I arrived in Ireland earlier this week to take part in "Whiskey Week" activities that culminate with the second annual Whisky Live Dublin show on Saturday. The whiskey -- and the news -- is already flowing.


In line with both current rumours and past public statements about the expected frequency of new Single Pot Still (SPS) bottlings, Irish Distillers Ltd. (IDL) and Mitchell & Son last night introduced -- re-introduced actually -- Yellow Spot. We had a chance to sample the newest addition to the SPS line and the sibling to the legendary Green Spot whiskey at a tasting at WJ Kavanagh's gastropub in northside Dublin.


Yellow Spot has three components each matured a full 12+ years in bourbon barrels, Spanish sherry butts and Spanish Malaga wine casks. (As David Havelin notes in his first-to-the-web Liquid Irish blog posting last night, IDL does not issue finished whiskeys, and this may be the first-ever use of Malagan casks at Midleton.) It is non-chill filtered and is bottled at 46% ABV.


That compares to Green Spot as a 40% ABV, no-age-statement mix of 7- to 10-year-old whiskeys aged in bourbon barrels and sherry butts (about a 3:1 combination). They are very much siblings in the sense that they are alike but distinctly different. A few of us tried them side by side and noted the clear differences between Green Spot's crisp barley-grain "flintiness" and the contribution of the Malagan cask to Yellow Spot's complexity and delightfully nimble finish. You will want to spend time with this dram.

For many years, Green Spot was the sole survivor of an entire line of "Spot" whiskeys issued by Mitchell & Son. There also were Yellow Spot, Blue Spot and Red Spot, with the names corresponding to a daub of paint applied to the casks to indicate the ages of the whiskeys inside. All but Green Spot disappeared by the 1960s as the Irish whiskey industry was doing all it could simply to survive.

Yellow Spot begins the re-birth of that broader line and honors the paint-spot heritage with it's labeling. Interestingly, it seems entirely appropriate that Malagan wine casks were used in its creation. World demand for Malaga and other sweet wines had dropped steadily in the 20th century until its production was nearly stopped entirely. But just as with Irish whiskey and SPS whiskeys in particular, there is a resurgence of interest in fine dessert wines. 



Here are the official tasting notes:

Nose: The initial freshly mown hay aroma is given substantial depth by the typical Pot Still spices. Red bell peppers, freshly ground nutmeg, a tincture of clove oil and a splash of green tea, balanced with the sweet soft nose of honey and peaches contributed by the Malaga wine casks seasoned in Andalucia. An exquisite sensory experience.

Taste: The mouth coating sensation to be expected from this Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is apparent from the first sip. Honey sweetness with Pot Still spices, slowly gives way to a spectrum of flavours, from the depth of freshly ground coffee, up through creamy milk chocolate to crème brûlée, picking up some red apples and toasted oak along the way.

Finish: Sophisticated and complex, the sweetness of the initial sip remains throughout, with a beautifully succulent mix of red grape and dry barley grains at the exit.

The pot still spice is very much there, along with a distinct yet subtle fruitiness that to me was evocative not just of red apple but red apple peel with both sweetness and a tannin-like dryness. The toasted oak was folded in there also. I'm looking forward to exploring it more soon.

I'm attending the week's activities both as a member of the Irish Whiskey Society here and the president and founder of the Irish Whiskey Society of America. A few members of the American chapter are here in Dublin also, some of whom I'm meeting for the first time.  More on that later.

Even though it's a very limited release I hope to offer Yellow Spot at a special members' tasting in America very soon. That will be a treat as there are no stated plans to offer any of the "Spots" in the U.S. market. It is priced at about $80 per bottle for those of you planning to snag some from Ireland.

Finally, a special thanks to Michael Foggarty, the proprietor of both Kavanagh's on Upper Dorset Street and it's acclaimed sibling, L. Mulligan on Stonybatter. Not only is the food outstanding, but Michael's tremendous selection of craft beers and whisk(e)ys is extraordinary. Michael too also was instrumental in the founding and early success of the Irish Whiskey Society. If you are in Dublin, both of his establishments are not only recommended but a must, really.

