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Ireland
 scrapes in  decent  good  excellent  sublime
Bushmills, 1608 (Ireland) 
(IB) Rich and concentrated, the first impression is of the sweetness. There are hints of honey, spice and chocolate, so greater complexity is revealed under the initial, very slightly cloying, first layer. It’s more intense than the signature Bushmills but a family resemblance can be clearly detected.
Again, the initial impact on the palate is smooth sweetness, as this rich whiskey rolls around the mouth. There are toffee and dark caramel notes here, mingling with spicy hints that open up with a dash of water. Hints of fruit also appear after a while. The toffee develops to a dark chocolate on a lingering finish that holds together well. I've rated this 3.5 stars, but if you’re a fan of Bushmills it's worth 4, because you’ll probably love this!
46.0% ABV, 70cl, £49.00, specialist whisky merchants.  |  |
Bushmills, Black Bush (Ireland)
Bushmills distillery in County Antrim is currently celebrating the 400 anniversary of a licence being granted to distil in the area, so it is fitting that July’s Whisky of the Month is Black Bush.
Bushmills is owned by Diageo and triple distils malt whiskey, which is mixed with grain spirit from Midleton distillery in County Cork to create the Bushmills family of blended Irish whiskeys. Black Bush contains a significantly higher proportion of malt than the popular ‘Original’ brand, and also benefits from the fact that the malt component is matured for between eight and ten years in ex-Oloroso Sherry casks prior to blending.
Rich and enticing on the nose, with sweet Sherry, characteristic Irish whiskey oiliness, honey and blackcurrants. The palate is a complex blend of sweet and more austere, slightly metallic, notes; Sherry, Fry’s Turkish Delight, autumn berries and restrained cinnamon spice. Water teases out more Irish oil. The finish offers an initial fudge note that dries slowly and elegantly through treacle toffee to pleasing oak.
Undoubtedly one of the world’s great blended whiskeys.
40.0% ABV, 70cl, 21.00, widely available. |  |
Cooley, Connemara Cask Strength (Ireland)
Connemara is available in three expressions, one which carries no age statement, a 12-year-old, and a cask strength version. The cask strength offering is the lightest in colour, being pale yellow rather than golden, which would suggest comparative youth. It is not coloured or chill-filtered.
The nose is a smouldering turf fire, with someone toasting marshmallows over it. By far the sweetest and most profound of the three Connemara expressions in the mouth, Cask Strength is big and powerful, with sugary, spicy malt, insinuating peat smoke and peppery, drying oak. The oak continues to develop with liquorice and well sugared coffee in the lengthy finish.
If you were expecting a brawler, what you actually get is something of a gentle giant. This behaves impeccably, and, despite its strength, should be drunk neat for maximum appreciation. The successful recreation of an old, classic style. For my money, Connemara Cask Strength is one of the very best Irish whiskeys available. 58.4% ABV, 70cl, 36.95, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Cooley, Connemara Sherry Finish Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Ireland)
At last, we have Ireland’s answer to Lagavulin! This release follows a highly-acclaimed single cask Sherry-finish offering and is the first release in a ‘Small Batch Collection.’ Just 10,000 bottles will be available for an 18 month period. Future bottlings are expected to include a heavily-peated expression. The Sherry-finish version comprises whiskeys aged between five and 15 years, which have undergone secondary maturation in ex-Sherry wood for a period of around 18 months.
The nose offers a big hit of rich, raisiny, smoky leather. Riding boots standing close to a turf fire. It becomes slightly more rubbery with prolonged exposure to air, and more overt Sherry notes develop. The palate is bold, with citrus fruits, freshly-laid tarmac and liquorice. Water releases a greater flavour of Sherry. The lengthy finish features more citrus fruits, liquorice and bonfire smoke.
A great winter’s evening whiskey.
