Continuing our Irish them, i had a great time on St. Patrick’s Day, how about the rest of you? Slight change to the usual setup, going old school today as our usual production guys are very busy so, here i am, in my living room! Midleton is a great distillery with a heritage and a history that rivals any distillery in the world. THis is the Very Rare, it’s the top line of the standard range and as a blended whisky it features products from grain and pot still all aged for roughly 15 years and upwards. If you like the delicacy of JW Blue but want a deeper and more Irish feel to everything, this is the one for you! Cheers!

https://youtu.be/q71nCrgLfVw

We have just received a hugely exciting collection of rare Glenfarclas Family Casks whiskies that are now available for purchase.

These exceptional whiskies are all from the original batch of 43 single cask releases that took the Whisky World by storm back in 2007.

The original batch of Family Casks was an ambitious collection of single cask releases, bottled at cask strength, with vintages spanning five decades from the 1950’s through to the 1990’s. Many of these whiskies were bottled at impressive ages of up to 50 years old, with a few being even older.

Ten years and hundreds of bottlings later, the series continues to go from strength to strength, and are firm favourites amongst connoisseurs, enthusiasts, collectors, and investors alike. This original series of releases are the rarest and most sought after of all.

Most of these legendary bottles are now little more than a memory in the minds of those who have been fortunate enough to drink them. As such, it is very rare to see such a comprehensive selection come on to the market at once.

Whether you are a whisky drinker, collector, or investor, this is a rare opportunity purchase an exciting piece of whisky history. All bottles are in excellent condition and are offered with their original wooden boxes, booklets, and packaging.

As you would expect, stocks are extremely limited and will be available on a first come first served basis.

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE THE COMPLETE FAMILY CASKS COLLECTION

2008 Aultmore 9 Year Old K&L Exclusive “Sovereign” Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($49.99)

Aultmore isn’t one of Scotland’s most recognizable whisky names, but ever since Bacardi’s move to establish the Dewar’s distilleries as veritable single malt brands, names like Craigellachie, Royal Brackla, Aberfeldy and Aultmore are moving more to the forefront on the global stage. Originally founded in 1896, Aultmore was sold by Diageo to Bacardi over 100 years later as part of the big Bombay gin deal, resulting in a rarely seen 12 year old edition half a decade later. Located in the Speyside region, the distillery’s sherried malts are often described as having flavors of “milky coffee” and that’s most definitely the case with this heavily-sherried 9 year old expression. Coffee in both its color and its aromas, the nose is pungent with heavily-roasted aromas and savory Oloroso rancio. Don’t be confused by the color, however, because despite its dark hue this is no supple, sweetly-flavored Sherry bomb. In fact, it’s a robust malt, dry on the finish and almost savory in its profile. The mid-palate is loaded with toasted almonds, tobacco, and bitter orange, but the finish is short and simple. While many of our casks are meant to be pondered and savored, this 9 year old Aultmore is very much to the point. It’s a cask strength, sherry-matured edition of everyday quality single malt, priced to drink and enjoy in volume. The high proof is almost unrecognizable with the saturation of the sherry and its very much drinkable at full strength.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 11, 2018

WOW! Aultmore is kind of one of those sleeper malts you just don’t think about much, but I’m going to be dreaming of it now! This ultra dense style sherry reminds me of samples of young sherried ‘farclas or Mac. There nose at first gives off a little amontillado funk which pairs perfectly with the underlying dark malty tones. On the palate its big, supple, and powerful. I found a nice dollop of water is exactly what I want in this whisky. The fruit comes forward and the malt takes a slight back seat to the complexity of whatever special butt this aged in. It’s not so old, but this ones a cracker by any measure.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 11, 2018

I remember sitting in the office in Scotland, tasting through these Sovereign samples, and looking up information on Aultmore distillery as I approached this 9 year old cask sample. It was a bit of an odd duck, but I appreciated it because it was so different in its character: dry and herbal rather than sweet and supple, the opposite of what I expected from such a dark and saturated sherry-matured whisky. The Single Malt Whisky Yearbook had tasting notes from other expressions of Aultmore that they described as having the flavor or coffee or even “milky coffee” and then I went back and tasted the 9 year old cask sample again…..there it was. Coffee. Not only in its color, but in its aromas and flavors! While the price is indeed incredible, this is a one trick sherry pony for sure. It’s big and spicy right off the bat, but that initial sweetness quickly fades and turns into herbaceous notes of dried herbs, pepper, toasted nuts, with a very dry finish. It’s a whisky meant purely as a bang-for-your-buck bargain and I couldn’t pass it up. It’s so different from anything else on the shelf and I get a kick out of that coffee note! Those of you who enjoyed some of our older Glenfarclas Family Casks of yesteryear may get a bit of nostalgic bliss from this earthier sherry expression. It’s definitely of the same ilk as that robust 1970 vintage barrel we did a while back.

