Must Try

Two Stacks The First Cut
Signature Blend Irish Whiskey

43% ABV
$38 (700 mL) / $5 ($100 mL ‘Dram in a Can’)
Website

We would like to thank Two Stacks Whiskey and Raptor Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Two Stacks Irish Whiskey Expands U.S. Distribution Ahead of St. Patrick’s Day Through Foley Family Wines & Spirits Partnership

Flagship Two Stacks The First Cut Signature Blend Irish Whiskey Now Available Nationwide through Foley Distribution Network, Including Innovative “Dram in A Can”

SANTA ROSA, CA (February 3, 2025) – In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Two Stacks, one of only three recognized whiskey bonders in Ireland, is expanding the U.S. distribution of its flagship product – Two Stacks The First Cut Signature Blend Irish Whiskey – through its new import agency partnership with Foley Family Wines & Spirits. Both the 700 ml bottle of The First Cut and the unique 100 ml Dram in A Can are now available in 19+ U.S. markets, including NY, MA, FL, MN, and and are expected to achieve national distribution by the end of the year.

As more discerning Irish Whiskey drinkers reach for bottles during St. Patrick’s Day and other celebratory occasions that combine authenticity and tradition with quality and innovation, Two Stacks Irish Whiskey blends these attributes. Two Stacks The First Cut Signature Blend is the marriage of five whiskeys from some of Ireland’s most lauded distilleries making it a clear demonstration of the time-honored craft of bonding and blending. With two Single Grain Whiskeys providing the foundation, a Pot Still Whiskey (an Ireland-only geographic indicated spirit) lends layers of green apple and spice; a Double-Distilled Malt Whiskey adds body, rich mouthfeel and rounded fruity esters; and a Peated Malt Whiskey adds a hint of smoke.

Two Stacks’ signature five-part blend showcases transparency at its core, proudly highlighting the distilleries that contribute to its unique character. While this blend hails from Great Northern Distillery, Two Stacks collaborates with more than 17 distilleries across the island of Ireland, including Killowen, Boann, Adara, Dingle and Echlinville Distillery. Every label details the exact blend composition and the origins of the distillates, ensuring customers know exactly what is in their whiskey. This blend comprises 40% Single Grain Whiskey (aged in former Kentucky Bourbon casks), 40% Single Grain Whiskey (aged in virgin American Oak casks), 8% Pot Still Whiskey (aged in Oloroso Sherry casks), 10% Double-Distilled Malt Whiskey (aged in former Kentucky Bourbon casks), and 2% Peated Malt Whiskey (aged in former Kentucky Bourbon casks). Blended and bottled/canned at 86 Proof, it exemplifies both craftsmanship and full product transparency.

“Two Stacks The First Cut Signature Blend features Peated Malt Whiskey,” noted Two Stacks Co-Founder Shane McCarthy. “Peat is typically associated with Scotch, but, in fact, has a rich legacy in Irish whiskey history. As recently as the early 1800’s, historians noted an abundance of ‘smoky’ Irish whiskeys, primarily from northwest Ireland, where peat was an abundant fuel source.”

While only two percent of the final blend, the 4+ year old Peated Malt Whiskey adds more than a very light smoke. It delivers a layer of flavor complexity not found in other Irish whiskeys, as it contributes to an exceptionally long finish and a defined, robust character. According to the founders, The First Cut Signature Blend brings melted butter, peach, and a hint of black tea and brown sugar on the nose; seeded bread, a hint of toasty oak, butterscotch and blackberry greet the palate; followed by a long finish, with plenty of honeyed warmth.

Before the 1930s, there were hundreds of recognized whiskey bonders in Ireland – now there are just three, including Two Stacks. A whiskey bonder has the unique ability to take whiskeys from different distilleries, employ further aging if desired, and create truly differentiating whiskeys versus a single distillery laying down continuous distillate of a similar profile.

Two Stacks was founded in 2020 by three friends, Shane McCarthy, Liam Brogan and Donal McLynn, whose friendship began over 15 years ago, rooted in a shared love of Irish hospitality and a deep passion for Irish history & culture. Their singular goal of changing the narrative on Irish Whiskey would be achieved by reaching into Ireland’s deep whiskey roots and putting real people back into the fine art of Irish Whiskey making to create complex, sophisticated blends capable of challenging any Whiskey in the world.

In addition to a 700 ml sustainable bottle made from 100% recycled glass ($37.99 MSRP), The First Cut Signature Blend is also available in a ground-breaking 100 ml Dram in a Can ($4.99 MSRP). Both products may also be purchased online https://twostackswhiskey.com/. The recyclable aluminum can provides added convenience for those wanting to enjoy a high-quality whiskey on the go. With the new embossed bottles, Two Stacks is one of the first brands using 80% recycled glass, along with all-natural cork and recycled plastic seals.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Heather, vanilla, peaches, apples, cereal with a hint of peat.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, fruity with peaches and sweet lemon custard, toffee, vanilla and a bit of spice.
Finish:  Moderately long and syrupy with fading fruit notes and vanilla.
Comments:  This as a really lovely, thick mouthfeel for a 43% dram!  The non-chill filtration really stands out, and they need to CALL THAT OUT (they don’t mention this on the web-site or in the press release; it does state on the bottle that this is non-chill filtered and in the glass that’s evident – and a differentiator!) Solid Irish whiskey, especially at this price point.  Sure, I’d love to see this at a higher ABV but if it isn’t cask strength that’s often the case. The ‘Dram in a Can’ didn’t taste different – I tried them both side by side and while not EXACTLY the same, they were incredibly similar.  Definitely no ‘off’ flavors from the canned dram, which I wondered about. Personally I’d just buy a bottle and use a flask for ‘on-the-go’ pours, but to each their own.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try