, Powers John's Lane and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy. One of IDL's production gurus, Liam Donegan, plied us with technical insight that greatly pleased the members of the society, for whom no nuance of whiskey manufacture is too minor to overlook.
Finally, however, the last whiskey was distributed and the bottle - mere hours after its arrival in Dublin - brandished at the top of the room: Redbreast 12 year old, Cask Strength. Ooh!
It has precisely the same make-up as 40% Redbreast 12yo, ie the same distillate and the same proportion of sherry-cask ageing. It's just at cask strength of 57.7%. That said, Liam did make the point that when you are talking about a batch of only 68 casks, there will be some natural variation due to the wood that would get averaged out in a larger run. But it still a unique opportunity to approach Redbreast from a new angle, and to discover new characteristics.
The standard Redbreast 12yo is a very well-balanced whiskey. Liam emphasised that this is their philosophy at the Midleton distillery, not to allow either the base spirit or the wood to dominate. They certainly pulled that off with the standard Redbreast. Although it contains quite a high proportion of sherry-matured whiskey, which has a very strong flavour on its own, this does not overwhelm and, indeed, it's still possible to detect a background of American oak.
The taste, for me, is honey, liquorice, spices and stewed dark fruits on the finish. It isn't the fresh citrus and vanilla type of whiskey. It has bags of character but it's not strident. I find it somewhat quiet beside Green Spot. According to Liam, standard Redbreast is the pouring whiskey for many employees of IDL, and I can see why. You could take it out any evening and enjoy it, or pour it for an appreciative guest.
So, the Cask Strength... is it just a more intense version of the 12yo? Not exactly. The balance I mentioned before has changed. This has a more noticeable sherry nose and, though it starts off softly, it packs a rather hefty sherry finish that I've never before got from an IDL whiskey (the Jameson Select Reserve nods in that direction though). If you like the sherried whiskeys, you will love this. It's not my preference, but it's a fine whiskey, no doubt.
The official tasting notes look like this:
Nose
A fruit explosion: figs, dates, ripe banana, sultanas, red apple and lime. Pot still spices combine with the sweet vanilla and pine from the casks.
Taste
Deep full dried fruit, a touch of citrus with aromatic oils and spices. Vanilla sweetness leads to toasted oak and barley.
Finish
Exceedingly long finish with a rich complexity of spices and fruit, slowly fading through sweet butterscotch to barley.
The good news is that it will be available from next week in Ireland, France and Germany, and in the US from February 2012. In Ireland, the price will be around the €65 mark, which is very accessible.
Irish Distillers has already added two new whiskeys to that range this year, and repackaged the existing SPS brands, Green Spot and Redbreast so to add a third new bottling is just spoiling us at this stage.
We were kept on tenterhooks as we worked our way through all of the existing SPS whiskeys: Green Spot, Redbreast 12yo, Redbreast 15yo, Powers John's Lane and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy. One of IDL's production gurus, Liam Donegan, plied us with technical insight that greatly pleased the members of the society, for whom no nuance of whiskey manufacture is too minor to overlook.
Finally, however, the last whiskey was distributed and the bottle - mere hours after its arrival in Dublin - brandished at the top of the room: Redbreast 12 year old, Cask Strength. Ooh!
It has precisely the same make-up as 40% Redbreast 12yo, ie the same distillate and the same proportion of sherry-cask ageing. It's just at cask strength of 57.7%. That said, Liam did make the point that when you are talking about a batch of only 68 casks, there will be some natural variation due to the wood that would get averaged out in a larger run. But it still a unique opportunity to approach Redbreast from a new angle, and to discover new characteristics.
The standard Redbreast 12yo is a very well-balanced whiskey. Liam emphasised that this is their philosophy at the Midleton distillery, not to allow either the base spirit or the wood to dominate. They certainly pulled that off with the standard Redbreast. Although it contains quite a high proportion of sherry-matured whiskey, which has a very strong flavour on its own, this does not overwhelm and, indeed, it's still possible to detect a background of American oak.
The taste, for me, is honey, liquorice, spices and stewed dark fruits on the finish. It isn't the fresh citrus and vanilla type of whiskey. It has bags of character but it's not strident. I find it somewhat quiet beside Green Spot. According to Liam, standard Redbreast is the pouring whiskey for many employees of IDL, and I can see why. You could take it out any evening and enjoy it, or pour it for an appreciative guest.