I have to confess to some ambivalence about St. Patrick's Day. Sure, I observe the day, usually by getting together with family and friends and enjoying a meal and a pint or dram or two (I do have a bottle or three of whiskey around the house...). And for someone with a prior career in PR and who's building awareness of Irish whiskey the day can be used to capitalize on media interest in all things Irish.

But there's something about the how the day is marked in America that just doesn't fit. The big one is getting locked-loaded-langered-plowed-blotto-wasted, etc., as a celebration of one's real or honorary Irish heritage.

I'm usually willing to have "one for the ditch" (it'll do ye no harm...) if it suits the time, place and company. But the last place that I want to be on Paddy's Day is at an Irish pub, most of them anyway. The popular perception that a day-long drunk is the way to mark your Irishness and Ireland's national holiday is, well, a vast load of shite.

In comparison, we don't don ascots and fancy hats and get plastered while swigging bourbon or mint juleps on Kentucky Derby Day. And we don't drink wine and eat cheese until we vomit on Bastille Day. Nor do we put on tartan and tam o'shanters and carry golf clubs while downing shots of scotch on St. Andrew's Day, the annual celebration of Scotland's patron saint on November 30. Any of those would look downright stupid and none of those would be promoted as a popular image. But Paddy's Day...

I indirectly battle that perception when I approach people about attending an Irish Whiskey Society of America tasting. There's a problem with using the words "Irish" and "whiskey" together. Many people react by saying "Oh wow, no thanks, I have to work tomorrow," as though the event is an excuse to get drunk. It's not until they actually come to one when they pleasantly discover that it's not even close to that. IWSA tastings tend to be an eyeopener to the whiskey for many people, sure, but also to the fun, the banter, the gentle slagging, the tidbits of history, heritage and culture, and the welcoming conviviality that is the truer legacy of generations of Irish emigration to America.

Ireland does have a long and tortuous relationship with alcohol. It stems from a lot of historical factors, including Ireland's poverty that persisted until the Celtic Tiger years. Generations have grown up in an all-or-nothing drinking culture where you either "took the pledge" and didn't touch the stuff or lived up to your heritage by showing how much you could drink. (Something like, "We're Irish so we're supposed to be able to drink more than everybody.") The drinking culture is a subject of long-standing and ongoing national debate, and it is changing. One personal view on it is in journalist Brian O'Connell's 2009 book Wasted. It's more than another sobriety memoir as it takes a broader look at the elements of culture behind the drinking.

Earlier this month Tullamore Dew U.S. Brand Ambassador Tim Herlihy put out a press release that challenged Americans to reconsider their Paddy's Day celebrations. Forget the green beer, the plastic shamrocks, "Irish yoga" and "kiss me I'm Irish" t-shirts, leprechaun hats and drunk-filled pubs where you can't hear anything over the crowd. Instead, he says do something that represents "the Irish spirit and culture in an honest and genuine way." Treat yourself to "the fry" or a traditional Irish breakfast, watch the Paddy's Day parade, take in some Irish culture at a local session or film festival and go to an authentic pub where you can raise a glass and toast the company of friends and family (and take the mickey out each other in the best ways possible). A boiled dinner of corned beef and cabbage is traditionally Irish-American, while a ham brisket in place of the corned beef is more traditionally Irish. Both are very tasty in any case.

For Irish whiskey, have a whiskey-and-whatever-you-like or whiskey in your tea or coffee, or a "hot one" of hot water, whiskey and a teaspoon of sugar. Whiskey in lemon tea also is similar, simple and very enjoyable. And if you're drinking whiskey neat, get a bottle of something you enjoy, whether it's the bottle of Jameson, Powers, Tullamore Dew, Bushmills or Kilbeggan you picked up or a higher-end bottling as special drink. It's hard to go wrong. Most of all, enjoy it with family and friends because that is what the day is really about.

Finally, don't limit that mindset of purposeful enjoyment of good company or the inclusion of Irish whiskey to just that one day. Make it how you honor yourself, your heritage and the important people in your life. That shouldn't have to be a special occasion.



