County Cork

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Hyde No.1 President’s Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. County Cork, Ireland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

Colour: Shiny amber.

Nose: Quite a light nose. Dried figs, a bit floral.

Palate: Bam – the flavours intensify and hit you all at once. Salty creme brûlée. Dried pear. Toasted malt. Fresh oak. A bit of a surprise after the soft nose lulled you into a false sense of security.

Finish: Dried apricots, caramelised figs, burnt toffee. Medium length, dryish mouthfeel as the flavours fade away.

Comments: An outstanding drop, so easy to drink but still with bucketloads of flavour. Hyde are another relatively new kid on the block in terms of Irish whiskey (think Glenglassaugh, Teeling).  This first release has an initial 10 years’ maturation in charred first-fill bourbon barrels, followed by a 10 month finishing period in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks.

“A 100% Irish whiskey from one single distillery” according to their website (http://hydewhiskey.ie/our-whiskey/), but word on the street is that the whisky was sourced from Cooley Distillery…an entirely legitimate way of a young distillery still establishing themselves to have a marketable product whilst the spirit distilled in their own new facility is busy maturing. Hyde expect to release their own whiskey in about 5 years, and if this release is an insight to the flavour profile that they’re aiming for, I can’t wait to try some of their first releases in a few years’ time.