So, the Cask Strength... is it just a more intense version of the 12yo? Not exactly. The balance I mentioned before has changed. This has a more noticeable sherry nose and, though it starts off softly, it packs a rather hefty sherry finish that I've never before got from an IDL whiskey (the Jameson Select Reserve nods in that direction though). If you like the sherried whiskeys, you will love this. It's not my preference, but it's a fine whiskey, no doubt.
The official tasting notes look like this:
Nose
A fruit explosion: figs, dates, ripe banana, sultanas, red apple and lime. Pot still spices combine with the sweet vanilla and pine from the casks.
Taste
Deep full dried fruit, a touch of citrus with aromatic oils and spices. Vanilla sweetness leads to toasted oak and barley.
Finish
Exceedingly long finish with a rich complexity of spices and fruit, slowly fading through sweet butterscotch to barley.
The good news is that it will be available from next week in Ireland, France and Germany, and in the US from February 2012. In Ireland, the price will be around the €65 mark, which is very accessible.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Spirit of Mexico
I took a small vacation from whiskey this week to sample the distilled equivalent from Mexico: mezcal (or mescal). The opportunity arose with the visit of Sergio Inurrigarro to Dublin. Sergio represents the alliance of mezcal producers and has the happy task of bringing the drink to the notice of the world. For us, he selected four of his favourites from the many available brands.
Mezcal was entirely new to me, so please forgive any lapses in accuracy here. The drink is made from the agave plant, which is cooked in a pit oven, mashed, fermented, and distilled. It might be aged in wood after that, or it might not.
Tequila is one type of mezcal (at least when it's from 100% agave), made in or around the city of Tequila, from the blue agave. Given that there are another 40 or so varieties of agave that have been used for making mezcal, you can appreciate that tequila represents only a small part of the taste spectrum. Also, tequila is made in a far more industrial process to push out the volume required. 320m litres of tequila is produced a year, but only 6m litres of mezcal. Mezcal is still an artisanal product, and mostly consumed within Mexico. Apparently younger Mexicans are discovering and appreciating the stuff now.
Here's a quick recap of what we tried:
Jaral de Berrio - 36%
Apparently the Hacienda del Jaral de Berrio is the oldest mezcal house in Mexico, dating back to the 1760s. This one is 100% salmiana agave (there is a parallel here with grape varietals in wine-making) and entirely clear.
While the various mezcals varied in taste, and were all very palatable on their own, they had some common characteristics that weren't particularly familiar to me. Herbal, grassy, slightly burnt, I would say.
At 36% ABV, this mezcal just hits the legal minimum strength. Unlike whiskey, there is a maximum strength too: 55%, so I'm told.
Cha Cha Cha Mezcal Joven - 38%
This was from a different agave variety, but still young (the "joven" means young or not matured, I think).
Mezcal Zacbé Joven - 39.6%
According to Sergio, this was a blend of distillates from 8- and 16-year old agave plants. A very modern-looking bottle too; like a New World wine.
Scorpion Mezcal Añejo - 40%
This one was quite distinctive. It had plenty of colour, thanks to a year spent in a fresh oak cask from Limoges in France. It also had a significantly more rounded flavour, no doubt also due to the effect of the wood.
The agave is steam-cooked here, rather than roasted in a pit oven, so that must have an influence on taste too, probably to reduce that slightly burnt component I mentioned earlier.
Oh yes, there is also a real scorpion in the bottle! They openly admit this is a marketing gimmick, riffing off the "worm" sometimes found in tequila bottles. It contributes nothing to the flavour. It does, however, contribute to the social good, because the company pays youngsters to gather the scorpions, as long as they can show they are attending high school regularly. An incentive not to drop out early.
I got the impression from the Mexicans present that they don't normally eat scorpions, so it's as odd for them as it is for us to see the creature in a drink. (Is that really true? I've had them, and they are quite a tasty snack.)
Of all the mezcals we tried, I'd recommend this last one the most. There are also 3-, 5- and 7-year old versions which I bet are even better. One more reason to visit Mexico!
Sadly, there is not much opportunity to continue my mezcal education in Ireland. The Celtic Whiskey Shop does stock one brand (not one of the above), along with an impressive range of Tequilas. We'll just have to hope that Sergio returns soon, with some more of the good stuff.
