Showing posts with label Wayward Irish Spirits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wayward Irish Spirits. Show all posts

Friday, November 18, 2022

Whiskey Review Plus... Writers Tears, Copper Pot Irish Whiskey 40% ABV. Wayward Spirit Visit! New Irish release from The Single Malt Shop. Instil 38 Gold!

Whiskey Review Plus...  

Writers Tears, Copper Pot Irish Whiskey. Wayward Spirit Visit! New Irish release from The Single Malt Shop. Istil 38 Gold!


Writers Tears, Copper Pot Irish Whiskey 40% ABV

Don't stick your nose in to get the aromas - a "mistake" some wine aficionados make with spirits - just hover above the glass and they’ll come to you, apple, honey, malt and vanilla in this case. 


The attractive soft whiskey has been matured in charred Bourbon barrels and there are notes of the wood on the gentle palate. It is smooth and mellow, with mild spice and always a hint of the oak. And the finish is smooth and long. 


This is just one of five Irish Tears. The others are Double Oak, Red Head, Single Pot Still and Cask Strength.


They say: Writers’ Tears is a unique marriage of Aged Single Pot Still and Single Malt Irish whiskey. Distilled entirely from barley, both malted and unmalted, this is a truly special Irish Whiskey. Writers’ Tears is triple distilled, non-peated and matured in Flame Charred American Oak bourbon casks. An award-winning whiskey that has also been included in Ian Buxton’s publication “101 Whiskeys to try before you die”.


Writer's Tears Whiskey is owned and operated by the Walsh family in County Carlow. This approachable Copper Pot is widely available at around the 45 euro mark.


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Wayward Spirit Visit!



As part of the launch of Lakeview Estate Single Estate Irish Whiskey, we recently visited Lakeview on the shores Lough Leann in Killarney, a beautiful destination and a superb whiskey. If you haven't see the post, check out the details here


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press release

THE SINGLE MALT SHOP PROUDLY RELEASE A SINGLE CASK GREEN SPOT 10 YEAR OLD


After launching in May of 2021, The Single Malt Shop has quickly earned a solid reputation for being a global leader as an online whiskey store. Based out of Dublin, they have grown their distribution to dozens of countries worldwide.

A crucial element behind the shop's success has been their strong investment into exclusive single casks. Continuing this tradition sees them bring out their final Irish single cask of the year from the legendary bonders Mitchell & Son, Green Spot 10 Year Old.
This single pot still release is limited to just 192 bottles and its ABV is at the cask strength of 58% ABV. It was filled in May of 2011 in an ex Bourbon barrel where it remained for a decade.
What marks this wonderful bottling as particularly special, is that it will be the last third party single cask release that Mitchell & Son and their partners IDL will be doing.

Green.Spot.10.1.jpg

Jonathan Mitchell, Managing Director of Mitchell & Son said, "It was a great honour for us in Mitchells that the Single Malt Shop is launching a single cask of Green Spot 10 year old whiskey.  Our original Mitchell's Green Spot was in fact also a 10 year old whiskey so it's very exciting to see it back again so many decades later.

I wish The Single Malt Shop every success with the launch of this excellent, single pot still release."


AGE: 10 years
BARREL: Ex-Bourbon
ABV: 58%
BOTTLES AVAILABLE: 192
PRICE: €340 for Ireland including shipping. International prices will vary according to local taxes and duties in destination countries. Click here to order.
AVAILABILITY: For a full list of countries The Single Malt Shop delivers to click here.
CASK NO: 88193, FILLED IN MAY 2011

NOSE: Medley of fruits ranging from sweet red apples, ripe honeydew melon to zesty citrus notes of lemon peel and mandarin. Baked apple crumble with dustings of cinnamon work with the vanilla and clove oil aromas that remain constant throughout, creating balance between the fruits, pot still spices and charred oak.

TASTE: Initial burst of pot still spices with delicate jasmine tea tannins and clove. Fruit notes of sweet pear and orange work in tandem with the vanilla and dried herbs, while the oak continues to evolve, adding woodland spices of cinnamon and nutmeg, accentuating the overall spice intensity.

FINISH: Lingering finish in which the oaks and fruits interweave amongst the fading spices, creating a harmonious finale.


