Ireland Archives - Whisky a Day

Whisky #563: Teeling Revival 15 Year Old Irish Single Malt

January 23, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Teeling Revival 15 Year Old Irish Single Malt (Vol. IV). ABV: 46%. Dublin, Ireland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $170 (bottle).

Victim #4 of bottle kill week here at Whisky a Day…tonight we’re heading across to Ireland to finish off the last drops of the Teeling Revival 15 Year Old Irish Single Malt.

Colour: Shimmering gold.

Nose: Fruity and a faint hint of sawdust or freshly snapped branches off a tree. Like taking the cardboard lid off a fresh tray of mangoes.

Palate: Fresh white toast with honey and lots of butter. Creamy, cool mouthfeel with a syrupy coating of the tongue. Fruit salad with lots of passionfruit.

Finish: Dark chocolate and pineapple chunks, but it’s very soft and subtle. Medium length, fades to a taste like sucking on the stick of a banana Paddle Pop – woody but with a fading fruity sweetness.

Comments: This Teeling Revival 15 Year Old had its initial maturation in ex bourbon barrels, then jumped into some Muscat barrels to finish for over 12 months. It’s all tropical fruits and cream, absolutely delightful and dangerously easy to drink.

The first 95% of this bottle disappeared rather quickly…the final 5% I hung onto in a vain attempt to stretch out the enjoyment. A pointless exercise; enjoy whisky in the moment and if it runs out…buy another one!

Wagyu & Whisky…Whisky #526: Glendalough 13 Year Old Mizunara Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey

April 8, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Wagyu & Whisky…Whisky #526: Glendalough 13 Year Old Mizunara Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey.

A chilled out Sunday, a juicy wagyu striploin sitting in the fridge and a new bottle of whisky on the shelf. Time to get creative and whip up something delicious…waygu with a whisky and mushroom sauce.

I decided to use some wild mushrooms soaked in Glendalough 13 Year Old Mizunara Finish Single Malt, along with some fresh mushrooms, onion, garlic, butter, beef stock, double cream and some thyme. Just before serving, a splash of balsamic was added to sweeten up the mushroom sauce a little, as the intensity of the wild mushrooms and whisky had made it a little sharp.

Whisky #526: Glendalough 13 Year Old Mizunara Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Ireland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Golden toffee.

Nose: Fresh, sweet, floral and a bit damp. Like snapping a stem of a flower that’s been in a vase of water.

Palate: The earthiness of the mushrooms seems to make the sweeter floral notes of the whisky just “pop”. Tasting the whisky after dinner allowed time for my palate to recover from the bombardment of creamy fats from the sauce and the wagyu, letting floral and apricot danish notes come to the fore.

Finish: Juicy pineapple jubes and the fizziness of passionfruit mineral water. Zesty oak notes too.

Comments: It’s not until I finish eating that my palate can really come to grips with the whisky. It’s been nice, but the whisky was overshadowed by the richness of the wagyu and mushrooms. In fact, soaking the wild mushrooms in whisky seemed to have made their flavour more intense. My intent was to cook something that would complement the whisky; but the result tonight was that the whisky served to enhance the food. Wagyu and whisk(e)y are each fantastic in their own right, but together it feels like they’re both fighting for the attention of your tastebuds.

Whisky #472: Tyrconnell Sherry Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

May 10, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Tyrconnell Sherry Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Riverstown, Dundalk, Ireland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at The Wild Rover, $21. Or in this case, $42 for a double!

Colour: Deep candlelit amber.

Nose: Buttery caramel notes. Blackberry jam.

Palate: Salted caramel and raspberry flavours swirl on your tongue. Caramelised rendered fat from a wagyu steak. Thin on the palate, but it takes the mind to more hearty places.

Finish: Dry and oaky, sweet red berries yet almost a bit salty and tannic.