Mezcal was entirely new to me, so please forgive any lapses in accuracy here. The drink is made from the agave plant, which is cooked in a pit oven, mashed, fermented, and distilled. It might be aged in wood after that, or it might not.
Tequila is one type of mezcal (at least when it's from 100% agave), made in or around the city of Tequila, from the blue agave. Given that there are another 40 or so varieties of agave that have been used for making mezcal, you can appreciate that tequila represents only a small part of the taste spectrum. Also, tequila is made in a far more industrial process to push out the volume required. 320m litres of tequila is produced a year, but only 6m litres of mezcal. Mezcal is still an artisanal product, and mostly consumed within Mexico. Apparently younger Mexicans are discovering and appreciating the stuff now.
Here's a quick recap of what we tried:
Jaral de Berrio - 36%
Apparently the Hacienda del Jaral de Berrio is the oldest mezcal house in Mexico, dating back to the 1760s. This one is 100% salmiana agave (there is a parallel here with grape varietals in wine-making) and entirely clear.
While the various mezcals varied in taste, and were all very palatable on their own, they had some common characteristics that weren't particularly familiar to me. Herbal, grassy, slightly burnt, I would say.
At 36% ABV, this mezcal just hits the legal minimum strength. Unlike whiskey, there is a maximum strength too: 55%, so I'm told.
Cha Cha Cha Mezcal Joven - 38%
This was from a different agave variety, but still young (the "joven" means young or not matured, I think).
Mezcal Zacbé Joven - 39.6%
According to Sergio, this was a blend of distillates from 8- and 16-year old agave plants. A very modern-looking bottle too; like a New World wine.
Scorpion Mezcal Añejo - 40%
This one was quite distinctive. It had plenty of colour, thanks to a year spent in a fresh oak cask from Limoges in France. It also had a significantly more rounded flavour, no doubt also due to the effect of the wood.
The agave is steam-cooked here, rather than roasted in a pit oven, so that must have an influence on taste too, probably to reduce that slightly burnt component I mentioned earlier.
Oh yes, there is also a real scorpion in the bottle! They openly admit this is a marketing gimmick, riffing off the "worm" sometimes found in tequila bottles. It contributes nothing to the flavour. It does, however, contribute to the social good, because the company pays youngsters to gather the scorpions, as long as they can show they are attending high school regularly. An incentive not to drop out early.
I got the impression from the Mexicans present that they don't normally eat scorpions, so it's as odd for them as it is for us to see the creature in a drink. (Is that really true? I've had them, and they are quite a tasty snack.)
Of all the mezcals we tried, I'd recommend this last one the most. There are also 3-, 5- and 7-year old versions which I bet are even better. One more reason to visit Mexico!
Sadly, there is not much opportunity to continue my mezcal education in Ireland. The Celtic Whiskey Shop does stock one brand (not one of the above), along with an impressive range of Tequilas. We'll just have to hope that Sergio returns soon, with some more of the good stuff.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Tyrconnell: Past, Present & Future
Last month's gathering of the Irish Whiskey Society was a celebration of Cooley's flagship single malt, Tyrconnell. That's the unpeated one (Connemara being the turfed-up version). We sampled past, present and possible future versions of the stuff in the company of Cooley's Innovation Manager, Alex Chasko, and Global Brand Ambassador, John Cashman.
John provided the history of the brand, which pre-dates Cooley Distillery by a long chalk. Indeed, John told us, Tyrconnell was the biggest-selling Irish whiskey in pre-Prohibition USA (and perhaps the biggest selling whiskey in any category, since Irish whiskey was the liquor of choice back then).
Alex, Noel Sweeney and the rest of the Cooley crew have been methodically reviewing and tweaking their various brands in recent years. Connemara, Kilbeggan and Greenore have seen their ranges expanded and adjusted, and now it's Tyrconnell's turn.
So, what did we try:
1. Dún Léire 8yo Single Malt
Sometimes Tyrconnell comes disguised. We can consider any unpeated single malt made at the Riverstown distillery to be part of the Tyrconnell family. This includes the recent Palace Bar whiskey and the Irish Whiskey Society's own Grand Crew and Premier Crew bottlings.