46.0% ABV, 70cl, £50.00, specialist whisky merchants.  |  |
Cooley, Greenore Single Grain Small Batch (Ireland)
According to Jack Teeling, New Business Development Manager for Cooley Distillery, "We are starting out with an eight-year-old bottling but over the next few years will be releasing choice casks of different aged
single grain whiskies. This will be a great journey for Cooley, our customers and whiskey drinkers alike." Appetising on the nose, with a hint of lemon and vanilla, Glenore is notably smooth on the palate. It is principally characterised by honey and vanilla sweetness, yet possesses substantial body for a single grain whiskey. The finish is pleasingly drying and quite firm. 40.0% ABV, 70cl, £19.99, distillery website. |  |
Cooley, Single Cask Single Grain Irish Whiskey (Ireland)
This 16-year-old single grain, single cask (cask # 12441) whiskey may seem to represent a niche of a niche, and as such could be dauntingly expensive, but this exclusive bottling for the Milroy’s of Soho Single Cask Collection is a comparatively affordable way of sampling something very unusual.
Cooley distillery was established by entrepreneur John Teeling in a former industrial alcohol plant near Dundalk in 1987, and after surviving some turbulent financial times the venture is now thriving as Ireland’s only independent distilling operation. With a fraction of the budget that Diageo and Pernod Ricard can throw at the promotion of their Bushmills and Jameson whiskeys, Cooley has established a reputation for producing well regarded brands such as Locke’s, Connemara and Tyrconnell single malts.
A more recent addition to the Cooley line up is Greenore eight-year-old single grain, and this Milroy’s bottling is effectively the same spirit at twice the age, with 16 years of maturation in a first fill Bourbon hogshead under its belt. Made from unmalted barley, it was double distilled in a Coffey still.
The result is a whiskey with a rich, enticing nose of spicy butterscotch and sponge pudding with custard. Smooth and sensual on the quite complex palate, with honey, malt, milk chocolate, vanilla and more spice. The finish is lingering and creamy, with ginger and vanilla offering a contrast with the pleasant bitterness of ageing oak.
A lovely example of mature grain whiskey.
46.0% ABV, 70cl, £45.00, Milroy's of Soho. |  |
Irish Distillers, Green Spot Pure Pot Still Whiskey (Ireland)
Green Spot is that rarest of beasts, a surviving Irish pure pot still whiskey. It is produced for the historic Dublin wine merchant Mitchell & Son by Irish Distillers in its Midleton distillery in County Cork.
The only other example of the genre is Redbreast, also distilled at Midleton, and made from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley, being triple-distilled in traditional copper pot stills. While the principal Redbreast bottling is a 12-year-old, Green Spot comprises whiskeys aged from seven to 12 years, some 25 per cent of which have been matured in ex-Sherry casks. It also differs from Redbreast in that the ‘new-make’ spirit is heavier in character. Only a limited number of bottles are produced each year, making Green Spot one of the more elusive whiskeys on the market, but it is very definitely worth seeking out.
The nose is sweet, with nougat and maraschino cherries, plus a contrasting bite of pepper and rye. Coconut and cedar when water is added. Smooth, oily and insinuating in the mouth, with a pleasingly spicy cereal and citric edge. Medium to long in the finish, with ginger and a hint of Sherry. At its best undiluted.
40.0% ABV, 70cl, £41.00, Mitchell and Son, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Irish Distillers, Redbreast 15-year-old Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey (Ireland)
In 2007 Irish Distillers produced a one-off 15-year-old expression of Redbreast to celebrate the 50th anniversary of La Maison Du Whisky in Paris, and such was its reception that last year a decision was taken to offer ‘Redbreast 15’ as an ongoing release to stand alongside the regular 12-year-old variant.
Redbreast is one of the last surviving true Irish pot still whiskeys, triple distilled in pot stills from a mix of malted barley and unmalted grains. The 15-year-old expression is produced at 46%abv and is not chill-filtered.
