Irish Whisky

[Frodo]

It's funny, because I often think that Bushmills has a pure pot still flavour, even though it's malt. Auchentoshan, the triple-distilled scotch whisky, does not have this.

I agree 100% with this statement! The first time I ever had Auchantoshan 10yr I thought "is this Irish"? After having the Auchantoshan 10yr HTH with Bushmills 10yr there is a distinct differance IMHO.

And I agree that Bushmills has some of that metallic "pot-still" character even though Bushmills doesn't make Pot-Still whisky by it's traditional definition.

[T47]

I went to the Liquor Store to buy some Bourbon and was a little distressed to see that they did not have a very exciting selection. They did have a bottle I have never seen here before...the Bernheim Wheat...I must admit I was tempted...but choose the Tullamore Dew 12 instead. If I go back in a few weeks and the Bernheim is still there then I will probably pick it up just to see what all the fuss is about. I do look forward to the Tullamore 12; I will have to try it side by side with the regular Tullamore.

[Frodo]

I do look forward to the Tullamore 12; I will have to try it side by side with the regular Tullamore.

I've heard that the 12 is very different (read - better) than the Tullamore NAS. Have tried the 'Heritage' and was really impressed! Haven't tried the 12 unfortunatly...

[IrishWiskyChaser]

Hi All, My first post, hope you don't mind me jumping in here. I have read through the whole thread and I was delighted that they’re plenty favorable comments in regards to Irish Whiskey. As an Irish person I love my Irish Whiskey but also very much enjoy Scotch and Bourbon. However I did notice some saying that this was a younger that etc and the fact that Midleton & Cooley produces so many different brands like say Buffalo Trace.

I think it may have been touched upon by one or 2 posters previously but the Distilling & Maturation process in Midleton is very complex and I'll try to give as brief explanation of Irish Pot Still Whiskey as I can while touching on other factors of Irish Whiskey. I'll try not to bore you all.

Irish Pure Pot Still Whiskey (a distillation from a single mash of Malted & unmalted Barley)

Even though Pot Still is considered the Typical Irish Whiskey it was always only one part of the Irish Distilling Heritage of old. What people may not realise is that various types of whiskey were always produced in Ireland until the early 1900's but it all went wrong with the advent of Irish Free State, World War 1, Prohibition, excessive Taxation and unscrupulous profiteering by both Irish & Scottish whisky traders.

We actually did have a good rep for Single Malt (Peated & Unpeated) and Blends but the Potstill make was the one that grabbed and dominated the whiskey world during the most part of the 19th century. It is hard to believe that Ireland dominated the whiskey trade then as Scotch does now by virtually the same percentages

Anyway back to Potstill. Redbreast & Greenspot are totally different beasts as was the Jameson 15yo Pure Pot Still (and this goes for most of the other brands).

The make up of most of the whiskies is very different. Not only are the blend ratios different but the ratio of ingredients are different for all the different usages of Pure Pot Still and the maturation is different.

Well apologies for the long winded reply

Redbreast uses a decent amount of sherry matured Pure Potstill however the potstill & grain whiskey used in Powers is matured solely in Bourbon barrels and the same for Midleton (+bourbon matured single malt) but the potstill would more than lightly have a different mash ratio of Malt & Unmalted barley to the powers also different cuts are taken which throws in another dimension. All very complex and confusing for all involved I'd imagine. So even though all these will use different aged whiskies it is not true to consider Greenspot a younger Redbreast.

Redbreast 12yo compared to Greenspot (circa 8yo) has a totally different character and one could not say these have the same Distillery trait (Well that's what I think anyway). But yes you still know your drinking a potstill which is a different type of character. To me it's like differentiating between a Laphroaig and a Lagavulin OB. Maybe my heart is too close to it and I'm splitting hairs but to me there are totally different.

[IrishWiskyChaser]

In relation to my Likes.....

I think to really appreciate Irish Whiskey you have to take one step up from regular NAS blends.

Bushmills

Bushmills White has too much sweet grain whiskey for me. Blackbush is a great value high malt content blend. However I'm not overly keen on the Single Malt 10yo or 16yo however some of the cask strength & single casks are just wonderful if you can get your hands on them. A cask strength Sherry cask can easily match a Macallan if you ask me.

Pick of the bunch for taste and Value Blackbush

Money no object go for a limited edition cask strength Sherry or bourbon barrel.

Jameson

I also actually think Jameson NAS is over rated like some. Powers is the best of the NAS Irish blends and paddy is again too grain sweet for me. Jameson 12yo is a great value Potstill blend with great balanced sherry. Jameson Gold is another hard to get Jameson but is due for general release soon. This is an interesting Jameson and comes across drier and woodier that any other offering that Midleton has on offer. Well worth a try for a different slant on Jameson but has the general traits of the 12 & 18yo. The Jameson 18yo is a great dram too and on the line of the 12yo just more refined but for 100Euro here in Ireland compared to 35Euro for the 12yo I do not think it is worth it. Midleton VR is a superb blend(no sherry) and is so smooth sweet that you could drink it all night but again for 120Euro not worth what you get for your money.