Dún Léire is British supermarket, Sainsbury's, own label Irish whiskey. It garnered a lot of attention when Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible named it Irish Whiskey of the Year 2011. Various reports on the IWS forum have backed up that assessment but this was my first opportunity to sample it.
At 8 years, it's a bit older than standard Tyrconnell's 6 to 7 years, but it still has a youthful nose. The taste is very satisfying though. Nicely balanced with a little spice for interest. In the head-to-head with the current expression of Tyrconnell it won handily in a show of hands among attendees. I agree with that.
There was some debate on the internet when Sainsbury's updated the packaging as to whether the taste had changed too. Our bottle sported the new livery and, according to the Cooley guys, the liquid hasn't changed. So, still a good buy.
As an aside, John Cashman called out Avoca from Aldi as a similarly great value blended Irish whiskey. I haven't tried that one.
2. Tyrconnell "5 Star" Single Malt
This was the "Whiskey Past" part of the tasting. This was the second release of Tyrconnell and is easily distinguishable from the current release by the 5 stars on the label.
It has a weak nose and a weak taste and it didn't find much favour in the room. Only 3 out of 37 rated it the best when compared with the Dún Léire and the current Tyrconnell.
3. Tyrconnell Single Malt
This is the current release and it is a significant improvement over the 5 Star. It has lots of vanilla and a little wood on the finish. It's perfectly drinkable on its own.
It still noses and tastes a bit young. It doesn't have an age statement but is 6-7 years old. It was originally pitched against Jameson but Jameson is a blend whereas this is a single malt. Cooley already has a strong blend in Kilbeggan so perhaps it's time to place Tyrconnell a little differently. One possibility they are considering is adding an age statement. Given how well the Dún Léire was received, this seems like a smart move to me.
4. Tyrconnell Rum Finish
There is nothing like this on the market. We already know that Tyrconnell takes a finish well; there have been well-received releases of 10yo madeira-, sherry- and port-finished whiskeys. Rum is a new experiment.
Cooley took en ex-bourbon cask (Jack Daniels, I think) that had spent 8 years maturing Jamaican white rum and filled it with aged bourbon-matured malt. (Alex couldn't recall offhand how old this malt was - 5 or 7 years old.) Seven months later, this was the result.
It had a very citrusy, orange-zest finish. I liked it. A little rough around the edges though, and could be polished with a couple more years initial maturation. I hope it escapes from the distillery as a product soon.
5. Tyrconnell 4 Wood
I mentioned the various Tyrconnell finishes above. Tullamore Dew released a "four wood" combination of the madeira-, port- and sherry-finished malts with plain bourbon-matured malt. It wasn't good; a big disappointment given the known quality of the components.
This 4 Wood, however, was Alex's own mix. It's a huge improvement over the Tullamore Dew version but it's a curious one. It's like a very crisp, clean version of standard Tyrconnell. The effect of the various finishes seems to have been cancelled out. So, a very decent whiskey but not as exciting on the palate as you might anticipate.
6. Tyrconnell 17.5yo Single Malt (Zoltan Vari private cask)
Zoltan Vari is a founding member of the Irish Whiskey Society and organised the Tyrconnell night. He also bottled his own cask of Tyrconnell in 2010 and generously contributed one of his rare bottles to the tasting.
I've tried this a few times now and it still ranks as the finest Tyrconnell I've tasted.
7. Tyrconnell 19yo Single Malt
This is about as old as Cooley malt gets and was a sample drawn from one of their early casks. It's up there with the best but the cask has been disturbed regularly for sampling purposes so it perhaps doesn't exactly match a cask that has been resting quietly in the warehouse all these years.
What's very exciting about Tyrconnell is that we still don't know how good this malt can get. It has been steadily improving for two decades now. That said, Alex's main interest is in the area of rum- and wine-finishes (the Celtic Whiskey Shop has proved how spectacular the wine finish can be).
John provided the history of the brand, which pre-dates Cooley Distillery by a long chalk. Indeed, John told us, Tyrconnell was the biggest-selling Irish whiskey in pre-Prohibition USA (and perhaps the biggest selling whiskey in any category, since Irish whiskey was the liquor of choice back then).
Alex, Noel Sweeney and the rest of the Cooley crew have been methodically reviewing and tweaking their various brands in recent years. Connemara, Kilbeggan and Greenore have seen their ranges expanded and adjusted, and now it's Tyrconnell's turn.