Comments: It’s like a packet of fruit pastilles, but mainly the juicy red raspberry and blackberry ones. None of those dodgy lemon or orange ones, don’t waste my time with those fillers! You get a salty sweet hit, a few mixed berry notes and you’re left wanting to bite into some more.

In an ideal world, I would prefer to try this at cask strength – it’s very tasty, but I reckon it could have been so much more if it was bottled higher than 46%ABV. Though a 46%ABV whisky really seems to be a good balance in terms of appealing to as broad a segment of the market as possible. Excise considerations will always play a part in a distillery’s decision on what ABV a whisky will be bottled at. But putting that aside, for flavour reasons alone I believe it’s a very good whisky, but would have been amazing at a higher ABV.

Whisky #448: Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

January 3, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey. Dublin, Ireland. ABV: 46%. Tasted in Margaret River, $61 (bottle).

Colour: Rich golden apple juice.

Nose: Vanilla bomb. Black jelly beans. A slight nose prickle, but with a fresh green grass and pine needles.

Palate: Fresh hay and grassy notes; cracked pepper and honey. Quite thin on the palate.

Finish: New wood, white pepper and a subtle sweetness. A dry finish with the front palate getting all the flavour.

Comments: Finished for an extra six months in ex rum casks, though no mention of its overall age at bottling. Cracking value at only $61 for the bottle, it’s a decent blend to start the night but not going to keep you enthralled for the whole night before you inevitably move on to a more full flavoured dram. Solid but not outstanding.

Whisky #445: Hyde No.1 President’s Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

December 18, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by 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.

Whisky #435: Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey

October 15, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey. Dublin, Ireland. Tasted at The Wild Rover, $14.

Colour: Rich copper. Like the bar.

Nose: Like ripping open a fresh packet of Allen’s Strawberry & Creams. Hints of vanilla and oak.

Palate: Light drying mouthfeel; golden syrup and white pepper spice.

Finish: Dry, spicy and oak notes to fade. Light sweet notes, like letting some raw sugar dissolve on your tongue.

Comments: Teeling actually matured this whiskey in ex Californian Cabernet Sauvignon casks, which probably explains the drying tannic mouthfeel. My good mate Damo, who’s not a huge whiskyphile, thought that there was a reasonable amount of fire for the lightness and taste – but he’s not sure if that’s such a good thing. I’m not quite as cutting, but thought it was quite a pleasant dram to cut through the early evening post-work beers.

Whiskies #416 & #417: Glendalough 7 Year Old & 13 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskies

July 30, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by A taste-off between two single malts from Irish new kid on the block, Glendalough. Founded in 2011 by a group of mates, this craft distillery has been able to release a 7 year old and 13 year old courtesy of private label whiskey produced by Cooley Distillery for independent bottlers. A fantastic way to get a unique product to market whilst producing and maturing their own craft whisky (amongst other spirits). Both were aged in first fill ex-bourbon casks, I thought it would be interesting to do a side by side comparison.

Whisky #416: Glendalough 7 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Ireland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $110 (bottle).

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Light and citrusy, fresh baked biscuits and a hint of dusty leather. Sounds like a weird combo, but it works.

Palate: Rich honey and a hint of pepper. Intense fruit driven sweet flavours, like sucking on a boiled lolly – think lemon, raspberry and lime.

Finish: A punchy oak and sweet finish, driving straight down the mid palate. Cigar notes in the fade. Medium length for the flavours, but a very subtle warmth lingers longer.

Whisky #417: Glendalough 13 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Ireland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Slightly darker gold than the 7 year old. Not as big a difference as I was expecting given it has spent almost twice as long in casks.

Nose: A more fragrant, floral nose than the 7. It’s now more syrupy; with toffee and golden syrup notes.

Palate: Toffee and intense fruit syrup – think raspberry coulis and passionfruit syrup, laced with hints of oak and warm vanilla spice. Richer and creamier and than the 7.