Sherry, marzipan and Christmas cake notes on the nose; lush and oily with figs. A classic, pot still Irish palate, slick and buttery, with spicy Sherry, olives and rye notes. Lengthy in the finish, with enduring oil, citrus fruit and spices. 46.0% ABV, 70cl, £65.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Jameson, Irish Whiskey (Ireland)
The world’s best selling Irish whiskey, originally distilled in Dublin, where John Jameson, a Scottish Presbyterian, founded a distillery in 1780. Jameson’s is now one of many whiskeys produced in Irish Distiller’s highly versatile Midleton distillery in County Cork. The Jameson range of whiskeys comprise a comparatively high percentage of pot still spirit, which gives them greater character and complexity then some other Irish whiskeys.
The nose offers an interesting combination of floral, orange, toffee, Sherry and spice notes. Water releases more cooked fruits and a suggestion of linseed. Initially citric in the mouth, along with classic Irish oiliness, more profound notes of Sherry develop, along with fudge, vanilla and spice. The finish is long, warming and spicy, remaining oily to the very end.
Jameson is deservedly a world leader. Irish whiskey at its finest.
40.0% ABV, 70cl, £16.95, widely available.  |  |
Jameson, Rarest Vintage Reserve (Ireland)
The Pernod Ricard-owned Jameson brand is the world’s best-selling Irish whiskey, and is produced in the company’s extremely versatile distillery at Midleton in County Cork, which dates from 1974. There an array of pot and column stills produce spirit that is blended together in bewildering and classified combinations and proportions for the various expressions that make up the Jameson range, and many other brands besides.
The latest addition to Jameson’s line up of ‘Reserve’ whiskeys, Vintage Reserve, takes to the shelves alongside Jameson 12 Year Old Special, Jameson Gold and Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve. The four Reserve expressions are all matured in a mixture of ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks, and combine triple-distilled pot and column still spirit.
Vintage Reserve contains some of the rarest whiskeys available from Midleton, and one of the component pot stills whiskeys has been matured in port pipes. The oldest element of Vintage Reserve is the grain, some of which is up to 25 years old, and all of the Bourbon casks used are second-fill.
Light, floral honey notes from the aged grain component are present on the early nose, along with fleshy peaches and melons. The port casks contribute rich, fruity characteristics, which are sufficiently subtle not to dominate. Barley lingers in the nostrils. The sweet, mellow palate offers bananas and plums, along with developing cinnamon, toasted oak and dairy fudge notes. The finish is long, with sweet fruits, port, spice and a hint of barley.
By no means cheap, but this is a confident, sophisticated and beautifully integrated whiskey that has all the makings of an Irish classic.
46.0% ABV, 70cl, £300.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Kilbeggan, Distillery Reserve Malt Whiskey (Ireland)
For over 200 years, Kilbeggan distillery in County Westmeath produced highly-regarded whiskey, but the plant finally fell silent in 1957. Then, 50 years later, Cooley Distillery Plc began to distil at Kilbeggan once more, using the oldest working pot still in the world, which dates back to 1830.
Now, a youthful bottling from Kilbeggan has been released, with a Cooley spokesperson noting that “The Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve Malt, the latest addition to the Kilbeggan family of fine whiskeys, is produced from 100 per cent malted barley. Due to the distinctive narrow necks of the ancient pot still design, it is an exceptionally smooth and flavoursome Irish malt whiskey of distinctive character.”
Highly individualistic on the nose. Oily and herbal, with tarragon, warm leather, paper gum, and even violets. The palate is quite delicate, yet far from fragile, with gentle leather and developing fruity spices. Drying in a medium-length finish. This precocious youngster could be a classic in time.
40.0% ABV, 70cl, €50, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Redbreast, Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey (Ireland)
There was a time when all Irish whiskeys were ‘pure pot still,’ made with a mixture of malted and unmalted barley, but today Redbreast is a rare survivor of the genre. As such it would be something to cherish even if it were not as excellent as it is.
Redbreast dates back to the early 20th century, when the bonding company Gilbey’s of Ireland used the name for Jameson spirit which they matured and bottled, but since the 1990s the brand has been owned by Jameson’s parent company, Irish Distillers Ltd.
