In 2013 there were just 3 distilleries in Ireland (excluding N.I.) but now there are over 20, a huge increase in just 7 years. Two of them have just had some of their first whiskies released.
In this blog I'm trying one from Waterford and one from Drumshanbo, let see how they compare side by side!
They have heavily marketed their belief in the importance of the terroir (provenance) of their barley. Barley from individual farms is stored, malted, fermented, distilled and casked separately - when you buy a bottle you get a unique code which enables you to view all of this information and more on their website.
Drumshanbo on the other hand is a distillery I'd never heard of, actually that's the whiskey's name the distillery being called The Shed Distillery. Build in 2014 in the village of Drumshanbo in Co. Leitrim by PJ Rigney.
They have 5 gleaming copper pot stills all made by Arnold Holstein in Germany: 3 focused on Irish Whiskey, 2 on Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and 2 copper column stills for the distillation of Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka.
I received samples of these as part of the Blind Tasting Consortium's 4th session - they were tried blind on the night and a few days later in less hectic conditions!
Let's see what they are like:
| Dram | Waterford Ballykilcavan Edition 1.1 (code: F002E01-01) | Drumshanbo Inaugural Release |
|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | 50% ABV 8,640 bottles | 46% ABV 12,000 bottles |
| Distiller info | Distilled in 2016 from Taberna barley grown by David Walsh-Kemmis west of the River Barrow in Co. Laois. After maturing in an alluring combination of exceptional French and first fill American oak each Single Origin whisky is bottled at 50% ABV without colouring, chill-filtration or any additives. Totally natural. Nose: Berries with fresh foliage, redcurrants, grapes, barnyard. Vibrant and again freshly cut grass. Taste: Cooked bananas with brown sugar, and plenty of heat. Mulled wine and cinnamon. A dry, oily lasting finish. | Every precious drop of Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has been triple distilled using Malted Irish Barley, Un-malted Irish Barley and Irish Barra Oats. Aged in Sherry Oloroso and Kentucky Bourbon casks with no added colour and no chill filtration. Nose: Rich and extravagant, yet balanced with aromatic warm pot spice, vanilla and dried fruit aromas. Palate: Complex and fully balanced, a glorious marriage of pot spice, fig, Oloroso sherry and toasted oak notes. Finish:Elegant with a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel. It lingers sublimely on the palate. |
| My thoughts: | ||
| Appearance |  | |
| Pale gold in the glass, swirls cling, bead up slowly and fall as slow thick legs. | Pale gold in the glass, swirls again cling, bead up and fall as slow thick legs. | |
| Nose | Orchard fruit and heathery honey notes - pears, apples, apricots giving a drying note. Cut grass or hay. A little cereal note - Malted Milk biscuits and a little off note - cheese or farmyard as others have said. | Orchard fruit and heathery honey again but this time with an almond marzipan note. Vanilla and icing sugar suggesting some dryness. A little different from the Waterford there isn't the cereal or farmyard note. |
| Palate | Smooth sweet arrival, loads more honey and orchard fruit but there is a strange smoked meaty note too. Not peat but maybe cask char? Hay, cut grass odd parma violet note... Slightly drying with a peppery spice note as the liquid disappears. | Smooth sweet arrival, vanilla custard on stewed apples, toasted flaked almonds. There is a hint of tropical fruit - very grain like. A few more sips and the spice starts to dominate - tingling the lips and tongue. Very drying as the liquid disappears. |
| Finish | Short, sweet, slightly drying with a hint of smoke. | Short bite of peppery spice then a lingering oaky vanilla note - nice. |
| Overall | Two similar but different drams - to be honest the Waterford was very ordinary, reminiscent of a 10 or 12yo Speyside dram - orchard fruit, honey and a little spice. I suppose that is pretty good for a dram that is a third of that age - so shows promise. The Drumshanbo on the other hand was a lot more complex but very grain like - vanilla, tropical fruit and spice notes reminding me a lot of Bains. But it had a bit more to it - marzipan notes on the nose translated into toasted nuts on the palate. The notes claim the inclusion of oloroso casks in the mix but I couldn't detect anything pointing that way. Both drams were surprisingly dry - use of very active 1st fill bourbon casks maybe? Both whiskies were good, the Drumshanbo the better of the two, but both showing promise for future aged releases. | |
Ireland's distilleries:
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| Map : whiskeys.ie |
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