What whisk(e)y are we drinking? (Part 2)

DeniG2

Managed to grab a bottle of Clonakilty Port Cask over the weekend, it think it falls into the -

3 stars - Glad I tried it, wouldn't buy another bottle.

The nose was pleasant but I found it tasted very young, almost harsh-tasting with a slight alcohol burn. It's 43% so wouldn't expect that, as drinking Paddy's Share (46%), for example, without adding water would not have the same effect.

Didn't get much of the tasting notes mentioned on the bottle, just tasted a bit flat and almost earthy.

Finish was a bit underwhelming, didn't leave me wanting more.

Tesco have this priced at RRP €49.95, but even at the reduced price of €32 (with clubcard) I wouldn't be tempted again. At the reduced price point there are a lot more blended NAS Irish whiskies that beat it hands down.

furiousox

Anyone know where I might pick up a bottle of Old Grand-dad bourbon?

Seems to be sold out/unavailable anywhere I look.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123067524#Comment_123067524

Celtic Whiskey Shop

DeniG2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123050878#Comment_123050878

Repeat tasting have confirmed my original impression. Of all the whiskies in my collection it is my least favourite. Unfortunately, experiences like this turn me off distilleries (I know it shouldn't, it's their bog standard offering), but if they can't turn out a bottle of whiskey that's better than some of the mediocre stuff I have then I'm reluctant to try anything else by them :-(

Bahanaman

Arrived home last night to find this waiting for me. A very generous present from a group of friends for a roundy birthday. This is way out of my league! I'm only getting into the likes of Paddy's Share, Three Swallows etc! I'm actually intimidated by it!😊 Almost afraid to open it. Any advice on how I should approach it?

Electric Nitwit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123095088#Comment_123095088

Don't be intimidated, just go for it 💪

Try some neat, enjoy the smell, let a small sip sit on your tongue for a bit

If it's too much (I don't think it will be though) them a small drop of water into the glass will soften it out

But, basically, drink it and enjoy it 🙂

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123095088#Comment_123095088

Just get stuck in! I had a bottle of it a few months ago. Didn't last long! Lovely drop.

dakar

There’s something to be said about working your way slowly through the whiskey cabinet by candlelight when it’s snowing outside. This is a John’s Lane. Warming me up nicely…

waterboy15

Dakar, that's a thing of beauty, but I like it better with the power on.

2011abc

Budget whiskey feedback …eh,episode ? ….anyway : The Brennans Bread of Irish Whiskey has to be either Powers or Bush ( white label ) and I’m increasingly convinced it’s the Northern / ‘Protestant ‘ option ….Jamesons seems increasingly to be an American market bland .,niche product for name dropping in Rhianna song rap segments and Paddy is very ‘grainy’ / pepperminty….So I reckon the ‘variability’ of the Bush makes it the #1 , although the peppery pot still bite of the Powers is nipping at its heels ….

Bonus tip : While the major Irish supermarket / grocery chain €10 off €50 voucher system was largely credited with turning us into a nation of alcoholics precipitating the minimum unit alcohol pricing bill post COVID /Lockdown : if you can get one of your offspring working for the ‘D’ company you qualify for an alcohol inclusive 20% off family discount code bringing a bottle of basic Irish to an €18.40 net price level …

the beer revolu

I always laugh a little at the old, "Bushmills is a Protestant whiskey" trope. Do people suppose that Jameson and Power's were owned by Catholics?? 😂

tphase

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123096101#Comment_123096101

can't beat it, in fairness. Cracked a John's Lane open on Friday night, stove and candles augmented by gentle illumination from battery powered Christmas lights. Made a fair dent in it too

eastie17

some of the velvet caps are absolute shite imho

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123100482#Comment_123100482

I always assumed it was a Wire reference/joke rather than a serious comment

https://youtu.be/tjVzGYZLhvo?si=4E9vR6lV0vqf2GXU

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123100792#Comment_123100792

It's mostly an Irish American thing. It well predates The Wire. I also remember an Irish publican, in Ireland using that line to justify being out of stock of Bush😂. This was well before The Wire.

Yeah, it's a cliché/joke but it's also based on pure nonsense!

EagererBeaver

It's not really. Speaking as a former barman in the North, many Prods drink Bush precisely because it's from the North and they don't want to be seen drinking Jameson or Powers because that's southern whiskey for papists. It has become self fulfilling.

The idea that Jameson is for Americans is a bit mad.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123101088#Comment_123101088

The only point I'm making is that both Jameson and Power's are "Protestant whiskies".

