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

dakar

Another windy night, another power cut, another evening messing about with whiskey and photography (used an iPad tonight instead of candles). Method and Madness tonight, seemed appropriate…

2011abc

Irish American 10 is still nice and a good solid choice at €44 is SV Lucan , Dublin ( but few other branches seem to stock the ‘Achill’ distillery stuff) .I believe it’s no longer all 10 year old malt but it’s a pleasant distinctive malty dram .In these days of no age statement shenanigans it’s reassuring and not that expensive .Id imagine it can go head to head with the dearer Busker SM and even Dingle SM .The fact it’s sold as ‘double distilled ‘ means its Cooley sourced and in this day and age Id consider that also reassuring .West Cork has a good bit to go to maturity ( anyone tried their ‘5’?) and Bushmills can be variable

Bahanaman

Having my first ever taste of Powers Three Swallows. Really nice. Not sure what I'd compare it to. Have been drinking regular Roe & Co. (one of my favourites ) the last few days.

the beer revolu

Great Northern should have 10yo available from this year. Will we see a plethora of 10yo Irish whiskey releases this year and next?

2011abc

Roe is only €25 in SV .Great value at 45% .I used really enjoy it when it first came out , even had one or two at the James St site .People got very snobbish about it and it got some bad reviews .Might get another bottle if it stays that cheap .Like several products sold at SV etc eg Foxes Bowe it’s very hard to rate them as €40/60 whiskies when you have tasted them at half that price .Yes I know that sounds illogical but all bar the very well heeled will know what I mean

2011abc

Just to continue on the Roe theme briefly .I had a ‘reasonably ‘ ‘big day out’ pre pandemic and had a Tyrconnell Sherry casked SM in a pub on Thomas St which I thought would be divine but was very disappointed .I then did the four fancy single malts tour of Teeling which highlighted their best in the world winning quirky special SM ( might have been round €140 at the time ) and I also had that Roe on James St ….I confounded myself by thinking that the Roe was the sip of the day .Very much in the vein of the Tyrconnell range I found when I tried the ‘dearer’ Roes that were released they weren’t that much better than the basic product ( especially when price factored it ) Roe could have done very well if they had released their good stuff eg Solera at under €50 instead of €60 …

Hodors Appletart

Had a measure or so left in two bottles so I finished them off last night.

First was Teelings Single Malt, I remember enjoying it when I got the bottle, indeed I spent an evening splitting it with a good friend. Fruity I suppose is a good way to describe it, but I picked up some leather on the end of the nose, as the glass emptied. Could be down to oxidation, given there was only about 50ml left in the bottle since I don't know when.

Second was Arran 10. I really loved this whisky all through the bottle, and I enjoyed reminiscing about the people who gifted it to me. I found it fairly spicy on the finish, sweet and some green apple. Not overly complex, but a really nice dram

Black Sheep

Who has tried Achill's peated cask strength… 60% ABV?

Seems well priced, at around 68 euro.

How peaty is it, any idea on PPM?

FlicFlak

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123140261#Comment_123140261

Yeah, i had this awhile ago. Was 60 quid when it first came out, i got it in celtic whiskey shop. If you like peated whiskey then this is for you. Its not massively peated, id say the Teeling Blackpitts cask strength has a higher ppm, but this still holds its own. Its a little one dimensional, dont expect lots of fruit or nuanced notes, it just does peat and smoke, but it does it well!

I do highly recommend it!

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123140261#Comment_123140261

I got a bottle for Christmas '23 and bought a 2nd in Achill during the summer. I really liked it although I don't have enough whiskey knowledge to write a proper review. It's not as peaty as lots of Scottish whiskey but as peaty as any Irish whiskey I've tasted.

I'm pretty sure there's a free tasting available at the distillery, we had the kids with us the day we were passing so I had to give that a miss

2011abc

Lucan SuperValu has it in stock .

DARK-KNIGHT

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123148065#Comment_123148065

Has achill cask strength?

2011abc

Yes ,quite a few bottles of Achiil including peated cask strength there last weekend but I left only one Irish American 10

Bahanaman

Having another go at Powers Three Swallows after my first ever taste a short while ago and am finding it much nicer that I initially thought. I was underwhelmed after my initial tasting but this time it seems a lot richer.

DeniG2

Has anyone tried one of these whiskey smoker kits? I'm assuming they're a gimmick?

Black Sheep

The marketing for this kind of thing usually says they "create a memorable drinking experience" . Probably fair enough, I think… They are a bit of theatre, and this kind of thing plays well in a bar or restaurant setting. A nice glass, well presented, with smoke wafting out of it… Is it a gimmick? Yes, undoubtedly, but presentation does matter so I don't mind it too much.

I don't think it seriously actually elevates the contents of the glass in any way, in taste terms, however, whether that be just whiskey or a mixed drink.