In the end, it's not about the whiskey or the drinking at all, it's who you're drinking with that matters. And as far as being "Irish" on Paddy's Day or any other day, remember that it's not where you're from, it's who you're from that makes the biggest difference. So pour a dram, raise a glass and toast those present, those away, and those who are no longer with us but who are never really gone.

Sláinte

January marked another month of growth and good news in the Irish whiskey world. As the headline implies, it was good news go leor, the Irish Gaelic for "abundance" that made it into English as "galore."

Let's take a look:

Beam completes Cooley Acquistion
That's a check-mark in the scheme of things, really, but nothing in business is done until it's done (it's done!). Cooley have so many good things happening -- i.e., whiskeys in the works -- so it will be fascinating to see how, which and when some of those new products make it into Beam's distribution system.


You may have tried either the 40% Bunratty or Knockeen Hills poitín/poteen before. This is a cut above. I'll write more about it soon.

Time in the Wood
It's actually a mix of Cooley grain, bourbon cask-aged Cooley malt and Cooley malt finished in the wine casks. The result is Concannon Irish Whiskey, introduced last month. I'm looking forward to trying it soon. Post your impressions in comments here if you've had a chance to try it. Suggested retail is $24.99

Check out their promotional video. It has some nice footage of Cooley's Riverstown, Co. Louth distillery in operation. There's also an intro to the whiskey from Cooley's Master Blender, the ever-affable Noel Sweeney, Cooley Brand Ambassador John Cashman and the Vineyard's John Concannon.





In The Wood
Back to time-in-the-wood again, this time with Knappogue Castle's Twin Wood 17-year-old single malt released in late January.
Quite logically, of course, it follows on the KC 16-year-old Twin Wood from last year, which was aged 15 years, 3 months in bourbon casks, followed by 9 months in Oloroso sherry butts. If you do the math you'll see that the 17-year-old spent 15 more months in the sherry wood. Both are limited releases. Best guess is that they are distilled at the Old Bushmills Distillery. I'll be hunting the 17-year-old down soon for a tasting. Retail is around $100/bottle.

Getting Our Irish Up
The US Distilled Spirits Council last week reported that Irish whiskey sales in 2011 in America outpaced those of single malt Scotch whisky. Irish whiskey sales rose 24 percent last year to 1.7 million cases, compared to a 9.5% rise to 1.4 million cases for single malt Scotch. IDL/Pernod Ricard's push on Jameson sales is a big reason for that, as is increased consumer awareness of the category. Yes, that is very good news and matches what we see out there in the market. But remember that total Scotch sales are closer to 9 million cases, including blended Scotch whiskys that account for 90 percent of all Scotch shipments worldwide.

Whiskey/whisky sales overall are on the rise. All boats on a rising tide, as they say, and Irish whiskey justifiably is both a main reason and a chief beneficiary.

Worth Chirping About
Red Breast sales in the US alone are expected to post a 50 percent increase this year to 15,000 cases from 10,000 in 2011. It is the quintessential Irish Single Pot Still whiskey in America, as Green Spot, Powers John's Lane Release and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy are not available at retail in these parts. The widely available 12-year-old and its 15-year-old brandmate are now being joined by the 12-year-old Cask Strength. We've had spottings of the Cask Strength release in the Boston area last week. To badly paraphrase a more nobly stated sentiment, some people look at Red Breast cask strength on the shelf and ask "if".  We look at it and ask "how many."

Go get it. It's wonderful stuff.


If you need more authoritative validation of this advice, Whisky Advocate magazine named Red Breast 12-year-old Cask Strength as the Irish Whiskey of the Year.

There's much more to report, including the last and next Irish Whiskey Society of America tastings, but we'll stop there for now.

Sláinte!

Although fat-fingered typing is one of my specialties, that's not a typo in the headline. It's a comment on the amazing and encouraging growth in Irish whiskey in 2011, and in the whiskey/whisky world in general.