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123100946#Comment_123100946

You are correct in relation to the origins of all our main whiskey brands, but Bushmills town is still an almost exclusively Protestant town, and that won't be changing anytime soon. 89% at all last census

There's hardly a town in the 32 counties I haven't visited and I'd have Bushmills top of the pile in being rude/unfriendly to southern visitors.

A good friend served in the RAF for 20 years, including a number of tours during the troubles. He's described it as being one of his favourite more welcoming destinations 😀.

EagererBeaver

You also said it's mostly an Irish American thing. I was pointing out that it's not.

Black Sheep

Bushmills is located in a staunch area, and they were operating during an intensely sectarian climate for decades.

The local demographics partly explain why they almost exclusively employed protestants, even after sale to Irish Distillers, but not entirely.

I think they were no different to many large protestant employers in NI, there probably were sectarian hiring practices that took a long time to fade.

In response to that, yes, I think it's fair to observe that had Jameson been located in Antrim and Bushmills down south, then they might have been no different.

Secondly, things have moved on, all of these companies are divorced from the original owners, and I wouldn't consider any of this as a factor in supporting a product at this point in time.

The one slight wrinkle… I love Northern Ireland, but — trying to find a way to type this delicately — that part of Antrim is still quite sectarian, actually, and I know people who have visited the distillery in the recent past, and still had some "less than great" experiences while stopping off or staying over locally.

Bushmills were boycotted by Irish Americans, at one point, but they also got flak from the unionist side, over supporting GAA teams with sponsorship, in some cases.

EagererBeaver

"Quite sectarian" doesn't tell the half of it. It's a black **** hole. No need to be delicate.

Good whiskey though!

irish_goat

Bushmills village is a dump and I say that as someone living in East Belfast. I've never had anything but nice experiences with the distillery staff though.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123100501#Comment_123100501

Well, it looks like Roco Brands have bought Velvet Cap.

https://www.velvetcap.ie/

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123111614#Comment_123111614

And Roco Brands are planning 'botanical whisky'… no one is asking for this!

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123111625#Comment_123111625

Looks like it but I have no info on this.

Fireball and various other mainstream flavoured whiskies seems to do well, though. Seems to be a growing market but it isn't for people who drink whiskey.

Black Sheep

Seems like it's something that could be aimed at the gin-drinking side of the market.

I see one 'botanical whisky' from abroad is marketed in North America as a gin substitute… Light amber colouring, fresh herbal notes etc.

You get barrel-aged gins that approach the same idea from the other direction, I guess.

BeerNut

Some Oude Genever has a flavour profile very similar to whiskey, and is marketed in that way.

Would an Irish botanical whiskey be marketable as Irish whiskey under the rules of the Technical File?

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123101097#Comment_123101097

I'm not sure the above hold true for Jameson/Power in regards founders/family owners.
Powers was founded by a Dublin publican - I'm not sure, but he was probably a catholic given the time/location. Jameson was Scottish, so probably a Scottish reformation protestant. But he was a businessman, investing in Dublin, employed locals etc. Nothing sectarian about the history that I am aware of.

The founder of Bushmills was a a English Knight granted land in Ulster during the plantations. He fought against the Irish in the subsequent rebellion. That's a very different protestant tbf.

But as mentioned by E.Beaver & B.Sheep, the Bushmills protest thing mainly comes from the fact that Bushmills is a staunchly protestant area, and they employed mainly protestants etc. It was boycotted in the states in the 90s due to its employment practices - which were probably geographic rather than sectarian, given it joined IDL at the start of the Troubles.

The label largely nonsense, but some lies have bits of truth in them.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123111955#Comment_123111955

Definitely not. Caramel is the only additive apart from water that is permitted in Irish whisky. Using casks that have contained various stuff is a kind of a workaround, though. However if people start getting too experimental with this then control measures will come in, I suspect.

From Roco Brand's own material, it looks like they are looking at flavoured, sweetened whiskey liqueur type things rather than whiskey distilled with a botanical.

I have some spirit at home that is new make that was aged in a cask that previously aged gin. It's absolutely delicious!

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123111955#Comment_123111955

It can't be called whiskey if there favourings are added (like cinnamon liquors), if that's what it means.
I'm guessing at best they would be whiskey liqueur like Irish Mist or Dubliner Honeycomb Liqueur.

Laws in other places are be more lax. Google suggests Canadian whisky can contain flavourings. The main brand of Botanical whiskey that turns up happens to be Canadian.