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

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.

I was in the UK last week and the best airport deals I saw were actually just the duty free prices applied to flights to the UK from Dublin. Should have done a click and collect on a few of my current favourites. I feel like if you can get a 70 euro whisky at 20 euros off or thereabouts, hard to argue with that.

What was marked down on the UK end was things in the sub 40, sub 30 price bracket, marked a little further off again. The usual JW black deals and 2 for 1.

I am not against them as whiskies, but I feel like it's hard to me myself tote back that sort of stuff just to save an additional tenner on an already cheap whisky.

Did drink some ace Balcones while in the UK though. Not seen it here in a while.

Oh no! Too good to be true, I guess, but that makes perfect sense now that I think of what duty free is meant to be for.

I fly in and out of Gatwick a lot, and it's got a terrible selection. London City Airport is much better, it must be said.

Surprisingly good value by any standard I think, considering its Redbreast.

Although, do I detect a slight cooling in the brands' popularity…? A few years ago on this forum, it felt like every thread talking about a given Irish whiskey compared it to Redbreast 12.