ABOUT THE SINGLE MALT SHOP 

The Single Malt Shop is based in Dublin and owned and operated by The Single Malt Fund, the world’s first publicly listed Alternative Investment Fund for whiskey. Listed on the Nordic Growth Market in Sweden, The Single Malt Fund is fully regulated, offering investors a safe way to invest in the Water of Life. We invest in rare and limited edition whiskies from all over the world and make these available for sale via The Single Malt Shop.

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press release

istil 38 Superior Irish Craft Vodka wins two gold medals at Irish Whiskey Awards 

It may have only launched in April of this year, but istil 38 Superior Irish Craft Vodka has had an exceptionally positive year. With strong nationwide distribution around the country and two full time brand ambassadors, bars have been quick to take in all three of the brand's flavours to mix them into classic cocktails and new delicious creations. 

Co-owner and the brand's Creative Director, Pippa O'Connor Ormond now has another reason to celebrate with her team. Last week at The Irish Whiskey Awards, istil 38 won two gold medals for its Classic Irish vodka and its Vanilla Irish Vodka.

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Pippa O'Connor Ormond, Co-owner and Creative Director of istil 38 

"I am thrilled that istil 38 Superior Irish Craft Vodka has picked up two such illustrious awards. We have always maintained that it is a remarkably well produced spirit that goes so nicely into cocktails. Now we have an official verdict from our industry's peers that has given us two gold medals from the highly acclaimed and totally independent Irish Whiskey Awards. I'll be celebrating tonight with an Irish Espresso Martini!" 

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Monday, November 14, 2022

Gourmet Times Imminent In The Herbert Restaurant As New Head Chef Cormac Vesey Takes Over at Cahernane House Hotel.

Gourmet Times Imminent In The Herbert Restaurant As New Head Chef  Cormac Vesey Takes Over at Cahernane House Hotel.

These Winter Chanterelle mushrooms were excellent with the Dry Aged Beef.


Killarney and visiting diners are in for an exciting and tasty future. That was the message from Cahernane House Hotel last Friday when new head chef Cormac Vesey’s 8-course tasting menu gave a tantalising hint of what’s to come in the months ahead. 

New chef Cormac with Maurice O'Connell of Wayward Irish Spirits (right)


Venison
It went down a treat and drew praise all around the Herbert Restaurant for the new chef with many of those present looking forward to seeing how he integrates such delicious produce into the menus here. Cormac's focus is very much on food provenance and seasonal ingredients.



A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Ireland’s Blue Book, Cahernane House Hotel is already well known for its stunning food and classic Irish hospitality. Cormac's meal indicated that it will be even better in the future. 

Monkfish


It won’t be for the want of skill or the lack of effort. The detail in preparing these eight courses, the amount of attention to the small things and the amount of work in sourcing the produce (back-breaking when it came to foraging a large selection of mushrooms hiding among fallen Autumn leaves) was quite phenomenal.


Cahernane will inevitably have venison this time of the year and it was especially good when paired with a lovely red from the Rhone. And the well-paced meal just got better with a superb Poached Monkfish with an old vine Chablis and then the spot-on Dry Aged Beef with a Haut Medoc. 


Then onto the lingering sweet offerings, one featuring a Killahora Pom’ O Sorbet, another the very local Liberator Peated Whiskey, before finishing off with some delicious Petit Fours, all the while sipping the luscious Seifried “Sweet Agnes” Late Harvest Riesling.

Apple Terrine


No doubt that splendid meal made a big impression. Indeed, we had nothing but good impressions during our visit, starting with the long tree-lined drive from the Muckross Road down to the late 19th century building in its superb location near the lakes. 

Not your usual sauce decanter!
Decanter designed and made
by Irish tableware and cutlery
brand, Newbridge Silverware
 


Just before dusk and just after sunrise, the native red deer pass slowly beneath your windows. In the nearby fields, horses and sheep and black Kerry cattle graze. Peace and quiet and just a few minutes drive from the town centre; indeed, you'd walk it in about 15 minutes.


Like all the rooms here, our Albericci* Room has been recently renovated. It is spacious, comfortable, beautifully decorated, with great views, well-heated too, especially the bathroom (hard to beat hot tiles and hot towels in the morning!). And of course it has WiFi and TV as well. All in all, the Cahernane is a great base for Killarney itself and for Kerry in general.


