Review: Dubliner Irish Whiskey
Dubliner Irish Whiskey has recently undergone a facelift with a new modern looking bottle design. Quintessential Brands acquired The Dublin Whiskey Company and the Dubliner Irish Whiskey brand March 2016. The original blend of 20% single malt and 80% grain whiskey, bourbon cask aged for 3 years has not changed. Master Distiller Darryl McNally overseas distilling, aging, and sourcing of all of their whiskey. Darryl was Operations Manager, and Master Distiller at Bushmills Distillery where he worked for 17 years prior to joining The Dublin Liberties Distillery. The Dublin Liberties distillery opened March 2019 in a 400 year old building that was once a mill and tannery. Built at a cost of $11 million they will only produce triple distilled malt whiskey. Master Distiller Darryl McNally is blending sourced Irish Whiskey while his own crafted whiskey matures in barrels. Read more 
Review: The Quiet Man Traditional Irish Whiskey
The Quiet Man Traditional Irish Whiskey was launched June 2015 along with The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. The Quiet Man, or An Fear Ciuin in Gaelic, is named to honor brand founder Ciaran Mulgrew’s father, who spent 50 years as a barman in the pubs of Belfast. A bartender sees a lot and hears a lot of stories but his father told no tales. It was The Barman’s Code. The whiskey is currently sourced, and said to have a high malt component, while their own distilled whiskey matures. It is triple distilled and matured in first fill American oak bourbon casks for 4 years. The Quiet Man is blended and bottled in Derry Ireland. Read more
Review: Kilbrin Irish Whiskey
Kilbrin Irish Whiskey is a private label brand owned and produced by Quality Spirits International. It is imported by Saranty Imports. The brand was established in 2017. Kilbrin Irish Whiskey, and Kilbrin Single Malt 10 Year Old Irish Whiskey are sold at Total Wine and More stores. The name was inspired by the lore of treasure hidden in the parish of Kilbrin. KIlbrin is triple distilled, and made by blending rich malt whiskey, produced from malted barley, with the finest grain whiskey in Ireland. The whiskey is sourced from unknown distilleries, and no age statement appear on the bottle. Read more
Review: Kavanagh Finest Irish Whiskey
Kavanagh Finest Irish Whiskey is a blended Irish whiskey. Our contacts believe the whiskey is distilled and sourced from Kilbeggan Distillery. It is aged for 4 years in ex-bourbon barrels and is currently sold at Total Wine and More stores. If you are not familiar with Total Wine and More, they currently have over 160 stores in 23 states, with more on the way. Total Wine and More also sells Kavanagh Single Grain Irish Whiskey, Kavanagh Single Malt Irish Whiskey, and Kavanagh Irish Cream Liqueur. Read more
Review: Lambay Small Batch Blend Irish Whiskey
Lambay Small Batch Blend Irish Whiskey was released early 2018. Lambay takes its name from the Lambay Island located three miles off the coast of Dublin. Lambay Island is a wildlife sanctuary owned by the Baring family since 1904. This island is known for the puffins who make the island their home. I guess that explains the tuxedo waring puffin on the bottles label. Lambay whiskey is a joint venture between the Baring family which owns the island and the Camus family which supplies the cognac casks. Cognac has been produced by five generations of the Camus family since 1863. Camus is the fifth biggest producer of cognac, and the largest independent producer. Alexander Baring and Cyril Camus also bottle a single malt Irish whiskey. Lambay Small batch whiskey is distilled at West Cork Distillers from malted and grain whiskey. The whiskey is non-chill filtered, matured for a minimum four years in first fill bourbon barrels, and finished in Cognac casks. Read more
Review: The Pogues Irish Whiskey
The Pogues Irish Whiskey was launched July 2015, and is named for the Celtic Punk band formed in Ireland in 1982 by front man Shane MacGowan. While I’m more familiar with the music of Irish rockers Thin Lizzy, U2, and The Cranberries, The Pogues have been named as a source of influence with several US grown Celtic punk bands including the Boston bred Dropkick Murphy, and LA’s own Flogging Molly. The Pogues Irish Whiskey was developed and blended by Barry Walsh and Frank McHardy at West Cork Distillers. Most of the mashing, fermenting, and distilling equipment at this distillery was handcrafted onsite. The Pogues is a blend of 50% 10 year old single pot malt Irish Whiskey finished in sherry casks, and 50% 5-7 year old grain whiskey aged in bourbon barrels. Read more
Review: Bushmills Red Bush Irish Whiskey
Bushmills Red Bush Irish Whiskey was released in the US March 2017, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. It is a blend of triple distilled Irish single malt whiskey made from 100% malted barley and water drawn from Saint Columbs Rill, a tributary of the River Bush, and Irish grain whiskey. Bushmills Red Bush is matured exclusively in first fill bourbon casks for a minimum of four years. This contrasts to Bushmills Black Bush which is matured in Oloroso sherry casks. Read more
Review: Tullamore DEW XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish
Tullamore DEW XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish is made with the same recipe as Tullamore DEW Original. It is triple distilled and a triple blend of pot still, malt and grain Irish whiskey. The whiskey is finished in first fill XO rum casks previously used to age Demerara rum. Tullamore DEW XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish pays tribute to the role of Irish immigrants in the development of rum in the Caribbean in the 17th century. This is not the first Tullamore DEW finished in a second cask. They also produce Tullamore DEW Cider Cask Finish. Read more
Review: Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey
Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey is a brand that has been around since 1886 when John Power and Son Distillery began bottling this whiskey with a gold label. Until then casks of whiskey were sold to merchants and bonders who would bottle the whiskey. The Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey produced today is a blend of triple distilled pot still whiskey and grain whiskey. Both are matured in American oak casks, non chill filtered, blended, and bottled at 86.4 proof. The previous version was chill filtered and weighed in at 80 proof. To see my thoughts on Powers Gold Label 80 Proof, check out yesterdays review. Read more
Review: Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey
Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey is named for the town and distillery where the whiskey was first produced, and the initials of Daniel E. Williams, who worked his way up from stable boy of the distillery to become the owner. The Original Tullamore Distillery was opened in 1829 by Michael Molloy in the heart of the town of Tullamore. The Tullamore Distillery closed its doors in the 1950’s and the brand was sold to John Power and Son in the 1960’s. With the merger of John Power and Son, John Jameson and Son, and Cork Distilleries, production was moved to the New Midleton Distillery. In 2010 the Tullamore brand was sold to William Grant and Sons. After 60 years, production returned to the town of Tullamore with the opening of the brand new Tullamore Distillery. Tullamore DEW is produced with all three types of Irish Whiskey, single grain, single malt, and pot still. The whiskey is triple distilled and aged in three different types of oak barrels. Traditional refill, ex bourbon, and ex sherry. While whiskey produced at this distillery matures, Tullamore DEW continues to be made with single grain and pot-still whiskey distilled at the New Midleton Distillery, and single malt whiskey distilled by Bushmill. Read more