Pure Potstill

Redbreast 12 is a fantstic Pure Potstill with a nice balance of Sherry but the 15yo is sublime in my opnion and is richer, oilier with more lush sherry. The Greenspot is also wonderful but very different and eventhough there is sherry evident there is a slightly coppery/minty zing at the end. It is a mood thing with me to choose between Redbreast 12yo & Greenspot. Jameson Limited/Millennium 15yo Oure Pot Still is a bit too expensive & rare to have as an everyday dram. It is totally different from any of the above and as said earlier has an olded style feel to it with more understated floral taste to it.

I love them all but if you really dig the Pot Still Charachter and like Sherry the :bowdown: Redbreast 15yo for me is tops .

Cooley

Again none of the bog standard NAS blends really stand out to me but fine for bar occasions. Tyrconnel Single malt is not bad with Cooley's trade mark pears and some apple making an obvious appearence but still a bit light for me.

Locks 8yo is a good lightly peated single malt version of Tyrconnell but the Connemara is great either the single malt NAS, 12yo or Cask strength are all well worth a try, whicj one will depend on you budget . Ot's a smooth sweet Irish with plenty of Peat and smoke but no way as big as Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin or Coal Ila from Islay. If you want something to match those try for a Cadenhead 13yo or 14yo Cooley if you can get your hands on one that is :hot: and at circa 60% an animal:70358-devil: but brilliant.

There are plenty more hanging around but hopefully these are a few highlights

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Interesting to hear your views! Mine differ insofar as that I thought the Jameson 15yo/Millenium was quite similar to the Redbreast 12yo. In fact, I have to admit having severe difficulties separating them on the basis of the nose, alone. On the palate, the Millenium distinguished itself with displaying far more mature oak in a pleasant manner.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I have to state clearly that I dig the Redbreast 15yo, as well. But maybe, just maybe, it had too much of that "in your face"-feeling to qualify as true Irish, in my view. The Millenium felt more like a logical extension to the RB 12yo.

[IrishWiskyChaser]

That is the great thing about WHisk(e)y we all can get different things from them. I only opened the Jameson 15yo lately and really should do a comparison tasting with all the others. The only one I have not open is the Redbreast 12yo but have a bottle on hand. I've been meaning to do so but just have not got round to it yet. Will post my results once the feat is completed :cool:

[Hedmans Brorsa]

That is the great thing about WHisk(e)y we all can get different things from them.

Absolutely! And in all fairness, the Millenium was probably a pretty small batch affair which means the profile can easily change from bottle to bottle.

I still have an unopened bottle which I managed to lay my hands on last year, relatively cheaply. So far I haven´t been able to crack it open, knowing damn well that it will probably be the last one I open, unless I want to shell out a fortune for it.

[Father&Son]

Picked up a bottle of the Powers Gold Label last night. Found it very pleasant with good depth of flavor and none of the "wateriness" I dislike in similarly proofed bourbon. We've decided to make Red Breast a purchase in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Question: Remarks on this thread discuss the high proportion of pot-still character in the Powers. The finish of this whisky, while smooth, leaves me with a strong impression of GNS or vodka. Is that the "pot-still flavor" people are referring to, or is it the presence of the GNS mentioned as a component of this blend that I'm detecting?

[Gillman]

What you are getting is the 20% grain whisky component, in my view. There is no grain neutral spirit in Powers as far as I know. The grain whisky lightens and "displays" the pure pot still element.

Personally, I like that finish, I think it lends style and panache to the pot still. On its own, pot still a la Irish can be a bit formidable unless the barrel or batch is perfectly pitched, which happens only rarely.

Gary

[Father&Son]

So should I expect more or less of that finish in the Red Breast? I have read that Red Breast is 100% pot-still; presumably that means less of the grain whiskey finish I'm detecting in the Powers?

[Gillman]

That is right. Redbreast is 100% pure pot still. It has a rich, typically Irish "linseed oil" (saddlery, waxy) character with a marked sherry cask influence. Not my cup of tea, but reputed by many experts and enthusiasts.

Gary

[Hedmans Brorsa]

; presumably that means less of the grain whiskey finish

It should mean no grain whiskey finish. In theory, at least.

I have the fullest respect for Gary´s tastebuds, but for some reason he doesn´t fancy Redbreast. It is my favourite Irish whiskey, though.

Although it has to be said that the experiences I´ve had with Green Spot (a younger pot still from the same distillery) makes me curious as to what a less sherry-influenced 12yo would taste like.

