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
Parker’s Heritage Collection Sixth Edition: Master Distiller’s Blend of Mashbills Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 65.8% ABV $85-$90 What the Distillery Says: Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the country’s largest independent family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer, announces the September release of the sixth edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection, a limited annual series of rare, aged American Whiskeys that pays tribute to 6th Generation Master Distiller Parker Beam. The 2012 release will feature select barrels of 11 year old Heaven Hill rye-based Bourbons, used for such renown brands as Elijah Craig and Evan Williams, mingled with select barrels of the wheated mashbill Heaven Hill uses for the Old Fitzgerald line, also aged for 11 years. Bottled at cask strength, this bottling, much like the highly acclaimed “Golden Anniversary” bottling of 2009, showcases not only the individual whiskeys, but also the skill of the Master Distiller in selecting and marrying them together in the right proportions.
The rye-based Bourbon was pulled from the 4th floor of Rickhouse “R” in Bardstown, while the wheated Bourbon aged on the topmost 7th floor of nearby Rickhouse “T”. Like previous Parker’s Heritage Collection releases, the “Master Distiller’s Blend of Mashbills” will not be chill-filtered as is the custom for many Bourbon brands, thereby helping to maintain the natural esters and compounds which provide a rich texture and mouthfeel. The release will comprise of 3 “dumps”, with each having a slightly different barrel proof. The first dump will carry a proof of 131.6, or 65.8% alcohol by volume.
This year’s release of Parker’s Heritage Collection promises to be a worthy successor to the previous five releases, which, having won multiple awards from Whisky Advocate Magazine (formerly Malt Advocate Magazine), Whisky Magazine and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, stand as some of the most critically lauded American Whiskeys in recent memory.Past bottlings have won awards ranging from “Best North American Whiskey” to “American Whiskey of the Year” to “Best of Show, Brown Spirits.”
“It is always an enjoyable challenge to plan out the annual releases of the Parker’s Heritage Collection, and this year’s was no different” noted Heaven Hill’s Parker Beam. “We’ve always traditionally used a rye-based Bourbon mashbill, but we’ve been making wheated Bourbon for over a decade now, and the way they blend with each other has always intrigued me. We’re very pleased with the taste and finish of this year’s edition, and releasing it at barrel proof allows consumers to have some say in how it presents itself. ”
The 2012 Parker’s Heritage Collection Master Distiller’s Blend of Mashbills is a very limited release, as all of the previous five have been. Only about 7,500 bottles are available for national distribution and limited international sales, and as always, once these are shipped from Bardstown, no more will be made available. What Richard Says: Nose: Shortbread cookies, honey glazed ham, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Palate: Caramel crisps, cinnamon, and a sweetness that starts off very subtly and stays mild. Not overpowering at all. Finish: White pepper, mint, and very light hints of oak. The finish turns dry, a little chalky, and lingers. Comments: When is one of the majors going to make a production four grain? Both Woodford Reserve and Heaven Hill show that four grains can really be something special. Woodford had a great recipe and Parker Beam has great skill as a blender. This is a great bourbon you should experience if you get the chance. Rating: Must Try
SMWSA Cask No. 25.63 Lowlands, Central Lowlands 59.8% ABV Distilled November 1990 $145 US Allocation: 108 bottles Holiday 2012 Outturn Release
What the SMWSA Says: The nose suggested fermenting beer – still life on the lid of a washback – green apples, a pear, a peach, some lemon puffs, a stone bowl containing sweet pipe tobacco and a bunch of fresh spring flowers. Pears again on the palate (riper now), also some fizzy fruit (sherbet lemons), more flowers (this time from high summer) and definite peppery spice (‘poire et poivre’). The second nosing had mild liquorice (sherbet dib-dabs) tobacco leaf and pear and nettle sorbet. The reduced palate gave light, pleasant flavours of bergamot and floral perfumes; a mild tingly finish. From Falkirk’s sadly now defunct distillery.
Drinking tip: Summer-time dram – perhaps to accompany tea in the garden.
What Richard Says: Nose: Green grass, orchards in bloom, and poached pears. Water at first makes it more vegetal and then reveals notes of apples and oranges. Palate: Really sweet like pear preserves my grandmother used to make. Not sure if it’s the whisky or the proof but that jelly is in a spicy peppery shell. Water mutes the pepper and spice but leave the palate herbal. Where did that wonderful pear jelly go? Finish: Nothing too remarkable but nothing offensive either. Comments: This is a pear lover’s dram. Lucky for me I’m a pear lover. The palate and nose are fantastice but water whisks them away all too quickly. Add water slowly and sparingly. Rating: Must Try
Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.
The Glenlivet French Oak Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years 40% ABV/80 Proof $45 Website What the Distillery Says: Selective maturation in new French Oak casks made from Limousin Oak creates a characterful and unique expression of The Glenlivet. The rich, spicy notes from French Oak interplay with the fruit and floral notes of The Glenlivet. A delicious whisky to savour.
COLOUR Deep gold, with intense late afternoon summer sunshine shades.
NOSE Creamy and rich. Resinous fragrances swirl up before melting into a citrus fruit salad bowl. Orange peel and candied grapefruit aromas. Then, the bouquet opens on buttery notes. Shortbread, almond brandy snaps, vanilla toffee, fudge sauce. A dry spicy echo with a touch of liquorice resonates in the back.
PALATE Round, sweet, incredibly smooth and velvety. Wood is entirely integrated but present all the way, sweetly enveloping fruity and nutty flavours in an oaky shell. Luscious chocolate fudge lingers on.
FINISH Lingering with traces of toasted hazelnuts and lightly smoked almonds.
What Richard Says: Nose: This one is kind of like a vanilla stone fruit parfait. Apricots, peaches, and cream jump out on first whiff. I also get a lot of the oak the dram is named for. Palate: Fruity (mostly apple), malty, vanilla, and oak. This is a sinfully drinkable dram. Finish: Initially creamy and then it leave a tannic bitter note accompanying the oak and spice. The finish is my least favorite aspect of this dram but I mitigate that by drinking more of it. 😉 Comments: This is a regular in my home whisky bar. It’s a staple of my table whiskies. I don’t like it as much as the old 12 Year Old French Oak Finish it replaced but it is a very enjoyable sub-$50 15 year old. Rating: Must Try