Finish: Some soft but tangy raspberry and citrus notes. The oak is much softer than the 7 year old, allowing other flavours come to the fore.

Overall comments: The 13 year old Glendalough was another one of the whiskies I selected as part of my “Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge” a little while back. I selected it as my Irish malt for the collection and had heard great reviews. Having had both bottles on my shelf for some time, I found myself naturally gravitating to the 7 year old more often than the 13. I find the 7 year old a supremely easy whisky to drink; it’s smooth, bags of flavour and is certainly not one dimensional. However, the 13 year old expression is richer and more refined, bold yet elegant. I’d recommend both, though I’m keen to try some of Glendalough’s own distilled single malt when it eventually gets released. It will be interesting to see how similar their single malt is compared to these that they’ve matured but acquired from another distillery.

Whisky #389: Tyrconnell Madeira Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

December 30, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Tyrconnell Madeira Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Riverstown, Dundalk, Ireland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at The Wild Rover, $20.

Colour: Caramelised popcorn.

Nose: Exceedingly smooth, light and fruity. Strawberries and cream, rosewater, and soft candied oranges. Some very subtle aromas here, it’s not a powerful punch at all.

Palate: Very subtle dried fruits on the mid palate that quickly fade. Tangy raspberry hints dance on the taste buds. Sweet woody notes, with a great balance between saltiness and sweetness.

Finish: Quite drying and woody. Very smooth as it glides down.

Comments: My colleagues Candice and Johad a taste, both are non-whisky drinkers who found it surprisingly easy enough to drink neat. For me there’s plenty of interesting flavours and aromas to keep me interested too, so it seems to have struck a good balance of pleasing a variety of palates.

It reminds me more like a red wine finished whisky such as some of the Longrow wine cask finished malts, the Longrow Burgundy Wood or Longrow Red Cabernet Sauvignon (but without the peatiness). Which is a little unusual as they’re Scottish malts, but hey I’m not geographically snobbish when it comes to whisk(e)y…I’ll drink it from anywhere!

Whisky #388: Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Irish Whiskey

December 26, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Irish Whiskey. Dublin, Ireland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at Bobèche (Perth), $11.

Colour: Rich burnished copper.

Nose: Surprisingly light. Aromas tease like a Bounty chocolate bar that’s just been bitten into – plenty of coconut and chocolate.

Palate: Grassy honey notes on the mid palate.

Finish: Quite short and thin. Sweet cream cheese and honey notes. Savoury yet sweet; but not too sweet. A slight woody after-taste.

Comments: A very interesting prospect, the Jamesons Caskmates Stout Edition has been finished in stout-seasoned casks. It’s not as intensely flavoured as I might have expected. Very smooth and light, not the stoutish nutty chocolate or coffee hints that I anticipated might have come through.

I recently returned to Perth for a short visit to catch up with friends and it was awesome to drop into one of my favourite old haunts Bobèche and catch up with James behind the bar for a dram. Thanks to Joe, James and all the Bobèche crew for the Christmas card…the less said about those Christmas sweaters the better!

A special shout out to all Whisky a Day readers, I hope you’re all enjoying a special whisky a day over the festive season and relaxing with close family and friends.

Slàinte,

Todd aka Whisky a Day

Joe and the team from Bobèche in some ridiculously awesome and cringe-worthy Christmas sweaters

Whisky #249 – Middleton Green Spot Irish Whiskey

September 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Middleton Green Spot Irish Whiskey. Dublin, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Lafayette.

Colour: Solid gold.

Nose: Smells like a rye whiskey. Grassy notes too.

Palate: Lots of rye-like spice on the palate too. Very pleasant without being overly complex. Quite a dry mouthfeel. A touch of black pepper and spice.

Finish: Gentle development of flavour and warmth, but a medium finish.

Comments: While obviously not a rye whiskey, it does share similar qualities with some American rye whiskies. Not too bad overall.

