Vintage 17 Years Old Bourbon Whiskey 47% ABV $60 Website What the Distillery Says: Our Vintage Bourbon is selected from the very rarest lot of barrels. Each Barrel is hand-picked and chosen according to our strictest criteria for taste, aroma, and bouquet. The extra years that we allow these barrels to age imparts flavor and taste characteristics not found among other bourbons. Unfortunately the many extra years of barrel aging also limits the quantities from each barrel to only a few precious bottles. Please enjoy this rare Vintage Bourbon in moderation. Best savored by sippin’ neat, of course.
What Richard Says: Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, and rum cake. Palate: Creme brulee, cinnamon, and toasted oak. Finish: Dry wood, leather, aged tobacco, and chalky mint. Comments: This is a lovely aged bourbon. Given the skyrocketing prices for aged bourbon this is almost a steal at $60. Rating: Stands Out
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 46% ABV $250 Website What the Distillery Says: This whiskey represents Barry Crockett’s personal selection of fine and elegant whiskeys which have been distilled and laid down over the past 24 years.
The appellation Midleton is only bestowed on the finest distillates originating from this wonderfully divers distillery complex. The rare and exclusive bottlings carrying the Midleton name are much sought after and have become the coveted possessions of whiskey enthusiasts the world over.
Nose: Elegant aroma of vanilla and toasted oak complimented by a touch of lime, succulent green berries, pears and green sweet pepper
Taste: Light pepper carries on to fresh citrus, limes and mandarin orange sweetness. A hint of cinnamon with vanilla and oak reveals its years spent in American oak.
Finish: The full spectrum of flavours last well into the finish, slowly fading to expose the clean American oak foundation.
What Richard Says: Nose: Regardless of the iteration there is that distinctive Midleton/Irish Distillers pot still character on the nose. Fresh cut grass, orange blossoms, and lemon zest. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, fine oak, with hints of the citrus from the nose. This is rich thick and creamy. Mouth coating and delicious. Finish: Lightly peppered and woody. Not over oaked, just a long slow wooded finish. Comments: Damn amazing! If you’re going to spend $250+ on a bottle of Irish I’d go this way over the Jameson Rarest Vintage by a hair. The dram just grabs you and encapsulates you. Truely stunning. A benchmark in aged single pot still Irish. Rating: Must Try
Powers Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey John’s Lane Release 46% ABV $65 to $75 Website What the Distillery Says: This expression celebrates the origin of the Powers whiskey tradition and provides a glimpse of the whiskey style that made Powers famous. Using a pot still distillate which is true to the original style of John’s Lane, the whiskey has been matured for not less than 12 years, mainly in first fill American bourbon casks, with a small contribution of distillate which has been matured in Oloroso sherry butts.
The result is a Single Pot Still whiskey of outstanding flavour and complexity which provides a fitting tribute to the spiritual home of one of Ireland’s most loved whiskeys.
TASTING NOTES Nose An abundance of earthy aromas, leather, tobacco with layers of charred wood, dark chocolate and treacle toffee. Taste Full bodied spice front followed by vanilla, honey and dried apricot. Finish Lingering honey sweetness on toasted oak.
What Richard Says: Nose: Warm and inviting. Brown butter sauce and nutty. Palate: Spicier than a normal Irish dram. Oily and lightly woody. A little orchard fruit but the pepper spiciness overwhelms the other elements. Finish: Long, dry, and spicy. Comments: An Irish Mr. Universe? Big, brawny, and ready to kick some ass. Rating: Must Try
Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 40% ABV $60 to $70 Website What the Distillery Says: Produced exclusively for Mitchell & Son. This Single Pot Still Whisky is unique to Ireland.
Nose: Fresh aromatic oils and spices with orchard fruits and barley on a background of toasted wood.
Taste: Full spicy body. A hint of cloves along with the fruity sweetness of green apples, rounded off with toasted oak.
Finish: Lingering flavours of spices and barley.
What Richard Says: Nose: Peaches, oranges, fresh cut hardwoods, and grainy cereal notes. Palate: Woody, lightly spiced, and under ripe fruits. Finish: Wisps of pepper and cereal grains with minty notes. Very light and hardly there. Comments: Redbreast’s little brother. I had a bottle of Green Spot years ago when it and Redbreast were really the only two left in the single pot still game. I didn’t think too much of it then and not much has changed. It’s a fine whiskey but Redbreast still overshadows the poor dram. Rating: Stands out
Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve Irish Whiskey 46% ABV $250 to $300 Website What the Distillery Says: A triumph of the collaboration between the Jameson Masters, our hand crafted Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve is a true masterpiece. The advanced aged whiskeys in this magnificent reserve are brought together with pot still whiskey that has been matured in hand-picked second fill bourbon casks to create a mellow sweetness in specially commissioned port pipes. The result? Gloriously rich fruit character with an unmistakable barley finish. But don’t take our word for it: this rare blend was voted the world’s best Irish Blended Whiskey at the 2009 World Whiskies Awards.
Tasting Characteristics
Nose: A real full-bodied aroma. Initially sweet with ripe fruit notes of melon, bananas and dark fleshy plums. The unmistakable pot still spicy character combines to give hints of treacle, cinnamon and liquorice.
Taste: A mouthful of flavours. Mellow sweetness and toasted wood are complemented by fruit richness characteristic of the port casks. A touch of creamy dairy fudge and dark chocolate add to the complexity.
Finish: A tantalizingly long finish which covers the spectrum from the sweetness of fruit, through the spices to the unmistakable note of barley, where it all began.
What Richard Says: Nose: Prunes, fried bananas, pepper, and cinnamon. Taste: Rich, oily, woody sweetness, dark chocolate, and vanilla. Finish: The port really shows on the finish. Long, subtle, and cereal notes. Comments: I sat down with this and the 2009 Midleton’s (yes I’m that kind of whiskey geek) and comparatively this is much more rich and luscious. Easily the best Irish blend I’ve every tasted. This is well balanced with layers of flavor opening one after the other. If this is within your budget for any occasion I would suggest it without the slightest reservation. It’s pricing but you can taste damn near every dollar. Rating: Must Buy