Andrew Stevens | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 10, 2018

Let the people drink whisky!! This seems to be the theme of stuff I have been getting to taste recently, super tasty whisky for the sake of whisky that is actually affordable. Case in point, this delightful bottle of Aultmore from our friend Hunter Laing. On these chilly grey evenings this is going to be a spectacular bottle to become friends with. The aromatics practically leap out of the glass, big rich nutty and almost amaretto notes from the heavy sherry casking here are layered with some dark fruit. The age of this bottling really comes through in fantastic richness and power, itis bombastic but balanced. The casking allows the youth to shine without making you feel like it is too young. Rich barley sweetness, vanilla, clove and cinnamon all enhance each other and at cask strength there is a bite and spice that never overwhelms. Simply put, this is a drinking Scotch, perfect for here and now.

Something special…

We have so many fantastic whiskies at Loch Fyne it can be difficult to choose! That’s where we come in. We love talking about whisky and with our range of great value everyday drams, free gifts, single casks and limited editions, we can help you pick the perfect bottle whatever the occasion.

Only available while stocks last
We ship all over the world!

Macallan Rare Cask

£175 BUY NOW

Springbank 25 Year Old

£425 BUY NOW

Ralfy celebrates St Patrick’s Day with Ralfy Review 718 – Glendalough 13yo Mizunara cask whiskey.

Glenfarclas Family Casks Winter 2017

The very latest batch of Family Casks from the Speyside distillery in Ballindalloch. Vintages from 1970s to 2000s with some real sherry beauties included.

Buy – Family Casks W17

Why should you drink whiskey this St Patrick’s Day?

St Patrick’s Day is on Saturday. While it’s generally seen as an excuse to go out for some drinks, for me it’s also the ideal time to try and sneak some Irish whiskey into your drinks cabinet. Recent conversations online have shown me that not everyone is as big a fan of Irish whiskey as I am, so here are a few reasons to give it a try this weekend.

It’s not ‘just the same as Scottish whisky’

All whisk(e)y is far from the same, but Scottish whisky is made in a very similar way to other whiskies around the world – distillers from Taiwan to Canada base the way they make their whisky on Scottish tradition – but not the Irish. They’ve been doing things differently to distinguish themselves from their neighbours over the water for hundreds of years.

At first glance, it can all look very similar. But dig deeper, and you’ll find Irish whiskey is a bit different

While the debate as to who started making whisk(e)y first – Scotland or Ireland – will almost certainly never be answered, Scottish and Irish whiskey being different is much easier: they are.

The big difference people talk about is triple distillation: Scottish whisky is usually double distilled, while Irish producers almost all go for a third. This isn’t because ‘they couldn’t get it right after the first two times’ as a number of proud Scots have told me over the years, but to create a very different flavour profile. While I often ramble on about fruity Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey has a special kind of fruitiness of its own that you can taste in everything from Jameson to independently bottled single casks.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you definitely need a bottle in your cupboard.

There’s loads of Irish whiskey to explore

A few years ago, there were only three companies making whiskey in Ireland: Bushmills in the north, Irish Distillers and Cooley in the south. Over the past five years things have drastically changed, with tens of distilleries now making spirit, tens more sitting in planning and a handful already putting whisky and poitin on the shelves – Dingle and Echlinville, to name a couple.

This image is from a couple of years ago and is already out of date…

Getting into Irish whiskey at this moment in time gives you a chance to see the redevelopment of a whole country’s whiskey traditions.

While Scotch whisky is my first love, I’m increasingly finding myself turning to Irish whiskey when looking for something new. From the wannabe whiskey makers who are sourcing their spirit from elsewhere while building their own distilleries, to the established producers, everyone’s doing something interesting. It’s an exciting time to be an Irish whiskey fan.

It’s the classy way to celebrate St Patrick’s day

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Which would you rather be doing on Saturday?

Drink pints of Guinness or Harp dosed with green food colouring while wearing an oversized novelty hat. And maybe face paint.

or

Share a selection of Irish whiskeys with friends. While wearing an oversized novelty hat. And maybe face paint.

I know which I’d choose…

You can find a wide range of Irish whiskey on our website. If you want to learn more, check out my recent blog posts on pot still whiskey and Slane distillery, Whisky Exchange boss Sukhinder’s love letter to the Ireland’s whiskey, and many others from over the years.

And in closing, if you must abbreviate St Patrick’s name, it’s Paddy not Patty.

Ruby is the pinnacle of The Macallan 1824 Series and we are pleased to tell you that we have a limited quantity available of this hard-to-find liquid.

Designed to showcase and celebrate The Macallan’s commitment to natural colour, Ruby is the most rich and deeply coloured single malt in the series, with glinting hues of red that speak to its intense flavours.