Congrats to Everyone in Kilbeggan, Riverstown, and Dublin!
Cooley as usual led the way with new releases at the beginning of (and throughout) 2011 and by re-shaping the market at the end of the year with its $95 million acquisition by Beam Global. It's a well-deserved accomplishment by the good folks at Cooley. Beam's worldwide reach promises to bring Cooley's great products and innovative spirit to a wider market, and rightfully so.


While it's natural to regret that are now no Irish-owned distilleries (at least in operation), Cooley's acquisition has a far more positive feel to it than the Pernod Ricard and Diageo acquistions of IDL and Bushmills in past years. Those came from troubled circumstances but have played out well, especially at IDL. But Cooley's "problem" of being a smaller player competing with multinational companies is one born of success, growth and greater opportunity. Cooley is not a case of a company in "poor old Ireland" that got gobbled up, but a new Irish model for the creation of value. And I don't just mean financial value but also that of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and, of course, great, distinctly Irish products. Especially during a tough time in Ireland, it's definitely a reason to raise a glass to celebrate while contemplating new ventures and challenges.

IDL is the clear leader in terms of size. But it showed why its leadership comes from more than market presence when it re-introduced, re-branded and expanded its Single Pot Still (SPS), formerly Pure Pot Still, line of whiskeys in May and in October. Powers John's Lane Release 12-year-old and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy whiskeys joined Red Breast and Green Spot in the SPS line and have wowed whiskey drinkers since.


The cask-strength version of the venerable and excellent Red Breast 12-year-old made its debut in the Fall to raves also. And just today Pernod announced it will make the cask-strength version available in the US next month. Look for it at about $65/bottle. And when you see it, get it. Don't think about it, just get it. At least one. The 40% ABV 12-year-old always wins converts and tastings. The 57.7% ABV cask strength version is simply wonderful stuff.

I'm often asked by drinkers and retailer alike when the fabulous Green Spot will land in America. No word on that yet, and I'm not sure if it will for some time as the volumes produced are relatively low. You'll still have to get yours in the US from Dublin or the random specialty retailer.

Bigger Still
Maybe that will change over time as IDL's expanded distillery capacity comes online. The planned €100 million ($130 million) expansion at Midleton has been accelerated based on market demand for IDL's products. That's good news for the Irish economy with 280 new jobs expected. It's also good news for whiskey drinkers looking for greater access to new and existing whiskeys.

 
Before and after aerial images of the Midleton Distillery Showing the new white cylindrical fermenting tanks near top left and the new stillhouse in the taller green building (think column stills) at top center. The 'after' image is a mockup, as is the artist's impression below showing a glassed-in stillhouse.


"Serious in the making, but not in the drinking..."
IDL has assembled a first-rate team that is producing first-rate whiskeys from the distillate, to the wood management program, to the aging and blending, to the product packaging and the marketing. Look for more extensions to the SPS line. And if you haven't tried regular old Jameson, Powers and the like, do so. They too are benefiting from the investment in quality people, process and product.

Meanwhile, to the north...
Diageo's Old Bushmills Distillery has been unusually quiet for an unusually long time as far as new whiskeys go. That may be a sign of changes and new whiskeys in the works. The current line-up includes some truly excellent blends and single malts (I describe the 21-year-old as "liquid sex." It's, um, very good.) With so much market growth as well as competitive pressure it seems likely that we'll see news coming out of Antrim before too much longer.


And it just keeps coming
As far as specific whiskeys, there have been so many and so many good ones that it's been hard to keep up. I actually have some whiskeys introduced last year that I have yet to open. And those are just the Irish ones, let alone the new Scotch, Japanese and American whiskys I have. But a few jump immediately to mind:

Tyrconell 11-year-old Sherry Cask finish at cask strength. Bottled for the Celtic Whiskey Shop and introduced at the first Whisky Live Dublin event in May. Wow! You've got to get it from the CWS in Dublin. Worth the dollar and the bother. Luscious and mouthwatering. Shows in a remarkable way what another year in the wood can do as it is a wonderful world apart from the 10-year-old 40% bottling from 2010.


Connemara Turf Mor. Peat heads unite. This is smoke, fruit, floral, smoke and more smoke. Flavor galore.  For you phenol counters its right up there with Ardbeg, beyond Laphroig (also owned by Beam Global, btw). Yum.


