Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

Shelter Point – 10 Year 1st Edition 57.8%

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We are no strangers to Shelter Point from British Colombia, Canada. In fact, back in 2016, we had the pleasure of sampling their inaugural batch of single malt. We loved it then and we love this “Artisinal Single Malt” expression now too!

As soon as it was launched, I was keen to try their 1st edition cask strength 10-year single malt. I purchased it online in August 2021, and then shipped it together with other bottles from British Columbia to Manitoba. This was followed by bringing it from Winnipeg to Nurnberg to Mumbai. Quite the traveling bottle!

After beginning our evening with “The Collective“, followed by the experiment with “Double Barrel“, I was keen to see if the elements I enjoy most about their core single malt would shine through in the 10 year?

Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt 10 Year (2011 / 2021) Cask Strength 57.8%

  • Colour  – Dark gold
  • Nose – Fancy! Sunshine yet surprisingly more restrained than anticipated. Malty, mineral, oily, chardonnay, Dry wood. Opens up into warm and sweet, honey and fruit – specifically muskmelon or warm cantaloupe.
  • Palate – Effervescent, sparkling wine, ginger spice, salty licorice, herbal liqueur, dry bitter cloves, lots going on! Over time it settled down a bit, though remained quite active.
  • Finish – Another warm hug, the salty lakris carries through, some cinnamon, more ginger and then bay leaf
  • Water – We began with just a few drops – it became more umami, one even described it as wet dog! Then even spicier! Whereas with more water, the salty licorice became fennel without the salt – going from “spunky” to “nice”

What can I say? This was not just sunshine in a glass – that element was there at first but fleeting. However, the salty licorice took much greater prominence – even over the Jaegermeister herbal liqueur.

I thought about the age element. In the grand scheme of things, 10 years isn’t much. Once upon a time for a Scottish dram, that would be your “entry-level” maturity. Unlike India where the angel’s share is mighty greedy, I would anticipate the west coast of BC, nestled between farmland and the coast would be more in keeping with Scotland.

So what did this mean for the 10 year Shelter Point? From memory, the younger Artisinal Single Malt expression had more cereals than wood notes. Favoured orchard fruits over melons. Didn’t have as much mineral and whilst had a touch of salt, it wasn’t the very distinctive salmiakki salted licorice found in the Nordics clearly present in the 10 year.

As I have a precious bottle of the standard expression back in Germany, decided the best thing to do would be to take a generous sample from the 10 year and follow-up with a comparison in June when I plan to open the balance Shelter Point bottles for our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer group!

What do they say?

10 Years is a long time. A lot has changed in the world since Shelter Point started production in 2011, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to craft, quality, and doing things the best way we know how. For the inaugural 10-Year-Old edition of Cask Strength Single Malt, we decided to let the casks and the spirit do the talking, and present this limited-edition small batch for your enjoyment.

Tasting Notes:

  • With a nose led by notes of creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, apricots and green apples
  • A palate featuring baking spices, chocolate chip cookie dough and a kiss of sea salt
  • This 10-Year-Old Batch Strength Single Malt finishes with lingering woody spice, candied ginger and an assortment of baked goods.
  • A delight for the senses to be shared and savored.

Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill-filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 57.8% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased in August 2021 from Shelter Point Distillery for CND 130.43  (Eur 102) + taxes + shipping for 750 ml.

Here are the other expressions tasted in the Shelter Point trio in April 2023:

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Shelter Point – Double Barrel 46%

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One of our Whisky Ladies has already tried Shelter Point‘s ex-blackberry wine matured whisky. This was years ago with their 1st batch – however, it seemed a quintessentially Canadian alternative to the plethora of wine finishes to be found today.

So back in June 2021, when the 6th Edition of the Double Barrel was released, I couldn’t resist picking this up! Thankfully it was available in a 375 ml bottle – which is perfect when bringing whiskies to other parts of the world!

Fast forward to April 2024 in Mumbai, India and I was happy to open it to explore what this 6th edition had to offer!

Double Barrel 6th Edition 46%

  • Colour  – Dark amber with a beautiful rose tint
  • Nose – Lots going on yet much more restrained than The Collective. Sunshine then a bit dusty, then something akin to grape peel. It shifted to a coastal quality with sea breeze and minerals. Then dark candies, red licorice, or pastis liqueur. Then blackberry, prune juice. Another found celery, gooseberry, pinot. All in all quite interesting!
  • Palate – Pepper and spice, woody then salty. Quite colourful. A few sips in – is that a floral element? It kept changing – sharp then smooth, sweet then salty, wood then mineral. Sweet citrus then chocolate. Fascinating. A bit of a roller coaster ride…
  • Finish – A lovely warm embrace! Herbal, then wood smoke, settled on blackberry jam, long and strong. Yum!
  • Revisit – A sweet jammy delight. The empty glass revealed lavender.