So, what did we try:
1. Dún Léire 8yo Single Malt
Sometimes Tyrconnell comes disguised. We can consider any unpeated single malt made at the Riverstown distillery to be part of the Tyrconnell family. This includes the recent Palace Bar whiskey and the Irish Whiskey Society's own Grand Crew and Premier Crew bottlings.
Dún Léire is British supermarket, Sainsbury's, own label Irish whiskey. It garnered a lot of attention when Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible named it Irish Whiskey of the Year 2011. Various reports on the IWS forum have backed up that assessment but this was my first opportunity to sample it.
At 8 years, it's a bit older than standard Tyrconnell's 6 to 7 years, but it still has a youthful nose. The taste is very satisfying though. Nicely balanced with a little spice for interest. In the head-to-head with the current expression of Tyrconnell it won handily in a show of hands among attendees. I agree with that.
There was some debate on the internet when Sainsbury's updated the packaging as to whether the taste had changed too. Our bottle sported the new livery and, according to the Cooley guys, the liquid hasn't changed. So, still a good buy.
As an aside, John Cashman called out Avoca from Aldi as a similarly great value blended Irish whiskey. I haven't tried that one.
2. Tyrconnell "5 Star" Single Malt
This was the "Whiskey Past" part of the tasting. This was the second release of Tyrconnell and is easily distinguishable from the current release by the 5 stars on the label.
It has a weak nose and a weak taste and it didn't find much favour in the room. Only 3 out of 37 rated it the best when compared with the Dún Léire and the current Tyrconnell.
3. Tyrconnell Single Malt
This is the current release and it is a significant improvement over the 5 Star. It has lots of vanilla and a little wood on the finish. It's perfectly drinkable on its own.
It still noses and tastes a bit young. It doesn't have an age statement but is 6-7 years old. It was originally pitched against Jameson but Jameson is a blend whereas this is a single malt. Cooley already has a strong blend in Kilbeggan so perhaps it's time to place Tyrconnell a little differently. One possibility they are considering is adding an age statement. Given how well the Dún Léire was received, this seems like a smart move to me.
4. Tyrconnell Rum Finish
There is nothing like this on the market. We already know that Tyrconnell takes a finish well; there have been well-received releases of 10yo madeira-, sherry- and port-finished whiskeys. Rum is a new experiment.
Cooley took en ex-bourbon cask (Jack Daniels, I think) that had spent 8 years maturing Jamaican white rum and filled it with aged bourbon-matured malt. (Alex couldn't recall offhand how old this malt was - 5 or 7 years old.) Seven months later, this was the result.
It had a very citrusy, orange-zest finish. I liked it. A little rough around the edges though, and could be polished with a couple more years initial maturation. I hope it escapes from the distillery as a product soon.
5. Tyrconnell 4 Wood
I mentioned the various Tyrconnell finishes above. Tullamore Dew released a "four wood" combination of the madeira-, port- and sherry-finished malts with plain bourbon-matured malt. It wasn't good; a big disappointment given the known quality of the components.
This 4 Wood, however, was Alex's own mix. It's a huge improvement over the Tullamore Dew version but it's a curious one. It's like a very crisp, clean version of standard Tyrconnell. The effect of the various finishes seems to have been cancelled out. So, a very decent whiskey but not as exciting on the palate as you might anticipate.
6. Tyrconnell 17.5yo Single Malt (Zoltan Vari private cask)
Zoltan Vari is a founding member of the Irish Whiskey Society and organised the Tyrconnell night. He also bottled his own cask of Tyrconnell in 2010 and generously contributed one of his rare bottles to the tasting.
I've tried this a few times now and it still ranks as the finest Tyrconnell I've tasted.
7. Tyrconnell 19yo Single Malt
This is about as old as Cooley malt gets and was a sample drawn from one of their early casks. It's up there with the best but the cask has been disturbed regularly for sampling purposes so it perhaps doesn't exactly match a cask that has been resting quietly in the warehouse all these years.
What's very exciting about Tyrconnell is that we still don't know how good this malt can get. It has been steadily improving for two decades now. That said, Alex's main interest is in the area of rum- and wine-finishes (the Celtic Whiskey Shop has proved how spectacular the wine finish can be).
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