The entire IDL SPS line. Picking which one to drink on any given day is a fabulous problem. And the thought of extensions to that line makes me smile. And get thirsty. Great things coming out of Midleton and more ahead.


There are many more I could mention. The point is to pay more attention to Irish whiskeys, both existing brands that you thought you knew and new ones that you don't yet (as they say, no strangers, just friends we haven't met yet). Whiskey is all about flavor, variety, complexity and personal preference.  So pick up a bottle and share it with good company.

Resolved
It has been such a busy and eventful year. That's one reason why this blog has gone stale at times in the past year. When new, unopened bottles are sitting on my shelf for months awaiting attention you know there are other demands and distractions in play. I'll be putting more time into the blog so don't count it out. The Irish Whiskey Society of America has been another thing taking time, but productively so. Still, it's ironic that I have less time to write because I'm spending more time with the subject. Anyway, please hang in there.

More soon.

Sláinte, and a great new year to everyone.

I was nearly organizing my whiskey collection the other day ("nearly" means moving bottles from one place to another vs. what might generally be considered "organizing"). That's when I noticed the numbers of new Irish whiskeys introduced this year. I started counting the ones on hand and others that either haven't joined me or been introduced to the U.S.

Best Guess
My count is preliminary but I came up with 14 new Irish whiskeys introduced in 2011:

Greenore 18-year-old
Kilbeggan 18-year-old
Tyrconnnell 11-year-old bourbon cask
Tyrconnell 11-year-old sherry cask
Connemara Amontillado finish single cask
Red Breast 12-year-old cask strength
Writer's Tear's cask strength
Green Spot
Midleton Barry Crockett Reserve
Powers John's Lane Reserve 12-year-old
Titanic 5-year-old
Titanic 10-year-old
Knappogue Castle 16-year-old Twin Wood
Michael Collins 10-year-old single malt

I include the Titanic whiskeys as they were announced in Belfast in May (at the site where the iceberg-bound ocean liner was built) though I haven't yet seen them available.  I also include Green Spot, while not a new brand, as the re-issue is essentially a new whiskey within the Midleton Single Pot Still line. Similarly, I left the "regular" Red Breast 12-year-old off the list as it was a re-packaging of the existing whiskey.

So that's 14, and counting, not yet 10 months into the year.

I'm sure I have left others off the list. Who did I leave out?

Sláinte!

The introduction earlier this year of Powers John's Lane Reserve single pot still whiskey was the debut of a terrific whiskey. I'm tempted to say "new" whiskey -- and it is -- but it's also a nod to the way and the location where Powers whiskey was made before the blending of grain whiskey in the 1970s. The former Powers distillery on John's Lane (off Thomas St) in Dublin was the largest distillery in Dublin, quite a lot larger than the Old Jameson Distillery across the river on Bow St. in Smithfield. The 7-acre site was one of the most impressive sights in Dublin in its day.

So it was fun to find some original photographs of the working distillery that were taken about 5 years before it closed and operations moved to Midleton in 1976. The pictures were taken for a Chicago Tribune article about Irish whiskey that ran in March 1971. Purchased from the Chicago Tribune archives, the pictures were the original prints with edit marks and cutlines (captions) pasted to the back of the photos. They give you glimpse into the recent past at the Powers Distillery. Here's a few:


The cutline says this is Technician Robert Blake checking on the 19,000-litre still.




The cutline says this is Paddy Keogh nosing the whiskeys



The site of the old distillery was subsequently occupied by the National College of Art and Design in 1980. Although most of the buildings including the stillhouse were razed, the Distiller's House on Thomas Street and the three huge pot stills were preserved outdoors. Although it is an active educational institution and not open to visitors per se, the stills may be seen on request if you ask at the college reception offices.

For more about the distillery including pictures of the former and present site check out the Powers John's Lane page on Heidi Donelen's Irish Whiskey Trail website. Also be sure to visit the Powers John's Lane Reserve Whiskey site and the Powers Gold Label site.

Sláinte!