And if you are heading out for the day, you’ll need a good breakfast. And you’ll get just that in the Herbert Restaurant. Just like the night before, the morning staff were all friendly, chatty and efficient.

One of the Petit Fours


Here, everything is brought to your table. You may have something from the Continental Menu:  Juices, Fresh Fruit Salad with a Rose & Lime Syrup, Prunes & Earl Grey Infusion, Apricots with Cinnamon & Orange, A Selection of Charcuterie, Yogurt, Farmhouse Cheeses,

Cereals, and Breads & Pastries.


Or something cooked from the Hot Menu: Irish Oatmeal Porridge, Traditional Full Irish Breakfast, Smoked Potato & Fried Egg, Manor House Omelette, Salmon & Egg Bagel, Buttermilk Pancakes, Smoked Kippers, or the Eggs “Cahernane" special.


Lots of choice there! My picks were Apricots with Cinnamon & Orange and the Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Egg Bagel (something of a staple here). Both were superb and I was immediately fuelled for the day ahead.



That day began with a very enjoyable visit to the Lakeview Estate, home of Wayward Irish Spirits. Check it out here


* In or about 1940, Vincent Albericci, the former proprietor of the Continental Cafe, 23 Patrick Street, Cork, bought Cahernane House. The death of his wife Mary (Foley) in May 1945 may have caused him to withdraw from the business.


The 8-course menu at Cahernane 11th November 2022.




Sunday, January 16, 2022

Taste of the Week. Wayward Spirits Hot Toddy.

Taste of the Week.

Wayward Spirits Hot Toddy. 

The cinnamon stick came from Mr Bells, who have an amazing range!

In 1840, the London Times accused Daniel O'Connell of enticing Englishmen into his den and drowning them in Whiskey Toddy. Today, our purpose is to warm up a cold January day with our Liberator Hot Toddy.


And here's the hot toddy recipe from Wayward Spirits Maurice O'Connell, a direct descendant of The Liberator Daniel O'Connell. 
30-50ml The Liberator Small Batch (by Wayward Spirits)
1 tablespoon of local honey
Fresh lemon juice (¼ of a lemon)
Top up with boiling water
Stir and garnish with a cinnamon stick (from Mr Bells)
Put your feet up!

Seems like a lot of honey (Galtee in this case) and quite a bit of lemon juice too. And, yes, they each play a leading role as does the whiskey of course. But there's a terrific balance between sweet and sour and the cinnamon blends in neatly as well. All nice and smooth and a really different take on the hot toddy when you consider neither the traditional clove nor the demerara sugar (or brown sugar) is selected for this one, our warming Taste of the Week. Cheers!

* There is a claim that the drink may have been started in India, but 19th century Irish doctor Richard Bentley Todd is widely credited with inventing the prescription of a hot drink of brandy, white cinnamon, sugar syrup and water, which was called after him.


Sunday, October 10, 2021

The Liberator Continues Making Strides at Lakeview. Three Whiskeys To Look Out For. Two Now, One In March.

The Liberator Continues Making Strides at Lakeview.

Three Whiskeys To Look Out For. Two Now, One In March.

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The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat Batch 2, 46%


Founder of Wayward Irish Spirits Maurice O’Connell, buoyed by the success of Batch 1, introduces this special: “Our Storehouse Specials are small runs of interesting Whiskeys from our Bonded Storehouse – we like to keep the Whiskey community in touch with our progress and also use it to test release potential new products. After the fantastic reaction to the Port ’n’ Peat at Belfast Whiskey Week we released 200 bottles of Batch 1 which sold out very quickly, so we’re doing a further small test release before deciding whether to add it to our core range.”


The colour is natural, amber and also a streak or two of red. Aromas are smooth, fruit (banana) and a hint of peat. And that peat is also gently, but importantly, evident on the creamy and fruity palate and also in the long dry finish. A whiskey for your short list!


