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

Ahh right thanks. Thats too far from me, not worth the trip. Im between Celbridge and Athlone. Hopefully Blackwater will do another batch release of something this year under the Puca brand!

Scary times.

First Waterford, then Blackwater, then Powerscourt 🫣

Was just finishing my Waterford Luna I got a few months back as an anniversary gift from the missus.

While it didn't blow me away, I quite enjoyed it but the glass cap infuriated me.. the rubber seal was really not sufficient to twist it off so ended up having to pull with force.

Lo-and-behold, this finally happened..

.. was literally a thimble full left so was happy to chuck it and not risk inhaling a small shard / particle.

Was gonna send them an email with feedback and then noticed they must be in bother financially.

Shame to see!

Yeah, there's a knack. You don't try to push it up, you push it kind of laterally and it clicks. Then I comes out really easy. It's actual very satisfying when you know how to open them. I really like those stoppers.

https://youtube.com/shorts/WptTeOKhNjA?si=pkm6vv9nGLEVZ205

Just to add : I found them frustrating until someone showed me how to use them, too.

I completely get you but there is a beauty to them both visually and physically (once you learn how). Also, we still accept wine corks as a normal thing. Imagine trying to open one of them without knowledge and the right tool! And don't get me started on waxed closures!

Thank you for that - I had to go and grab a bottle to try it and it is very satisfying (I left what's in it intact as the sun is still the wrong side of the yardarm 😁) The glass stoppers were driving me demented - I've had expensive liquid slosh out, though I've never had one shatter let the previous poster

Ah yeah, absolutely. They're lovely yokes.

Completely agree about corks as well, although I do enjoy opening them far more than a twist cap. The suction pop is extremely satisfying. I love when self appointed wine snobs get snotty about corks and show themselves up to be utter imbeciles. I remember working in a decent Italian restaurant in Belfast the guts of 20 years ago. Grand aul place but far from fine dining or the height of sophistication. Table of six or so came in and ordered a mid range bottle, which happened to be a twist cap. Let them try it, as is still customary, and the lady who had a sip immediately started making faces and insisted a few others try it. They'd probably had about a quarter of the bottle before insisting they didn't like it and asking for it to be brought back and swapped for another. I asked was there anything wrong with it and started to explain that the purpose of tasting the wine was to make sure there was no fault with it before a manager jumped in and told me to just sort them out. I came back up a few mins later with their (cheaper) bottle. "Oh good! At least that one has a cork in it". Gobshites.

Grey Goose does really pull out the subtle notes in a Redbull, to be fair.

Is it time to get a bottle share thing going perhaps?

Production pause at Midleton Distillery

The distillery will temporarily pause production in early April 2025 and will recommence in the summer to support the sustainable global growth of its portfolio of Irish whiskeys... The move means Pernod Ricard has joined Diageo and Brown-Forman in pausing whisky production, with Diageo doing so at one of its Kentucky distilleries yesterday (7 March), and Brown-Forman mothballing Scotch distillery Glenglassaugh earlier this year.

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/03/irish-distillers-joins-diageo-in-production-pause/

Perfect in an old fashioned too.

Adding a shot of orange liqueur to an old fashioned has proven to be a game changer for me.

After much experimentation, my go-to old fashioned recipe is…

2 measures buffalo trace

Small measure sugar syrup

3 good dashes bitters

Small measure Cointreau/Grand Marnier

Ice & orange peel garnish

Delicious!