Category: Irish Whiskey Page 2 of 4

Irish Whiskey

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for Irish whiskey. A collection of all the interesting whiskey releases I have tried that originate in Ireland.

Jameson Select Reserve Irish Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/24/2022

In Irish Whiskey

At the end of 2021, we were invited for drinks by some friends just up the road. Sats received a bottle of the Jameson Select Reserve Irish whiskey from a colleague, and knowing our whisky love, he saved his bottle for our visit. I have to say; there was not much left by the time we walked home.

I am not the biggest fan of the standard Jameson Irish whiskey, and I was not expecting much. But we all loved the Select Reserve, and I went to buy us a bottle. So, before anything else, thank you, Sats, for sharing your bottle with us.

The Jameson Select Reserve is a triple distilled blend of rich pot still and grain whiskey. The whiskey is matured in a mixture of sherry casks and flame charred bourbon barrels. It has no age statement, but it is believed to be around 10 to 12 years old.

The Select Reserve is part of the Pernod Ricard stable together with Redbreast, Green Spot and Yellow Spot whiskey. Other Jameson Irish whiskey releases include the Jameson 18 year old and the Jameson Black Barrel whiskey.

Also Read: Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon

Jameson Select Reserve Irish Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Pale Gold

NOSE: Bold with butterscotch sweetness, toasted malt and peaches. Something that reminds me of freshly baked palmier cookies. Cinnamon and faint bits of tropical fruit and oak. Hints of cream and milk chocolate and red berries.

PALATE: Buttery pastry with vanilla, toasted oak and stone fruit. Something green in the background. Tropical fruit and oak come through, especially after a few drops of water. In terms of spices, it is warming and lovely with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg notes. Rich and complex and just very, very smooth. A lovely dram.

FINISH: Long and lingering with toasted wood and vanilla. Bits at light pepper and fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely drinkable whiskey. Smooth and wonderfully balanced. Someone called it a “breakfast whiskey”, and I think that is a perfect description. It is bold and fruity, and a few drops into a steaming bowl of oats will make your day start with a big smile.

Between the 4 of us, we made a significant dent in Sats’ bottle. If nothing else, that is a testament to how drinkable this Jameson is. I was also impressed with the affordability of the Select Reserve.

In South Africa, it retails for about R 420. Compared to the standard Jameson at R 330, this is outstanding value. Undoubtedly the nicest Jameson whiskey I have tasted thus far. Worth adding to your collection.

Also Read: Woodford Reserve Rye vs Jack Daniel’s Rye Whiskey

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/20/2021

In Irish Whiskey

Like the vibrant green spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day, Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey proudly wears its distinctive green label. This Irish whiskey is one of the quintessential choices to pay homage to this cherished Irish celebration.

Tullamore DEW, a well-known Irish whiskey brand, is owned by William Grant & Sons. They also own the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries. The Tullamore distillery traces back to 1829 when Michael Molloy founded the distillery in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. Following Molloy’s passing, the distillery found itself in the capable hands of the Daly family.

Interestingly, it was during the tenure of Daniel E. Williams as General Manager that the iconic DEW initials came into play, derived from his name. Quite the revelation, as many of us might have assumed it stood for dew, that glistening morning moisture on exposed surfaces.

This rich tapestry of Irish whiskey heritage continued to evolve, with the brand changing hands several times, ultimately being acquired by William Grant in 2010. Like the shamrock with its three leaves, Tullamore DEW’s distillation process also unfolds in threes.

The whiskey undergoes triple distillation, blending, and cask maturation. These casks include traditional refill, ex-bourbon, and ex-sherry casks, each imparting its unique character to the final product.

As for the tasting experience, let’s dive into the flavours of Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey:

Related Article: Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey Review

Looking at my tasting notes, this is only the 3rd Irish whiskey that I have tasted in the last 4 years.

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: A dark amber.

NOSE: A blend of vanilla and caramel greets the senses, accompanied by subtle notes of fresh flowers, butterscotch, and hints of citrus, reminiscent of subtropical fruits. In the backdrop, a delicate interplay of spice, moss, and wood adds depth. After adding water, the spice and wood elements take centre stage.

PALATE: Abundant notes of spice and oak dominate, intermingling with touches of grapefruit and lemon rind. A subtle toffee sweetness and hints of malt dance in the background, but the peppery spice starts to overwhelm. A drop of water tempers some of the whiskey’s fiery aspects, offering a smoother experience.

FINISH: Rather short and end in spicy notes.

RATING: VERY GOOD

My experience with Irish whiskies may be limited, but I anticipated a smoother, more approachable whiskey. Surprisingly, the spiciness of Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey takes centre stage, eclipsing other flavour notes. The spice and the oak nearly drown out the sweetness.