Maurice explains “We’ve been playing with the wonderful effect a small element of Peated Malt has on our Port finished Whiskey. Too much or too little risks one overpowering the other but we found that around 5% Peated Malt was the sweet spot where the Peat highlights the Port, making a very moreish and approachable Whiskey”. They took their time in Killarney and came out with a very delicious result indeed.


I’m not the biggest peat lover myself so this is an unexpected bonus (a few drops of water, very few, makes it even better) for me and I’m glad Maurice and team took time over this!  Attention to detail is key here as you can read below.



The details: “This is a premium blended Whiskey with a high (45%) Malt content. The unpeated Malt was finished in really fresh Tawny and Ruby Port Casks and half of the Grain component was finished in fresh Ruby Port casks, all for 9-12 months. The Whiskeys in this blend were sourced from Cooley and Great Northern. As with all our Whiskeys, we cut it gently cut over many weeks to avoid stressing it, borrowing from Cognac tradition. The colour is natural, it’s not chill filtered or otherwise messed with. As everything other than distillation - from maturation to finishing, blending and bottling - can be done on site, we can take the time to do things properly”. 


* 400 numbered half (350ml) bottles (200 for the Irish market). Bottled at 46% ABV, RSP €35. Available now from Irish Malts, Celtic Whiskey, James Fox, Tiny Tipples and Carryout Killarney.


Wayward Spirts The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish

 – Batch 3, 46% abv

An intense warm gold colour, with hints of red, announces this Liberator Malt with its tawny port finish. The fruity aromas hint at something warm and rich, and smooth, to come. And even if the intro to the palate is just a tad sharper than expected, you won’t be disappointed. Beautiful fruit notes (fig prominent) here “from the really fresh Port barrels” on the way to a lingering and satisfying finish, warm and moreish.


Maurice O’Connell, the man behind Wayward, says this is Ireland’s first vatted Malt in decades and led the wave of Tawny Port finishes, showing the innovation that Whiskey Bonders like Wayward Irish Spirits can bring to the category. Maurice has already received a boost with the news that this malt made it to the finals of Blas na hÉireann Food Awards 2021.


Similar to Batch 2, the components are 2006 Cooley Single Malt (increased to 25% in this Batch) and 2015/2016 Great Northern Single Malt. One thousand numbered bottles (450 for the Irish market) at 46% ABV with a RSP of €65. Available at specialist Whiskey shops: Celtic, James Fox, Irish Malts, Tiny Tipples, Carryout Killarney and in Supervalu’s throughout Kerry. 



Lakeview Single Estate “Hilly Field” Whiskey 46% 



Wayward Irish Spirits is getting closer to the release of the first Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey from their 2018 Hilly Field barley harvest. This was small-batch malted in Naas and then distilled (by Great Northern Distillery) into Pot Still spirit to their 50/50 mash bill and specification in March 2019. Initially in Bourbon casks for 3 months before transferring into NEOC casks (First Growth chateau Bordeaux casks, hand shaved and re-toasted).


This is our first Whiskey from barley grown on the Lakeview Estate and matured here. The Hilly Field, where the Whiskey was born, is adjacent to our Bonded Storehouse ‘The House of Contentment’ and I think people value that provenance and authenticity. There are many views on the effect of Terroir on the barley used to make Whiskey but there’s no doubt that the Estate’s constantly changing microclimate exerts a definite influence on maturation here.”


Micro-climate? The lake and mountain setting gives the estate a special microclimate: the famously changeable weather provides lots of variation in barometric pressure, even on an hourly basis - that contributes to cask maturation which depends on these changes. Sometimes, you can feel the pressure if you put a hand on top of a cask. Perhaps the angels are impatient for their share.

A small release of 800 bottles is planned to mark its ‘coming of age’ in March 2022. Pre-orders are being taken now based on a price of €95 for a 700ml bottle at 46% ABV. A small number of quarter casks (55-60L) with the same 2019 spirit are available at €5,000 +vat including 3 years further storage and bottling, representing around €50/bottle before vat and duty.


Got to try out “a work in progress” sample recently. There’s a decent bit of colour here at this stage and aroma intensity is also building. Very promising on the palate too and Maurice says that, “even at 2.5 years, .. it is impressing tasters with a maturity beyond its years and it’s already very drinkable”. Young for sure but also full of potential with the balance between the wood and the distillate emerging.