Redbreast 12-year-old is distilled in Irish Distillers’ vast Midleton complex in County Cork, and maturation takes place principally in former Sherry casks, along with a percentage of ex-Bourbon wood.
The result is a robust and deliciously individualistic whiskey, which offers a nose of linseed oil, mixed fruit, Sherry and vanilla. Big and voluptuous in the mouth, with characteristic Irish oiliness, cooked fruits, ginger and a developing nuttiness as it dries gently in a lengthy and well-mannered finish. A classic. 40.0% ABV, 70cl, £25.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Tullamore, Dew Black 43 (Ireland)
According to C&C, “Crafted by Ireland’s eminent Master Blender Barry Walsh, Tullamore Dew Black 43 is a triple distilled blend, enriched by spicy full-flavoured pot still whiskey aged in old Oloroso Sherry casks. The ‘43’ in the name indicates its higher-than-usual alcohol strength. Black 43’s distinctive pot still character is blended to appeal to Tullamore Dew drinkers interested in extending their drinking repertoire without moving to the more exclusive aged variants.”
C&C International’s Marketing Manager, Benoit Batard adds that “The new Black 43 is packaged in the standard Tullamore Dew bottle as an everyday drink, but the deep matt black labelling and silver foil give it a strongly masculine and sophisticated personality – in line with our target audience expectations. The extra strength and more complex flavour really add to the drinking experience and make a great addition to the award-winning Tullamore Dew range.”
Maple syrup, ginger and sweet spice on the nose, plus a hint of lanoline. Becoming more pine-y and citric with time. Discreet oiliness on the spicy palate - drier than the nose might suggest. Dark berries and a hint of cough syrup, with Sherry notes coming through. The finish is even, spicy and medium in length. Initially available in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, later in other markets.
43.0% ABV, 70cl, €18.50, No known UK stockists. |  |
Tullamore, Tullamore Dew 10-year-old Single Malt (Ireland)
C&C International has broken new ground by adding a 10 Year Old Single Malt to its Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey range, which previously comprised a trio of blends, namely Standard, 10 Year Old Reserve and 12 Year Old Special Reserve.
“At the same time as building the standard blend to over 600,000 cases, we have been working towards a complete line-up of ages, flavours and qualities to meet growing consumer demand for Irish whiskey experiences” says C&C International marketing manager, Ann O’Leary. “Adding a single malt to the collection is a very prestigious step for the number two Irish whiskey brand in the world.”
Aged in a variety of ex-Bourbon, dry Oloroso Sherry, Madeira and Port casks, Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old Single Malt is described by its producers as “…a singularly rich and mellow expression of a legendary Irish whiskey.”
The nose is of warm oil, new leather, vanilla, stewed fruit and caramel. Oily and slightly herbal on the palate, rich and complex, with leather, soft fruit and spicy oak. The addition of water releases flavours of blackcurrant. The finish is long, initially nutty, with Sherry, old leather and fudge to the fore.
40.0% ABV, 70cl, £35.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Tullamore, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey (Ireland)
Tullamore distillery in County Offaly was established in 1829, but closed during the 1950s, after which the brand name was sold to John Powers & Son, later becoming part of the giant Irish Distillers organisation. Produced in ID’s vast and complex Midleton distillery in County Cork, Tullamore Dew is again an independent brand, having belonged to Cantrell & Cochrane, the producers of the Irish Mist liqueur, since 1994.
Marketed as “The legendary light Irish Whiskey,” Tullamore Dew is, indeed, notably light in character, offering a very delicate, floral nose, with a suggestion of pineapple and coffee. Gentle and fruity on the palate, with characteristic Irish whiskey oiliness. The finish is longer than might be expected, gently drying, with a final hint of fudge and peaches.
If you like your whiskeys light and comparatively undemanding, then ‘The Dew’ is a well made choice. Subtle rather than bland. Widely available in Ireland
40.0% ABV, 70cl, £15.99, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
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