Due to the spicy nature, it pairs wonderfully with cheese, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this Irish classic. I indulged in some Tullamore DEW alongside some Irish Dubliner cheese. The synergy between the whiskey and cheese was nothing short of lovely.

Tullamore DEW amplified the vanilla sweetness of the cheese while the cheese softened the peppery notes. The cheese lent its creamy texture to the whiskey, enhancing the woody undertones for a harmonious duet on the palate.

As a bonus, I conducted a lively side-by-side comparison between Tullamore DEW and Jameson whiskey to uncover their distinctive charms.

Also Read: Glenfiddich 18 vs Glenmorangie 18 yo whisky

Waterford The Cuvée Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/29/2021

In Irish Whiskey

Terroir has been a hot topic in whisky chats again lately, especially since the launch of Waterford The Cuvée Irish single malt whisky. Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Cooladine Edition 1.1 release. This whisky is from Mark Reynier’s new Irish distillery, where the main focus is on the barley.

They meticulously document the barley, the weather, the soil conditions and a host of other factors that influence the growth of the barley.

It makes for fascinating reading for someone who grew up in the city. The barley from each individual farm is distilled separately and allocated to a country. SA has the Cooladine and Knockroe releases.

In 2021, inspired by the terroir of France’s wine-making region Bordeaux, Waterford launched its flagship single malt, The Cuvée Irish whisky. For this release, they applied the same methodology as the famous wine-making region to create something unique. Cuvée is a fancy-sounding word that indicates the liquid, the whisky, is a blend.

Also Read: Teeling Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Head Distiller Ned Gahan blended together 25 individually distilled single farm origins whiskies. These whiskies cover a broad spectrum of natural flavours defined by Ireland’s soils and micro climates.

The whisky is bottled in Waterford’s distinctive blue bottle and features a label designed by Leah Hewson, one of Ireland’s leading visual artists.

Waterford The Cuvée single malt Irish whiskey is a flagship bottling and will be available globally. The cask composition is a big percentage first fill US and virgin US, and also some premium French and Vin Doux Naturel.

Waterford The Cuvée Whisky Review

Waterford The Cuvée single malt is bottled with no chill-filtration and no colouring.

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 50%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Honey sweetness, peaches, apricots and white oak. Bits of vanilla, biscuits, with green pine and mixed fruit. Subtle but complex and lovely.

PALATE: Freshly baked oats crunchies (a classic SA cookie) with honey sweetness. Cinnamon and vanilla with bits of creamy chocolate and malt. Fresh summer fruit with cereals and hints of white pepper and lemon. Smooth and drinkable. Water brings more oranges and pectin to the front.

FINISH: The honey and pepper spicy notes alternate in the finish. Bits of drying oak and lemon. Clean and fresh.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Layered and complex and even at 50% ABV, it is very drinkable without water. Add water carefully as it brought a lot of pectin to the forefront. The malty and honey notes were very similar to the Cooladine release I tasted not so long ago. An exciting release to have in your collection, especially if you like something novel.

The beautiful blue bottle stands out on the shelf. It is now available in South Africa through Navigate World Whisky, and it retails for around R1 495.

Also Read: Dunville’s PX Cask 12 yo Whiskey

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky sample from Navigate World Whisky. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Waterford Cooladine Edition 1.1 Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/08/2021

In Irish Whiskey

Two weeks ago, I wrote about my first real-life whisky tasting with the Joburg Whisky Club and Candice Baker from Navigate World Whisky. We tasted quite a few delicious drams, including the Linkwood 8 yo whisky. Another delectable release that I tried that evening and promptly went out to buy was the Waterford Cooladine Edition 1.1 Irish single malt whisky.

Terroir has been a controversial word in the whisky industry for many years. In 2015, Mark Reynier started his Waterford Distillery project to experiment and fully understand the concept of terroir in whisky.

The Waterford Distillery is located in a converted former Guinness brewery in the southeast of Ireland. Mark was previously at Bruichladdich, where he started experimenting with the concept, but Waterford allowed him to explore it more extensively.

Terroir is how a particular region’s climate, soils and aspect (terrain) affect the taste of the food. The dominant belief in the whisky industry is that wood makes the whisky. Maturation in oak barrels is often attributed to providing 70% or more of a whisky’s flavour. However, at Waterford, the focus is on the barley.

The distillery works with 72 Irish farms, all located in the same region as the distillery. The barley is grown in 19 different soil types and everything is meticulously documented in a digital logistical system. Each farmer’s crop is harvested, malted, fermented and finally distilled separately. Effectively, this creates 40 different new-make spirits each season.

