Any fans of Irish whiskey?

[Ghoste]

Knappogue Castle? Bushmill's Single Malt? Man, y'all are getting a fine selection of whiskies there. I've been surprised a few times since the beginning of this thread at how much is available besides the usual Jamesons and Bushmill's white label.

[dougdog]

Timothy,

My current Millenium edition is from 1975 as well....bottle 32/100 from a "private cask" bottling for "Jackson's Wines and Spirits" in Moraga California. It was given to me on 3-3-05 for my birthday...but that is a long way off from my birthday...so don't know how accurate that information is. Anyway, there is not much information on the bottle for age statement or bottling dates. It is unchillfiltered but watered down to 43%. I haven't opened this bottle to taste it yet.

dougdog

[AVB]

From what I know the Millenium editions were made on spec for different stores and bars. My two came from Hi-Time Wine and they apparently ordered 66 bottles since I have #48 & 49 of 66. Others I've seen are X of 75 and X of 72 at different places.

66-75 bottles is 13.5-15 gallons so maynbe half a cask was the minimum order?

Outta curiosity, I thought I read something about different Millenium editions. I have a bottle of it that came from Liquor Barn in Louisville distilled in 1975. I'm guessing bottled in 1999. Was there another or am I mistaken?

[barturtle]

Mine is cask 83 bottle 83/101.

At 25 years old a lot would have evaporated, but I'm not sure how fast it is in Ireland(it could be faster or slower than in Scotland, but would likely be slower than KY). Also who says they use U.S. standard cask sizes(likely but not a given).

I haven't opened mine, '75 was my birth year and figure I should open it for a significant year(I was thirty this year and chose not to open for that, so it'll be a while)

[AVB]

Buy that birth year booze up now while you are fairly young cause it start geting REAL expensive once you get past 30.

[brockagh]

Outta curiosity, I thought I read something about different Millenium editions. I have a bottle of it that came from Liquor Barn in Louisville distilled in 1975. I'm guessing bottled in 1999. Was there another or am I mistaken?

Happy New Year...

There was a lot of the 1975 Milennium made. It was offered to people at IR£5,000 per barrel at the time, I believe. Also, as far as I know, only one barrel of the 1975 was bottled at cask strength, which (after 24 years) was about 49% abv.

There is also a cask strength 1982 - much rarer than the 1975. These were bottled around 57% abv.

And finally, there's a 12 yr old Millennium, which is packaged quite like the Bushmills 1608.

If anyone can get their hands on the Powers 12, I recommend you get it. It's wonderful.

[JeffRenner]

Power's Gold Label ... I don't know how much (if any) pot-still goes into the blend

I'm sure that there is still some pot-still - that's what makes it a blend. Jim Murray wrote in his 1997 Classic Irish Whiskey that it contained an "astonishing" 70% pot still, of which an unusually high 60% was unmalted barley. He called it "a monster of a whiskey of which the nose and tastebuds can never tire," and a classic.

Power's has been my standard Irish pour, but the last couple of years I've been disappointed, as I thought the quality had slid, and I didn't replace my last bottle. As I drink more boubon and less of other whiskeys, I've just kept a bottle of Jameson 12 yo that I also had. Of course, it's nearly double the price of the Power's.

Jeff

[brockagh]

I have different Powers from over the last 30 or so years, and it has changed markedly over that period. In the 2006 Whisky Bible, Murray says it's back to its best. I think they're using more pot still again... The Powers 12 is my favorite whiskey at the moment.

[dougdog]

Jeff,

This is an interesting thread about Irish whiskies in general. I've learned a lot here.

Powers seems to get good reviews of older versions and certain newer/specific versions and I have not tasted any of them to date. I have a couple bottles in the bunker and they remain unopened. There is one in particular that might be of some small interest, I'll gather a picture and post here again.

I'm meeting with a couple of guys on Thursday 1-5-6, to review Canadian and Irish whiskies...we might even slip in a Bourbon or two, but Canadian and Irish will be the main thrust. My general Irish tasting background so far has been pretty much Bushmills products, the other being Knappogue Castle, Have I missed it or is there not much posted here regarding KC?

I've gained interest in the Powers and Jameson lines of whiskies since reading here...we'll see what unfolds in the next few days.

Dougdog

[TNbourbon]

Is Knappogue Castle a find? I carried a bottle of it and Clontarf Reserve (the older blend, not single-barrel) to the Festival in September and found so little interest they came back home unopened. I eventually carried them back to the store and returned them in exchange for some bourbon (naturally!). I've seen it, though, in a couple of places recently.