Category Archives: Irish Whiskey

Review: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey Line

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

“Do the Dew” doesn’t have to mean kicking back a half gallon of fluorescent green goop. It also means enjoying a dram of Tullamore Dew — the nearly ubiquitous Irish whiskey brand.

Tullamore Dew actually comes in four expressions, and while most whiskey fans have only had the “original,” we finally got the chance to try all four varieties. Here’s how they stack up, just in time for celebrating the Irish in you on this St. Patrick’s Day.

All are 80 proof.

Tullamore Dew Original – Simple, but clunky and chunky, it’s a creamy whiskey with notes of malt, honey, heather… and lots of charcoal. Drinkable, but uninspired. B- / $23

Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old Reserve – More complexity in this spirit, aged in Spanish and American oak casks for 10 years. Still light of body, with a distinct maltiness — pie crust to the apple and banana notes present in the nose and on the tongue. The finish turns from pastry to sweetness, giving this more of a dessert quality to it — much more so than standard Tullamore. B+ / $34

Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve – More of that characteristic malt in this expression, and for good reason: It actually uses more malt in the recipe. Altogether Tullamore 12 Year is a richer and more Scotch-like whiskey, aged in Bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and coming across with some sea spray and very lightly floral notes. None of that really measures up to the bread-like maltiness here, which lasts on the finish for a long while and leaves the palate with a bit of a thud. B / $43

Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old Single Malt - Here we have Tullamore at its most Scotch-like, a single malt matured in four different casks: Bourbon, Oloroso sherry, Port, and Madeira. If you didn’t know any better, this could be a Scotch, though not a particularly great one. Sherry predominates (where are the Port and Madeira?), along with that malt character again. While it fills the mouth, the whiskey is easygoing and (as with most Dew) quite pleasant, but the finish lacks finesse and there’s just not much nuance in the body. B / $40

tullamoredew-usa.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated B, Rated B+, Rated B-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Christopher Null| 5 Comments

After Jameson and Bushmill, most drinkers would be hard-pressed to come up with another Irish whiskey brand.

Well, I’m going to tell you to check out John L. Sullivan.

This small batch Irish, named after the last bare-knuckled boxing heavyweight world champion, is distinguished by being aged in “single use” Bourbon barrels. Now, most Irish is aged in ex-Bourbon casks, but perhaps it’s the single-use factor that gives Sullivan a little more depth than others.

The results speak for themselves: Clear vanilla notes on the nose, then more vanilla plus some citrus on the tongue. Oak hits you on the finish, with nuts, and a little bit of spice — incense-like. A very satiny body brings this all together impressively. This is an Irish that is clearly in balance and, while relatively straightforward in the end, knows exactly how to make an impression. John L. Sullivan, put simply, has something that other entry-level Irish whiskeys are lacking. I call it sophistication. Which is strange, considering it’s named after a guy that survived 75 rounds in a boxing ring without any gloves.

A / $20 / johnlwhiskey.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated A, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Knappogue Castle has long shunned traditional age statements, instead vintage dating its whiskey with a year instead of telling you how long it’s been sitting around.

That is changing, as Knappogue is finally moving from vintages to age, in order, as the company says, to better communicate to the customer how old these whiskeys are. After all, “1998″ could mean a whiskey that is 2 or 12 years old, depending on when it went into the bottle.

Knappogue 12 Year Old Single Malt is the first product under the new rules, and it’s a winner. The nose is strong and heady, belying the light yellow color that all Knappogue tends to have. The body is rich with malted grain, almost woody, with nutty caramel notes, before fading into a lightly flowery character with a touch of citrus on it. Some smokiness seeps in on the finale, which is otherwise clean and refreshing.

80 proof.

A- / $42 / knappoguewhiskey.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Danny Boy Irish Whiskey

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

The name is not entirely politically correct (see also here), but Danny Boy is nonetheless Irish Whiskey true and true.

Give Danny Boy — distilled by Cooley Distillery — a little time in the glass before you dig in: It’s got some heat that mellows after a few minutes with exposure to air. Your patience will be rewarded with a surprisingly easy spirit, a fresh and young Irish with grain character that is laced with apple and some caramel notes. Not a lot to it, really, but it’s nicely refreshing, leaving a touch of honey on the tongue.

Get going, the pipes are calling.

80 proof.

B+ / $22 / dannyboywhiskey.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey

Recipe: The Corned Beef Collins

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

St. Patrick’s Day is always good for dozens of recipe submissions from companies hopeful to have their (invariably green) cocktails featured here.

None have come anywhere close to the audacity of Richard Blais’s concoction, which is reprinted here for your shock and awe. Cabbage water, people. Cabbage water.

Corned Beef Collins

1 ½ oz. Michael Collins blended whiskey
2 oz. Fresh sour mix
2 oz. Club soda
1 eye droplet of Corned beef extract (corned beef drippings from pan)
1 splash Cabbage water
Corned beef spices and cabbage oak aroma

Shake whiskey, corned beef extract and sour mix with ice. Pour into Collins glass and top with club soda. Smoke corned beef spice blend (bay leaf, black pepper, coriander, salt, mustard seed) with oak chips and present smoke suspended in covered, inverted glass. To serve, remove glass to infuse the air with the smell of corned beef and enjoy!

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Recipes, Whiskey

Review: Knappogue Castle 1994 Master Distiller’s Private Selection Irish Whiskey

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

We were lucky enough to land one of just 1,100 bottles of Knappogue Castle’s 1994 Master Distiller’s Private Selection Irish whiskey, a single malt Irish — hand numbered and signed by the son of the distillery’s founder, Mark Anders III.

Aged 16 years, it’s hard to imagine this whiskey spent that much time in cask. Very light in body, it’s a pale straw color with just a minimal hint of wood on the nose. Shockingly, the biggest flavor component here is apple — fresh apples, with a touch of banana and bubble gum, both traditional notes for Irish whiskeys.

The finish is light and moderately sweet, with a cane sugar character. Altogether it’s a classic Irish in keeping with Knappogue’s house style, and one that’s well worth seeking out if you can find it. 80 proof.

A- / $99 / knappoguewhiskey.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Slane Castle Irish Whiskey

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

It’s not just a drawing on the label of this whiskey. There really is a Slane Castle. It’s even in Ireland, thank the stars.

Slane Castle Irish Whiskey is a new whiskey on our shores, and it’s now becoming available on the eastern seaboard. Created by the good folks at Cooley Distillery, it’s a young blend, traditionally crafted without peat and aged about four years in old bourbon barrels.

The result is a very young whiskey that’s still finding its legs: Lightly sweet, with strong grassy notes and solid wood on the finish. Not very complex, but easy to drink It’s a bit boozy up front, though, a sign of its immaturity and youth. Worth a try if you’re an Irish fan, but nothing you’ll go crazy over.

B+ / $30 / slanecastle.ie

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Irish Whiskeys

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes — in a million years I wouldn’t have come up with a name for a line of whiskey like this one.

This collection of four new Irish whiskeys (named after soldiers forced out of Ireland during hard times) all share a common DNA, but offer some subtle differences when put to the test.

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Classic Blend Irish Whiskey – This is a typical Irish blend, offering a clean spirit with a mild palate and minimal complexity. Perfectly palatable, it offers only hints of wood and nutmeg but finishes hot. Not a whole lot to it, but a decent Irish on the whole. 80 proof. B / $38

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Rare Irish Whiskey – A considerably smoother whiskey, with smoky notes and a big caramel body. Also hot on the finish, but with spicy layers that mitigate that considerably. 86 proof. A- / $50

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Single Malt Irish Whiskey – Constructed of single malt, as the name indicates, this is the most Scotch-like of the bunch, a charcoal-inflected, massively malty Irish with a ton of woodiness to it. Peat character like this is rare in Irish. You’ll do better with a single malt Scotch but this isn’t bad. 86 proof. B+ / $48

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Limited Edition Fourth Centennial Irish Whiskey – Celebrating 400 years since the Wild Geese set sail, this is the top shelf expression from the Wild Geese, huge in its body, extremely malty, and with a good amount of citrus in it. The whiskey is mouth-coating, thick and viscous, with honey on the finish. I like it a lot. 86 proof. A- / $67

twgisah.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated A-, Rated B, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Irish Mist Liqueur

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

By my count the sixth whiskey+honey combo liqueur we’ve discussed on this website, Irish Mist is as old as the hills… but updated and rebranded for the ’10s. The new bottle isn’t going to wow anyone with its uniqueness (hey, flared base!), but what’s inside may do the trick for you.

Of all the honey-flavored liqueurs I’ve tried, Irish Mist is probably the mildest around. It’s Irish whiskey imbued with honey and “natural aromatic spices,” but the flavor is quite muted. A touch of honey, maybe some cinnamon and cloves, all on a very mild whiskey base. It’s kind of surprising that it’s a full 70 proof — but served on the rocks it certainly helps out with ailments of the throat (guilty!).

A bit expensive at $28 a bottle, by the by.

B / $28 / irishmist.com

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Posted in Flavored Whiskey, Irish Whiskey, Liqueurs, Rated B, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

Now appearing with a new (and really, only modestly different) label design (pictured below), today we turn our attentions to Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey, a surprisingly big brand in the Irish business that is a standard in Ireland but less commonly known stateside.

Very traditional, this light-bodied whiskey (the recipe inside is the same as before) offers medium gold hues and a good nose of vanilla. The body is surprisingly creamy, with a nutty vanilla character on the palate, some butterscotch, and an interesting, herbal finish. Overall, it’s simple and easy-drinking, fine on its own or with your favorite mixer. An excellent value, too.

80 proof.

B+ / $20 / irishdistillers.ie