Whisky #239 – Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Blended Irish Whiskey

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Blended Irish Whiskey. Tullamore County, Offaly, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%.

Colour: A bright lustrous gold.

Nose: Honied straw. Kryptonite for diabetic horses.

Palate: Thin; a little sweet yet creamy in flavour but not texture. Not thick & sweet like honey, but more like sugar syrup.

Finish: Short, a little dry.

Comments: A fairly run of the mill whiskey, I really didn’t have high expectations for this one – expectations which have not been exceeded, nor failed to be met.

Whisky #238 – Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey. County Louth, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Bar de Halcyon, $11.

Colour: Straw yellow.

Nose: Leafy hay-like scents, a bit of sweetness too.

Palate: Earthy and peaty, without being as smokey as say some of your Islay peated whiskies. Oily mouthfeel, some soft honey flavours too.

Finish: Slightly sweet fade out, but it’s the peat that sits on the tongue for ages.

Comments: Apparently Ireland’s only peated malt, though I stand to be corrected on that point. Definitely a different beast to the Islay peat monsters, though there’s nothing here that really grabs me about the Connemara to make me want to have another.

Whisky #103: Greenore Single Grain 8 Year Old Irish Whiskey

June 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Greenore Single Grain 8 Year Old Irish Whiskey. County Louth, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Clarence’s, $13.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Grassy; maybe a faint feint of fresh leather.

Palate: Soft entry, a touch of spice. If I had to guess I would’ve said it’s a bourbon.

Finish: Very dry, quite brief, front of the palate. Almost a bourbony kind of finish.

Comments: Inoffensive but nothing much to write home about I’m afraid.

Whisky #85 – Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

June 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. County Antrim, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. The Greenhouse, $12.

Colour: Pale honey.

Nose: Grassy, herby scents.

Palate: Oily mouthfeel, clean fresh organic taste. Kind of like someone has turned down the bass on your palate and only left the treble & midrange tastebuds.

Finish: Quite short, towards the tip of the tongue.

Comments: A real cattle mustering whisky, the kind where you’re chewing on a long strand of glass as you ride your horse and take the occasional swig of whisky. Haven’t done this myself I should add…

A middle of the road, inoffensive whisky. The fresh quite light mouthfeel makes it a whisky you could enjoy in quite warm weather. If I had my time again though, I’d have the Bushmills 10 year old before the Limeburners M67 that I tasted just a moment ago. The Bushmills 10 is an easy to drink whisky, though there’s not enough depth here to entice me back for more.

Whisky #52: Writers Tears Pot Still Irish Whiskey

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Writers Tears Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $13.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Really soft honey scents, maybe a touch of hay

Palate: Fuller flavour, hints of sweetness with some malty spice. Hard to describe some of the other more subtle flavours.

Finish: Business up front with a medium finish at the front of the mouth; party out back with warmth & flavour hanging around.

Comments: Much more full flavoured than other Irish malts I’ve had, more like a highland malt. Apparently it was called “Writers Tears” because it was traditionally consumed by Irish writers suffering from writer’s block. After drinking so much of it, some reportedly cried tears of whiskey when inspiration finally hit. Maybe I should drink another one in the hope that I will tearfully come up with something a little more witty to say! Anyway, it’s a vatting of pure pot still and single malt whiskies. Quite enjoyable.

Whisky #43: Bushmills Black Bush Blended Irish Whiskey

March 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Bushmills Black Bush Blended Irish Whiskey. County Antrim, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Durty Nelly’s, $10

Colour: Rich Amber. The madam of the knock shop.

Nose: Oaky sweetness, smells a bit like a sherry matured drop.

Palate: Soft entry, minimal heat.

Finish: Short finish, quite dry.

Comments: As a blend, it’s obviously quite smooth. But with some time in the glass it seems to develop slightly fuller flavours, all the better for it. I hadn’t come across a sherry-matured blend before, but I would definitely give it another burl ahead of other blends, quite decent.