48
A look now at some of the many Irish whiskey brands
currently making an impact on the export market:
Tullamore DEW 10 Y.O
Tullamore DEW dates back to 1829 and are one
of the world’s most awarded Irish whiskeys and
widely acclaimed by whiskey connoisseurs. It
has won 30 gold medals awards in the last 10
years and was recently given two double gold
medals at one of the world’s most prestigious
competition for spirits, The World Spirits Com-
petition. The Tullamore DEW 10 Year old is aged
in old casks which previously held Bourbon,
Sherry, Port and Madeira. There is a wonderful
warm flavor of walnut and raisin on the palate
of this whiskey. Earthy and rich with a long
lingering finish.Green Spot & Yellow Spot
Single Pot Still whiskey is unique to Ireland in
general and to Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, in
particular, and is regarded as the quintessential
style of Irish whiskey. Made from a mash of
malted and unmalted barley and then triple
distilled in traditional copper pot stills, Pot Still
whiskeys are characterisedby full, complex
flavours and a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel.Green Spot and Yellow Spot were originally
produced by the Mitchell family when they
expanded into the whiskey bonding business
in 1887. At the time they sent empty wine and
fortified wine casks via horse and cart to the
local Jameson Distillery which were then filled
with new Pot Still spirit and returned to the
Mitchell’s maturation cellars. There, the whis-
keys matured for many years under bond until
they were ready to be bottled and sold.The ‘Spot’ name was derived from the Mitch-
ell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of
whiskey with a mark or daub of coloured paint
to determine the age potential of the whiskey.
Blue Spot was an 8 year old, Green Spot a 10,
Yellow Spot a 12 and Red Spot a 15. In time, all
but ‘Green Spot’ disappeared with Yellow Spot
last being seen on whiskey shelves in the early
1960s until its revival in the last decade. Yellow
Spot is a 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
matured for a full 12 year period in three oak
cask types: American bourbon barrels, Spanishsherry butts, and uniquely, Spanish Malaga
casks. Only extremely limited quantities of Yel-
low Spot have been bottled making it a whiskey
to seek out and savour as a true rarity.Green Spot is a non age statement Single Pot
Still Irish Whiskey and is comprised of Pot Still
whiskeys aged between 7 and 10 years. The
whiskey has matured in a combination of new
bourbon and refill bourbon casks as well as
sherry butts. Only small quantities of Green
Spot are bottled each year making it a rare and
much sought after delight. Irish Whiskey is tradi-
tionally triple distilled, resulting in a very smooth,
mellow spirit. With a light, fresh character, the
flavours of golden Irish whiskies run to fruity
and grassy. Green Spot has a full spicy body. A
hint of cloves along with the fruity sweetness of
green apples, rounded off with toasted oak.Jameson 12 Y.O. Special Reserve
John Jameson a Scot founded his distillery
in 1740 in Bow Street in Dublin, where today
you can still visit the original buildings. Today
Jameson is one of Ireland’s biggest producers
and has a huge international following. The
Special Reserve 12 Year Old is one of James-
on’s premium products. Aged for a minimum
of 12 years in a combination of Bourbon and
with at least 30% aged in old Oloroso casks,
the wonderful nutty flavours are transferred
into this unique whiskey. The colour is golden
brown and the flavours of roasted hazelnut
with a subtle sweetness show through on the
palate. The youngest whiskey in the blend is
12 years old but it also has older whiskey added
into the blend. A full bodied robust whiskey with
character.Bushmills 10 Y.O. Single Malt
This is a Single Malt made from only malted
barley. It is distilled using a pot still and is a
great introduction to an Irish Single Malt. The
whiskey is a blend of different cask and ages
and this gives it its wonderful consistency. The
Bushmills malt has its own distinctive flavour
and style. It has delicate aromas but on the pal-
ate has a depth of flavour with hints of vanillaand caramel. It has a lovely finish with flavours
of pear and green apples. If you want an ele-
gant start to your evening then this whiskey can
be offered as a delicate aperitif.Kilbeggan
It is believed that monks from Europe first intro-
duce whiskey making to the Kilbeggan area in
the 12th century. The water of the river Brosna
is ideal for whiskey and the rich agricultural land
of Co Westmeath provides top quality barley.
The first distillery on the site 1757 was taken
over by John Locke in 1843; the present distillery
was built as a brewery by the Codd family at the
beginning of the 19th century. In 1987 Cooley
Distillery bought it and reopened it and then
re-lauched Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey. Kilbeggan
has quickly established its reputation. This is
a complex whiskey quite light in style with a
honey character. It has a lovely mocha finish
with a hint of nut and chocolate.Teeling Small Batch
This is a blended Irish whiskey and the small
batch bottling consists of hand selected casks
which are given further maturation in ex-rum
barrels. The flavour profile is soft and smooth,
even though the ABV stands at 46%. It has a
spicy finish with lots of vanilla and spice notes.Slane Castle Triple Casked Irish Whiskey
I visited the newly opened Slane Castle distillery
in November last year. Situated in the Boyne
Valley beside the River Boyne Slane Castle,
the home of Lord Henry Mountcharles and
the Conyngham family, is best known as a
concert venue, having played host since 1981 to
everyone from the Rolling Stones to U2. Their
recently built state of the art distillery offers
regularly tours, in the newly refurbished, eco
friendly stable block. The Slane Castle Triple
Casked has been aged in three barrel varieties,
virgin American oak, seasoned bourbon casks
and ex-oloroso sherry casks. This creates an
exceptionally smooth style of whiskey which
is more akin to a Bourbon and will appeal to
anyone who like a softer style.front of house: BY JeaN sMulleN