Wouldn't use it at home.

flended12

Got one at home. Still unopened. I feel a sale coming on.

flended12

Ah sure look...

Beanstalk

Ah Bunnahabhain! The whisky that made me aware that there's a whole world of wonderful scotch out there. How is it?

flended12

I'm not even the first cousin of a whiskey expert but I find it relatively strong on the nose and so light on the pallette with a subtle but long lingering smoke.

Its arguably too easy to drink.

Electric Nitwit

Big fan of Bunnahabhain too. Haven't seen that one, guessing it's a travel exclusive as it's a litre bottle?

(Edit, just checked, £51 in Heathrow and I'll be there next month, tempting!)

Years ago I toured all the distilleries in Islay (highly recommend it as a holiday), Bunnahabhain was the last of the day so pretty drunk by then, jumped off the end of their pier, that was a cold swim back in! 🤣

2011abc

Had to leave a bottle of some Teeling 46% Portuguese wine ‘airport special’ ( well worth €31 !) behind in UK ( Will return to it later in the year hopefully ) and now stuck with this Aldi €22.09 ( presumable minimum price ) Ardfallen double ( triple ?- Green label not black) casked irish .Im almost certain its West Cork .Its certainly not as good as their awesome ten year old ( on sale at Christmas) but maybe their WC stuff is maturing a bit.It had tasted very immature until recently .What can I say about this after a few sips ? Should I have splashed out the extra 90cent and got a Bush White ?Hmmm …not sure but , you know what .Its ok ….def more nuanced than its other bottom of the range Irish rivals .It looks pale ( would be surprised if much / any caramel colour added ) and even my Mrs said it smelled ‘weak’( she declined the invitation to have a neat slug !) It does taste a little ‘weak’ compared with the peppery potstill bite of a Powers or the honest Bush .Its like that glorious Christmas 10 they had with everything sadly toned down 20-30% ….But it’s better than any previous West Cork / Aldi .For the neat sipper it lacks bite but the blender has done a good job with what he has to work with .In the early Pandemic period I got a couple of bottles of WC including cask strength and Sherry casked and they were ( especially the latter ) unimpressive to say the least .Jn a few years WC could be back to providing the really decent ‘Dha Chasca’ style stuff they were doing at a fab price / quality point but this time with their own spirit !

EagererBeaver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123154907#Comment_123154907

More for cocktail making, no?

Am very, very partial to a smoked old fashioned.

Black Sheep

Picked up a 16 year old from The Friend at Hand, tawny port cask finish.

Also a Cognac and orange liquor finished Shortcross.

Very impressive store and museum, definitely a Belfast "must visit".

Store staff were knowledgeable, very friendly and I was particularly impressed at how patiently they were managing the questions of the non whiskey drinking tourists who wandered in to buy a souvenir. No sign of phoning it in or being sick of the same question for the thousandth time. Nice to see.

2011abc

A shockingly short two nights later I have to add that the Aldi €22.09 triple casked Ardfallen goes down ludicrously easy .Way too easily :-( ( I’d almost wonder is it 40% , it has no alcohol burn and hardly any ethanol overpowers the nose .If you add a drop of water you’d quaff it like Miwadi :-( Nice sip at the price but …it’s like wine ….! Pondering whether this is the product or my descent into binge drinking ! Fairly sure it’s at least 50/50 the product !( That lovely Bushmills 46% Portuguese wine casked airport special didn’t go down half as fast )

odyssey06

The Puca 7 year old single grain is also down to €22.09 in Aldi. Wonder if they are selling the stock off.

Another light easy sipping whiskey.

Maybe we will see something new in for Paddys Day or the return of the Ardfallen 10. Fingers crossed.

odyssey06

And sticking with Aldi, picked up a bottle of the Ardfallen 10 in East Wall today, haven't seen it in any of the other stores in my neck of the woods since Christmas.

Black Sheep

Opened the 16 year old Friend at Hand Bruce's Share. It's a tawny port finish, from Bushmills... 46% abv.

The lads undersold it... Maybe familiarity breeds contempt. I'm comparing this to a Glenallachie 9 year old Oloroso finish limited edition, 48% abv, and the Bruce's Share is far and away my favorite, at a comparable price.

Maybe the respective cask quality, maybe the distillate quality, probably a few things, but it isn't just about the age statement, I think.

FlicFlak

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123192426#Comment_123192426

Which Aldi did you see this in? Havent seen this in ages! Must be old stock, didnt think any was still hanging around!

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123203860#Comment_123203860

The Puca Single Grain (in the green display box) saw that last week in ALDI Bayside Dublin.
(it's not far from the DART station if that's handy for you)
They'd had some since Christmas on the shelves but that was the first time I noticed it reduced to MUP.

And the Ardfallen 10 saw that yesterday in ALDI East Wall Dublin. No sign of Puca there.