Apologies to all of you comment-ers out there in Internetland, but I had to turn off comment notification earlier this year due to a large amount of spam comments. The spam storm has passed (temporarily I'm sure), notifications are turned back on and your comments are up, live and definitely welcome. And, as it turns out, we're back up posting after a long hiatus.  Good to have you all back.

Sláinte!

IDL recently launched a new website devoted to its single pot still whiskeys. And like those whiskeys, it's worth spending some quality time with.


Singlepotstill.com is a sumptuous and media-rich journey through the history, heritage and re-birth of traditional Irish pot still whiskey. The site includes photos, graphics and more than 40 minutes of HD videos hosted by whiskey author Peter Mulryan.

The videos especially are worth watching for behind-the-scenes looks at the New Midleton Distillery and interviews with the "Masters" at Midleton: Billy Leighton, Dave Quinn and Barry Crockett. It's about as close as you can come to your own VIP tour of the facility from your desktop. We got a clear sense of the excellent production values behind the site back in May, well before the site itself launched last month just by looking at all of the other collateral materials. It's extraordinarily well thought-out and executed.

As well it should be as it's presenting some truly excellent whiskeys. Those of us in America have to confine ourselves to the standard Red Breast 12- and Red Breast 15-year-old bottlings; the Green Spot, Power's John's Lane 12-year-old and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy SPS entries are still tied up in the bureaucratic nomenclature limbo that was an impetus for the re-naming and re-branding of formerly "pure pot still" to "single pot still." No word yet on when that will be resolved but we're guessing Q1 next year.

We've already featured Green Spot and the wonderfully robust Power's John's Lane at an Irish Whiskey Society of America tasting this past spring and summer. We expect to be able to give you another advance taste of the other SPS whiskeys in the next few months so stay tuned. Meantime, you can whet your appetite -- and tease yourself a bit -- by learning all about each of the whiskeys at the SPS site.

Sláinte!

At the May introduction of the its Single Pot Still (SPS) whiskey initiative, IDL stated that it would be extending the brands within the lineup -- Red Breast, Green Spot, Powers and Midleton -- and that Red Breast would be among the first.  That first promised introduction happened recently in Dublin with a cask-strength (57.7 % ABV) version of the quintessential Red Breast 12-year-old.

For an account of the launch event and some initial impressions of the cask-strength Red Breast check out David Havelin's account at Irish Whiskey Notes.

The standard Red Breast (40% ABV) is one of my favorite whiskeys in any category. It often tops the preferences when we include it at Irish Whiskey Society of America tastings. It's one of the best all-rounders and I use it as one of my standard Irish whiskey gifts.

The official tasting notes for the cask-strength bottling are:

Nose
A fruit explosion: figs, dates, ripe banana, sultanas, red apple and lime. Pot still spices combine with the sweet vanilla and pine from the casks.

Taste
Deep full dried fruit, a touch of citrus with aromatic oils and spices. Vanilla sweetness leads to toasted oak and barley.

Finish
Exceedingly long finish with a rich complexity of spices and fruit, slowly fading through sweet butterscotch to barley.

Yum.

Availability in the U.S. is expected next February with pricing around $85.  We're keen to get hold of a bottle of the cask strength  and plan to do so within the next month or so.  We'll be back with some tasting notes and observations ASAP and will feature it at a coming IWSA tasting. Meantime if you procure one please share your impressions in the comments.
Sláinte!

I'm a lifelong Boston Bruins and hockey fan. So when my Irish Whiskey Society of America colleague Allan D. asked me the other day what whiskey I would pour to celebrate a Bruins Stanley Cup win, I thought it was an interesting question that deserved careful consideration (but NOT until Game 7 was done. It's playoff hockey and anything can happen.)

After watching the Bruins win the Cup for the first time in 39 years, I came up with an answer: I'm not going to pour a single whiskey. I'm going to pour two: some 36-year-old Knappogue Castle 1951 in appreciation of legacy, and of the time and effort it takes. Then some 3-year-old Kilbeggan Malt to toast something new, young and with great things ahead.

Sláinte!