Review: The Whistler Double Oaked Irish Whiskey
The Whistler Double Oaked Irish Whiskey is one of three new whiskeys in the February 2020 released Whistler Trilogy series. The other two are The Whistler Irish Honey, and The Whistler Irish Cream. Each is blended at Boann Distillery while their own distilled whiskey is barrel aged. Michael Walsh the Master Distiller at Boann Distillery selects the finest blend of malt and grain whiskies that are small batch triple distilled and matured in ex-bourbon barrels. The whiskey is finished at the Boann Distillery in their signature Oloroso Sherry Casks for six months before bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Roe & Co Irish Whiskey
Roe & Co Irish Whiskey has an amazing story that starting in 1757 when Peter Roe built a small distillery on Thomas Street in Dublin, Two years later Arthur Guinness set up his brewery across the street. By 1887 the Roe family had expanded the Thomas Street Distillery to 17 acres. They were producing 2 million barrels of whiskey each year. At the time they were the largest distillery in Europe and one in four Dublin residents worked in a brewery or distillery. In the late 19th century and early 20th century things changed. Competition from Scottish blended whiskey, Prohibition in the US, the Irish War of Independence, and a trade war with Britain caused most Irish whiskey distilleries to close. In 1926 the Thomas Street Distillery itself closed. In 2014 Diageo sold the Bushmills Irish Whiskey brand. By 2017 they got back in the Irish Whiskey game with the release of a new Roe & Co Irish Whiskey, and the construction of a new distillery at the old Guinness power house on Thomas Street. That distillery opened in 2019. While their own distilled whiskey is barrel aging Master Blender Caroline Martin and five elite Dublin bartenders tasted 120 different prototypes before selecting Number 106. Prototype 106 is a blend of over 100 blended malt and grain whiskeys aged in bourbon barrels and non chill filtered before bottling at 90 proof. 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: 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: The Tyrconnell Irish Whiskey
The Tyrconnell Irish Whiskey is named for the horse who won the National Produce Stakes Horse Race in 1876. Local Distiller A.A. Watts witnessed the race and created a limited edition small batch whiskey to honor the winning horse. Watt intended to make The Tyrconnell just once, but it soon became his most popular whiskey. Before Prohibition The Tyrconnell was claimed to be the best selling Irish Whiskey. Because of Prohibition, The Watts Distillery closed in 1925. Today the brand is maintained by the Kilbeggan Distilling Company. It is double distilled from malted barley in a pot still at the Cooley Distillery. No age statement is given on the bottle or their website. Read more
Review: Writers Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey
Writers Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey was launched in 2009 by the husband and wife team of Bernard and Rosemary Walsh. Some may know this as Writers Tears, or Writers Tears Original Irish Whiskey. It is made from a blend of single malt and pure pot still whiskey that is triple distilled and aged in American bourbon barrels. I believe the blend is 60% pure pot still and 40% single malt, but some sites have described the blend to be 40% pot still and 60% single malt. Two things for sure, no grain whiskey is used, and the whiskey is sourced from another distillery. Writers Tears is named for the Irish writers of the 19th and early 20th century who imbibed in Irish whiskey as a cure for writers block. During that period Ireland was the worlds leading producer of whiskey and also home to some of the worlds best writers including George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, WB Yeats, and Samuel Beckett. 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: Powers Signature Release
Powers Signature Release is a single pot still Irish whiskey matured mainly in American oak barrels with a subtle inclusion of first fill Oloroso sherry casks. Powers Signature was introduced in the US September 2013. It followed the launch of John’s Lane Release a single pot still whiskey matured for no less than 12 years. No age statement is provided for Powers Signature Release. The whiskey is non chill filtered before bottling at 92 proof. While no other distillery currently sells a single pot still Irish whiskey, Irish Distillers produces several including the previously reviewed Red Breast, and Green Spot. They will not be alone for long as several new distilleries are producing single pot still Irish whiskey that is maturing in casks at this moment. Single pot still Irish whiskey was once the worlds best selling whiskey. 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