Secure this jewel of a Macallan now.

BUY NOW

The Macallan Gold, Amber and Sienna are also now available to purchase from The Macallan Online Shop.

BUY NOW

Four Roses K&L Exclusive OESK (9 Years Old, 7 Months) Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $64.99

Lagavulin “Distiller’s Edition” Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $125) $109.99 

Redbreast 21 Year Old Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey (750ml) (1 bottle limit) 96 $219.99 

Pot Still Whiskey – Ireland’s Secret Weapon

Irish whiskey is booming. For a long time it has been seen as Scotch whisky’s less-popular sibling, but the past few years have seen it explode in popularity. The biggest driver is Jameson, a blended Irish whiskey, but also growing is a style of whiskey not found anywhere else: pot still whiskey.

Pot still: isn’t that what you use to make malt whiskey?

First off, the terminology is confusing. In Ireland, along with blended, grain and malt whiskey, you also have pot still whiskey. Distillers make malt whiskey in a pot still, but it’s not pot still whiskey. Confused yet?

A pot still used to make pot still whiskey. It’s deliberately confusing

The difference between pot still and malt whiskey is the ingredients: pot still uses both malted and unmalted barley.

On top of that, all pot still whiskey you can currently find is single pot still whiskey. The ‘single’ just means that it’s made at one distillery.

The history

In classic fashion, the development of pot still as a style of whiskey comes from taxation. Back in the 1700s, the government started taxing malt. Enterprising distillers, keen to save money, replaced some of the now-expensive malt with cheaper, unmalted grain. The result was pot still whiskey.

Barley, happily malting away with no interference from the tax man

Historically, distillers also threw in oats, rye and wheat as well as barley. The legal definition of pot still allows up to 5% other grains, but it’s rare to see them used these days.

How is it made?

It’s made in almost exactly the same way as malt whiskey. The main difference is that the grain used is a mixture of malted and unmalted barley.

As usual, the distillers mill the grain and steep it in hot water. They then strain off the sugary liquid, add yeast and leave the mixture to ferment.

The resulting boozy liquid – wash – is then distilled.

Triple distillation

As is traditional in Ireland, all the distilleries currently producing pot still whiskey triple-distil their spirit.

The three stills at Slane distillery – wash, intermediate and spirit

Triple distillation is talked about a lot in whisk(e)y circles, and there are a few myths to be busted:

• there are several distilleries in Scotland that triple distil – it’s not only an Irish thing
• triple distillation does not necessarily lead to a high-strength, low-flavour spirit.

The latter point is especially interesting. Each distillation typically increases the purity of the spirit – it removes flavour. However, pot stills are inefficient beasts, and that inefficiency gives the distiller options. They can emphasise and quieten flavours in the final distillate: the third distillation is a polishing of the spirit.

This is especially true of pot still whiskey, where the unmalted barley adds in large amounts of flavour. The spirit needs sculpting to create the fruit, grass, grain and spice character that the distiller and drinker expect.

How does it taste?

Only Irish Distillers’ Midleton distillery has pot still whiskey on the market, but expect to see more appearing soon. Ireland has loads of new distilleries and many of them are planning on making pot still whiskey, if they aren’t already.

For now, the two classics of pot still are Green Spot and Redbreast.

Green Spot focuses on bourbon-cask maturation, giving a very clean insight into pot-still character. Redbreast is all about the sherry casks, adding in layers of spice and dried fruit.

Redbreast 12 Year Old

Nose: Rich spiced fruit, hints of orgeat sweetness, toast with generic red jam and creamy porridge with brown sugar.

Palate: Softer and creamier than the nose suggests. Spiced sponge cake packed with dried fruit and smothered with soft, buttery icing.

Finish: More cream and fruit, fading into dark and spicy wood.

Comment: This is the ‘entry level’ whisky in the Irish Distillers Single Pot Still range? An excellent whiskey.

Green Spot

Nose: Big green apple notes, candle wax, olive oil and some raisiny sweetness with a bit of cereal hiding underneath.

Palate: Soft and creamy apple – baby-food apple purée? Fresh and piney edges with green rhubarb and tropical fruit squash.

Finish: A big hit of both real apple and apple chews, slowly fading to leave sweet grain.

Comment: A very different whiskey to the Redbreasts – very fresh and green, but with a heavy oiliness as well. My favourite of the range.

Redbreast was the whiskey that made me fall in love with Irish spirit, and Green Spot was the one that kept me hooked. With new distilleries now getting into the pot still game, we can expect lots more to try in the future. I look forward to trying them.

You can find a wide range of Irish whiskey, including lots of pot still, over on our website.

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – Pot Still Whiskey – Ireland’s Secret Weapon