[Gillman]

Lennert, thanks for your remarks. I find pure pot still one of the most challenging styles of traditional whiskey due to its marked waxy character. All the pure pot stills have it to a greater or lesser degree. I like it when the influence is only moderate, which I find in Green Spot, for example (or Powers) and counterpointed (but not too much) by other flavours.

As was mentioned recently by a new member of SB, Green Spot is not simply a younger version of Redbreast. They are formulated differently. I prefer the Green Spot formulation which attains a minty, "Juicy Fruit" character (this is a spearmint-flavoured chewing gum in North America). However I have been disenchanted with Green Spot in recent years because I find it too mature. I like it at about 8 years or perhaps less (whatever it was bottled at 5 years ago and more). Too much aging layers excessive wood over those flavours of mint and menthol.

But Redbreast is a different story. It is noticeably oily in texture and flavour - this is I believe a traditional Irish taste since the non-NAS Jamesons all have it, even single malt Bushmills has it to a degree! Sherry helps (which is why it is aged or finished in sherry barrels) but it doesn't cover over the taste completely.

I like Powers though which has some of that taste, but in a moderate way, and helped in this regard by its admixture of grain whisky.

Gary

[Father&Son]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think we'll give the Red Breast a try rather than Black Bush or Jameson's 12 y/o. Black Bush and Jameson's 12 are both approximately the same price, and Red Breast sounds like it may give us the clearest expression of the pure pot still so we'll know if we like it. Thanks again. I'll post again after St. Patty's day!

[ILLfarmboy]

....

But Redbreast is a different story. It is noticeably oily in texture and flavour - this is I believe a traditional Irish taste since the non-NAS Jamesons all have it, even single malt Bushmills has it to a degree! Sherry helps (which is why it is aged or finished in sherry barrels) but it doesn't cover over the taste completely.

I like Powers though which has some of that taste, but in a moderate way, and helped in this regard by its admixture of grain whisky.

Gary

I love Redbreast. It has such a rich flavor and mouth-feel especially for an 80 proof whiskey. Knowing it was aged in ex-sherry casks, and thinking that was largely what I was responding to, I bought a bottle of cask strength Mcallan (a sherry monster). I disliked it intensely to say the least. I dumped it out. I guess it's that pot-still character I can't get enough of. I have to wonder why anyone would want to cover over that taste. Different strokes for different folks.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have been putting off buying the Redbreast 12 for a long time. But with St. Patrick's Day coming up I think I will have to go get a bottle.

Ed

[TBoner]

While I've sampled many SMSW, I've only dabbled in Irish whiskey - Jameson's NAS and Jameson's 18 have been favorites; I thought the 12 was okay. I have tried a few Bushmills, and the only one I remember any opinion on is the 16, which I enjoyed.

But tonight, with a pipe full of Virginia tobacco, I'm enjoying my first ever Red Breast.

I'm in love.

This has the best mouthfeel of any 80-proofer I've had, plus some really unique and terrific fruit notes. I'll post better tasting notes some other time, but overall, I think this is terrific. Looks like a bottle will be coming home with me on my next non-dusty whiskey-buying trip.

[ILLfarmboy]

...This has the best mouthfeel of any 80-proofer I've had, plus some really unique and terrific fruit notes. I'll post better tasting notes some other time, but overall, I think this is terrific. Looks like a bottle will be coming home with me on my next non-dusty whiskey-buying trip.

I've remarked before how Redbreast reminds me of orange Lifesaver Cream Savers.

I once mixed Redbreast With Welches sparkling white grape juice (the kind made to imitate champaign. I gotta say if real champaign tasted like that did I would actually drink the stuff.

[TBoner]

I remember reading that now.

It's interesting, because besides apples, I detected orange in the whiskey as well. But it was so distinct from the orange I get in a bourbon that I shrugged it off.

You nailed it. It's not the deep, rich character of orange peel that comes through in rye-heavy bourbon. It's more subtle and the slightly creamy mouthfeel contributes to the creme savers impression. Good call on that.

[Powertrip]

On 1/30/2007 at 6:25 AM, Gillman said:

Hi Joe and by the way, congratulations on the new birth!

This is a Bushmills Single Cask "Specially Selected For Canada". Distilled 1989. Actually, I see now that the label does not state the bottling date but there was a leaflet that came with it, which I no longer have, that I thought stated the whiskey was 16 years old...

Gary

Gary thought I’d mention that I think I saw a dusty bottle of this on the shelves today. Is this the one?

 

Keith

[Gillman]

Hi, yes, I think so in terms of origins (same stocks laid down) but this one seems five years further aged, in other words.

 

Gary

[Powertrip]

14 hours ago, Gillman said:

Hi, yes, I think so in terms of origins (same stocks laid down) but this one seems five years further aged, in other words.

 

Gary

Hmm, interesting!

 

Well I appreciate the response to this very old thread!

When I searched the internet for any info on the bottle, this straightbourbon thread was one of the only things that came up!

 

Keith