Also Read: Dunville’s PX Cask 12 yo Whiskey

Cooladine Single Farm Origin Whisky

The single farm origin whisky is then allocated per country. Only Waterford Cooladine and Knockroe barley is used in the limited edition whisky for South Africa. The back of the bottle has a code.

When you enter this into the Waterford website, it tells you every possible thing you could ever want to know about where the whisky and the environment the barley was grown in.

The land farmed by brothers William and Pat Doyle at Cooladine in County Wexford stands close to old Quaker burial grounds west of the River Slaney. These free-draining, fertile fields derived from the famously productive Clonroche soils are shingle to clay-rich marl, mainly from the Ordovician shale bedrock.

Barley variety: Overture barley
Yeast Type: Mauri Distillers yeast
Harvested: 16 August 2015
Maturation period: 4 years, 28 days
Bottled: November 2020
No of bottles: 5,076 bottles

Waterford Cooladine Edition 1.1 Whisky Review

However, it is not only the terroir that is important. Waterford Distillery also focuses on the wood policy, using only American and French oak to age their spirit in.

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 50%

COLOUR: Golden liquid sunset

NOSE: Grain sweetness, green barley, freshly cut pine wood with toffee and red apples. Subtle and elegant. Bits of spice with hints of pepper and cloves.

PALATE: Summer spices with ginger and coriander. Condensed milk and vanilla custard with bits of black pepper and barley. Lovely smooth, and balanced. Hints of sultanas, toffee and lemon. Smooth and balanced. Water smooths out the alcohol heat and makes it a bit lighter drinking. Oily with a full body mouthfeel.

FINISH: Honey sweetness with malt.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Waterford Cooladine Edition 1.1 single malt is a delicious all year round whisky. Complex enough to be momorable, but still easy to drink. It has the sweetest finish I tasted in a whisky in a long time. The initial palate is quite spicy, then the sweetness moves forward and continues on the finish. Perfect for my sweet palate.

In SA, it retails for around R 1 495, and I bought mine from Navigate World Whisky. I can’t wait for the Cooladine 2.1 Edition to be released to compare them next to each other.

Also Read: Redbreast 12 yo Whiskey

Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/09/2021

In Irish Whiskey

I am exploring the last of my Teeling samples, a single malt whiskey from Ireland, and it is time for the Teeling single malt Irish whiskey. I wrote about Teeling whiskey for the first time in 2015 when I captured my tasting notes for the Teeling Small Batch whiskey.

In 2020 I got the opportunity to taste a few more releases from this inventive Irish whiskey brand. The Teeling Distillery of today was officially opened in 2015. However, the family’s distilling history in Ireland stretches back to 1782; Walter Teeling set up a craft distillery on Marrowbone Lane in the Liberties area of Dublin.

But unfortunately, as the economy turned, Irish whiskey fell on hard times, and the last still ran dry in 1976. Today the new Teeling distillery is only a stone throw from where Walter set up his distillery in the heart of Dublin.

To generate a profit while their own whiskey mature, they have been buying casks from other Irish distillers and selling it under their own brand.

The Teeling single malt whiskey has spirits matured in five different wine casks; sherry, port, Madeira, white burgundy and cabernet sauvignon. It is made from 100% malted barley with a range of different ages, including malt whiskey distilled in 1991.

In SA, this release retails for around R 790, and last time I checked, WhiskyBrother Shop had some stock. It is also available on Amazon and retail for around

Other releases in the range include the Teeling Single Grain and the Teeling Small Batch Irish whiskey. Teeling whiskey has no added colour, and it is not chill-filtered.

Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Wood and fruity sweetness. Filled with sweet, ripe melon and lemon. Bits of dark chocolate and warming spices. A lovely inviting nose.

PALATE: A balanced mix of milk chocolate, toasty oak, white pepper and malt. Hints of warming cloves, cinnamon, ginger and malt. Hints of cherry lozenge and butterscotch. Medium body and very smooth. Some peppermint crisp chocolate in the background. Elegant and delicious! Add water carefully. Water dulls the flavours a bit.

FINISH: Long and lingering with dry oak and sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A well-balanced dram. The combination of wood, chocolate and spices are wonderfully warming. Just perfect for winter. It was my favourite of the three Teeling releases that I tried. The single malt is light but not delicate.

There is a chewy, oily quality to the mouth. Although Teeling used five different casks, none of the casks overwhelms the others. Each brings something unique, and they all fit together well. However, it was better to drink without water.

I have done a side by side comparison between this release and the Teeling Single Grain Irish whiskey to see which one I prefer.

Also Read: Redbreast 12 yo Whiskey