
May 4, 2017

More indie Irish

It’s an endless wave, there are always more of these bottlings, but we all know most are brilliant. But first, as usual, an apéritif. Let’s make it an official apéritif if you don’t mind… And then, to add some fun, we won’t take vintages, ages, or even strengths into account.

Redbreast ‘Lustau Edition’ (46%, OB, 2016)

Sadly, this is only a finishing. Swapping an age statement for a finishing, is that a good idea? Especially when we’ve still got the ueber-stunning 25 yo for LMdW in our minds… By the way, do we know about the kind of sherry they’ve been using? Oloroso, I wager. Colour: gold. Nose: I don’t know. Redbreast’s legendary bursting fruitiness is not quite there, there are rather nuts and some leather, plus a curious feeling of maraschino. Moistened marzipan (with kirsch). Some dry raisins too, cinnamon cake, walnut pie... Perhaps a wee tad shy(ish) given that this is Redbreast. Mouth: much more Redbreasty on the palate. Blood oranges aplenty and some honeyed cider, zests, and sultanas. Touches of peppermint. Finish: medium, fruity. Arrack with a little mint. Some plain oak in the aftertaste (shavings). Comments: not a total fan, I think I do prefer the brighter and fresher ‘natural’ ones. But then of course, it’s very good. It’s Redbreast, after all. SGP:551 - 82 points.

So, randomly…

Irish Whiskey 14 yo 2002/2016 ‘Gathering’ (53%, Whiskybase, barrel, cask # 8889, 225 bottles)

No we shan’t play the guessing games. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: a lighter Speysider of some sorts, I’d say. Bunches of yellow fruits, bananas, pears, mirabelles, more white pears and peaches, and a drop of light maple syrup. Elementary, in a good way. With water: the pars did come to the front. Hello, pears. Mouth (neat): creamy, banana-y, with green spices and bags of fresh fruits. Blueberries and apple liqueur (manzana), williams pears, more peaches (or peach-flavoured cold tea), a touch of caraway. Elementary, in a good way. With water: I’ve known some young mad cuffs, I mean Macduffs… Finish: medium, very fruity. A fruit salad. Greengages and peaches in the front. Comments: does what it says on the tin, it gathers. SGP:641 - 85 points.

Ireland 1989/2017 (48.2%, Archives, barrel, cask #16223, 186 bottles)

Bottlings with fish that are never fishy. Yep we’re trying our best. Colour: gold. Nose: never was the balance between the fresh fruits and the bourbony vanilla so perfectly achieved. Honeys, bananas, custard, mangos, passion fruits, and distant whiffs of lilac in full bloom. Plus white pears and peaches, and drops of riesling. High-precision whiskey. Mouth: even more amazing than expected, as if they did not bottle the best casks first. Young Sauternes, rose jelly, passion fruits, pink bananas, mangos, quinces, rhubarb, kiwis, litchis… It’s got them all, really. Finish: sadly, yes. Bright and ueber-fruity. Perhaps a touch of sugar in the aftertaste? Loses one point, there. A little rum in the aftertaste. Comments: some pretty obscene all-fruit sherbet in your tasting glass. You just cannot resist. SGP:651 - 91 points.

Single Irish 26 yo 1990/2017 (49.3%, Maltbarn, bourbon, 114 bottles)

What a stunning label! They should make posters out of them. I’m sure the whiskey’s not bad either… Colour: straw. Nose: this one’s cakier, more rounded and polished, and perhaps a tad more honeyed. The fruits were preserved rather than fresh, and the end result is just as stunning. Cassata and panettone, as they say in Italy. Mouth: we’re really going towards rum, but there’s some herbalness in the back that’s absolutely stunning. Lime leaves, cherry stem tea, orange blossom, touches of green tobacco (I remember some Indonesian cigars…) but citrus fruits do come to the foreground, mandarins, clementines… Finish: quite long, and just marvellous. Stunning fruits, with a lovely resinous/sappy side. Douglas fir liqueur (just one tiny drop) and a drop of pineapple liqueur. Comments: totally insane and very hard to beat. Yet, we shall try… SGP:661 - 93 points.

Frankly, the good people behind these bottlings deserve the An Bonn Míleata Calmachta le hOnóir, which seems to be one of the most prestigious medals in Ireland (according to Wikipedia, ah-hem)…

Irish Single Malt ‘Extra Old’ (51.8%, Beacon Spirits, 2016)

What Extra Old or XO mean with whisky/whiskey, I don’t know. In cognac, that means 7 (seven) years old or more. Hope it’s more indeed. Colour: white wine. Nose: akin to Whiskybase’s Gathering, that is to say sweeter than the old ones, and less fruity. So more syrups and liqueurs than fresh fruits, but everything works perfectly well. And what’s more, there are fresh fruits as well. Bananas cooked in syrup. With water: syrup. Mouth (neat): tinned fruits aplenty, sugarcane syrup, and various liqueurs. A touch of coffee. With water: green bananas, pears, apples, all that cooked in syrup. Gets rather narrower. Finish: medium, on peelings and, perhaps plums. White sugar n the aftertaste. Comments: extremely good, but after the old ones, it’s struggling a bit. My bad. SGP:641 - 84 points.

Irish Single Malt 27 yo 1990/2017 (48.1%, The Whisky Agency, barrel) Angus has already tried this one, so just for the record… Colour: white wine. Nose: really, this is banana liqueur, ‘improved’ with sunflower honey and pineapples. Loads of pineapples. Mouth: more a sin than whisky. Full fruit mode, with perfect touches of dried herbs, and massive bananas and pineapples, plus a little coconut. Then pears and guavas. I wouldn’t say it’s the most complex old Irish from this vein ever, but of course it’s perfect whiskey. Finish: rather long, a tad more candied, and frankly tropical. The kind they would pour you on Kuta Beach, Bali. Comments: very very very very very very good, but the Maltbarn was even deeper in my opinion. As for the scores, I do agree with young Angus (not Angus Young, mind you). Some brilliant Irish. SGP:651 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Irish I've tasted so far

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback