Irish whiskey is in my opinion best
there’s also
As a potential seller, is there much difference between the two whiskey auction firms / websites?
https://irishwhiskeyauctions.ie/
in Dundalk
https://www.whiskeybidders.com/
in Mullingar
Their fees seem to be similar.
They both charge €5 registration, €4 + VAT listing fee, plus 5% + VAT commission on sales.
Has anybody any opinions on them?
I'd be really curious to see how many people could, in a blind tasting, identify grain, single malt and pot still (me included). Blind tastings are really tricky!
Similar concept and price point to the Ferncullen 15 year old single grain with Madeira finish. Take a grain whiskey, and you're able to deliver an 'impressive' age statement, and finish, relative to the cost.
But it's still a grain whisky, it'll be a bit marmite.
I would try a can, but personally I would nearly just opt for the bog-standard Kibeggan, formerly Greenore, and really lean into it. I remember being served it as part of a Cooley tasting years ago, and it really is excellent if you just taste it for what it is, rather than wishing it were something else (if that makes sense).
I tasted it at Whiskey Live and liked it. It's a crowded market in that price range but the can is well priced.
A new Dram in a Can is out from Two Stacks. This time a Celtic Whiskey Shop exclusive, single grain finished in a Mezcal cask. €11.50 for 100ml for a cask strength 16 year old seems reasonable enough price, as far as miniature pricings go. Full size bottle is €72.50.
Anyone try it yet? Think it was launched at Whiskey Live.
https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/two-stacks-16-year-old-mezcal-dram-in-a-can?search=Two%20stacks
I was always reasonably positive towards Lambay. It's well-priced, good quality sourced whiskey finished in Camus cognac casks. If I was going to recommend a whisky for someone to buy in a Supervalu this evening, they could do worse. Cognac finishes work very well with Irish whiskey.
They did try to claim that using island well water, and aging on the island meant there was a maritime influence (I think they said they were using the "microclimate" of the island!). That's clearly bullshit but in fairness it's something you hear from literally every coastal distillery at one time or another, it started with the Scots.
For whatever it's worth I think aging the whiskey on the island was wasteful and silly, and I think building a distillery out there is just as silly. Although, then again, maybe it makes perfect sense, since the craziest thing of all was Edwin Lutyens' architecture ending up all the way out there…
I still feel like Glendalough, and those like them, have been the absolute worst in terms of transparency about being a "distillery" versus just being a brand that sells sourced whiskey. Crolly are creeping up there for me. A gushing Sunday Business Post article this weekend about their bringing whiskey back to the Gaeltacht of Donegal… But very much focused on the turnover at the Visitors' Experience, and all of their output is still sourced.
It's still just smoke and mirrors though, right? How much product did they actually age on the island?
That's unfortunate.
I lost pretty much all of my sense of smell a few years back due to Covid which really takes the enjoyment out of drinking whiskey - and takes a lot of the enjoyment out of food too tbh. I've tried smell therapy with very limited results. Gradually having a nice dram or two now and again and (pretending?) I can tell what's going on. 😕
Ah just think of all that sea air... I predict maritime to be mentioned in blurbs:)
Ive enjoyed any Lambay Ive tried. Lets hope they can bring this single malt to the market in 3 years at an affordable price!
Hmm so if a barley field can have terroir, can a bonded warehouse? 😛
Lambay to launch a micro distillery on the island. Previously they had just been aging sourced product there.
https://www.thetaste.ie/lambay-whiskey-opens-first-of-its-kind-off-grid-island-micro-distillery
A friend worked for a whiskey cask investment firm that has gone to the wall/been run into the ground and very kindly got me a bottle of Teaninich 7yo on her way out the door. Lovely drop.
I've had the Kyro quite a few times and really like it. Very different.
I think the Dingle Single Malt and Ferncullen Single Malt is an awkward comparison to make…
I understand the urge, as they're both young core releases, and similar ABV, but aside from that, they're not very similar whiskies.
The Ferncullen is just matured in ex Bourbon barrels, whereas the Dingle is a 61% / 39% split between ex PX and ex Bourbon.
In terms of comparison, the difference plays out as you would expect — the Ferncullen is a bit simpler and more savoury. You get what you'd expect - orchard fruits, a bit of brown sugar and a grassiness that is partly the youth of the spirit (but not into metallic, unpleasant territory).
Which is "better"? Totally subjective, but for what it's worth I've gone off drinking PX influenced whiskies except when I really feel like it. Most of the time, I actually feel like something relatively plain, and the Ferncullen single malt ticks that box for me at the moment.
I had the Earraigh as well, but didn't want to try them all. First Whiskey Live where I was able to control my impulse to try everything. 🤣
And also from Dingle, I really enjoyed the Wheel of the Year concept and bottlings.
The last one was one of the best: Matured in former Bourbon casks with a Muscatel cask finish, Dingle Lá an Dreoilín Single Pot Still
https://shop.dingledistillery.ie/dingle-whiskey/dingle-la-an-dreoilin-single-pot-still/
It's been a while since I've tried Dingle's stand single malt. Is it really that much better than the Fercullen? I tried to get it in O'Briens this week, but the sale had ended. €45 is a great price for the Fercullen one.
Had a ten year old single malt from Dingle last weekend, that was really superb.
I really enjoyed this, might appeal to fans of JJ Corry The Gael, citrus flavours to the fore.
Lough Ree "The Bridge" - Portanure 9 Y.O. Single Malt distilled in Bushmills, 46% ABV Limited Edition 288 Bottles
https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/the-bridge-portanure
Continuing on from the above…
In Irish I would possibly also add JJ Corry, I think The Gael is a near perfect upper-end 'blended Irish'.
There's a huge world of European whiskies that I've been impressed with in recent years, but if I limit it to one country that I've drank a decent amount of product from.. I'll mention Kyro and Teerenpeli whisky from Finland, both gorgeous and 'different' to Scottish, Irish and American whisky outputs.
Not drinking any US bourbon or whisky at the moment, I feel like I just need to support Irish and EU producers as much as I can. If I were drinking US stuff it would probably be Buffalo Trace as a high street bourbon. Maybe Elijah Craig and Eagle Rare. Any higher ABV bourbon can satisfy that chewiness they do particularly well and that is hard to imitate.
In Scottish, I am of the firm view that the best value out there right now is from independent bottlers. After that its a matter of preference, such a rich landscape.
All the Boann range
Ferncullen Single Malt
All the Shortcross range
Killowen rum and raisin is a bit of a modern classic, imo
The Silkie blends continue to impress
Same. It's a lovely whiskey that's great to have on hand. Pity about the 500ml bottle!
There’s just something about Nikka from the Barrel. I don’t drink it often but always have a bottle on hand.
I'm meeting up with a couple of lads on Saturday, about twice a year we get together and bring a couple of bottles of Whisk(e)y, usually scotch.
These lads are Dutch, and I don't think have had much Irish. I'm going to bring my bottle of Green Spot and my Nikka From The Barrel. Can't wait to see what they bring.
In anticipation, I had a small dram of the Nikka the other night. It's such a nice whisky, has shades of a funky Jamaican Rum, and really reminded me of the bottle Appleton's 12 I have in the press.
Dingle single malt for me. Unreal what they're doing with the solera system there.
When you compare that with the fercullen single malt for instance, same price,... It's different league.
Also am unashamed to admit: tried "flatley" (5 year old) recently... Very, very enjoyable!
Staples for me are John's Lane, Bunnahabhainn 12 and Ardbeg 10. I don't drink a lot so quality over quantity.
Off the wall discovery lately was Two Stacks Fruit Drops - it shouldn't work but it probably does.
Staples in my house are Green Spot and Redbreast 12 Cask strength.
New ones I am enjoying are the Celtic Whiskey Shop Exclusive Teeling Pot Still and Barts blend from Lough Ree
I live in the uk now but I like to check in now and again. What whiskies are good staples or blowing your mind right now?
I take 'smooth' as shorthand for someone liking a whisky, but not having a way of articulating specifically what it is they like.
Because people will describe such a huge variety of whiskies as 'smooth'. Bourbon finishes, sherry finishes, pot still, malt, double distilled, triple distilled… There'll be someone in the audience to call it 'smooth', if they liked it. Some of the recommendations above kind of bear out this point, because you've got at least one suggestion that is not very similar to Yellow Spot at all..
Yellow Spot is a pot still whisky with a bourbon, sherry and ex-Malaga wine cask finish. To me, it's got a bourbony, tropical finish. Quite a lot going on there! So, potentially you could recommend a pot still follow-on… Or go deeper into a sherry or wine finish… Or even recommend a sweet bourbon or US whisky.
I guess I suspect that you'd need to drill down past 'smooth' to obtain a useful sense of what the person actually liked about the whisky.
Anyway, my suggestion for Muppet Man might be to explore the rest of the Spot family, if you haven't already.