What a whisky! The Wine finish certainly made its mark. Quite a delicious one at that. It was just lovely swirling it around in the glass. Most enjoyable. Including going rather well with our chocolate cake dessert!

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Our sixth Double Barreled whisky is a special collaboration with Vancouver Island’s renowned Coastal Black Winery. We hand selected 6 of our finest Single Malt whisky casks and finished them in French oak wine barrels, previously home to Coastal Black’s Blackberry Wine. Aged in our American oak for 6 years, and then finished for 99 days in flavourful French oak, Shelter Point Double Barreled Whisky is a sensational marriage of spirits.

Tasting Notes:

  • Nose: Blackberry pie, stewed plums, redcurrant jelly, vanilla & oak
  • Palate: Dark fruits (blackberries, black currant) & even darker chocolate, orange segments & gentle baking spice
  • Finish: A slightly spicy and drying finish with mixed fruit and nuts.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: 100% Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 375ml & 750ml

I purchased this in June 2021 for CND 45 for a 375 ml bottle – a perfect size!

Here are the other whiskies sampled in the Shelter Point trio :

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Shelter Point – The Collective 46%

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In our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai original group, we have three Canadians. Yes, that is completely disproportionate, however, it just so happened that when starting the group, I knew one fellow Canadian who, like myself, has long-term adopted India as home and another settled in Mumbai who heard of our group and was interested in joining.

Yet before you conclude this is a purely Canadian club, far from it! We have women from a range of backgrounds, ages, and experiences, from professionals to entrepreneurs, we are drawn together by a common interest in exploring a dram or two or three.

Over the years, we have had women drift in and out, circumstances change, people move away and others are found where such a small, private forum of dram devotees come together to discover, debate, and drive forward a collective understanding.

Why mention this context? As we enter the midpoint of our 9th year, it seems fitting that things continue to evolve. In our January session, we had a mix of early members and new, each bringing their distinctive approach and reactions.

Which is the sentiment of The Collective. It is a mix of five Shelter Point casks aged for at least five years. Each cask was selected by a working member of Shelter Point, brought together where the hope is that the sum is greater than its parts.

This was why I planned to share this whisky with the ladies… Then when the very folks most familiar with Shelter Point couldn’t join, I shifted gears and offered a Chorlton trio.

A few months later, I was back in Mumbai and decided – why not? So opened up the Shelter Point bottles starting with this one!

Shelter Point The Collective 46% (2020)

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose  – Sunshine! Honey, like a super sweet baklava with sugary syrup and nutty pistachios and pecans. Delightful. It kept evolving… slipping into sweet lemon curd, then big red, lots of fresh red cherries. There was also a hard candy with mixed berries or a red raspberry covered in powdered sugar. After even more time, there was basil and bay leaf too!
  • Palate – Spice! White peppercorn. Then grapefruit. Rather than being candy-sweet, it was actually a bit salty. Contradictory and fun, not at all light.
  • Finish – Quite herbaceous – like a sweet herbal liqueur, stevia, a lovely long finish with bay leaf
  • Water – Amped up the sea salt, joined by a nutty nougat

It was an utterly enchanting aroma, light, sweet, and joyful. The palate was such a contrast, then it closed with a wonderful finish that circled back to the delicious nose. For most, the nose and finish were fabulous with the palate a little quixotic, not quite in harmony with the other elements.

We set it aside to sample the Shelter Point Double Barrel then the 10 year cask strength… we returned to find the palate a symphony of delight – where everything all came together. Perfection.

And what do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

At Shelter Point we’re in together. Every one of our five local staff contributes to the character and success of the distillery, so we asked each one to choose a favourite whisky cask to include in this special release that celebrates our people. The result is a delicious blend of five specially selected casks that reflect the collective spirit and passion of our Shelter Point family. All whiskies selected are at least 4 years old.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, The Collective has distinct notes of vanilla and cinnamon with bursts of fruity flavor. The palate is spicy and fruity leading to the satisfying finish that is long with an assortment of spices, cherry wood and salt.

Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: Barley, Rye and Wheat (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol

I purchased it in November 2020 for CND$34.78 + taxes + shipping for 375 ml.

What did we try in our Shelter Point evening in Mumbai?

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Shelter Point – 10 year, Double Barrel, The Collective

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Over the years, I remotely acquired some Shelter Point whiskies. First I had to get them from Vancouver to Winnipeg. Then from Winnipeg to Nurnberg. And then for some, from Nurnberg to Mumbai!

Why bring Canadian whiskies halfway around the world? We have a few Whisky Ladies who have followed their journey from the 1st bottle of their inaugural batch that Patrick Evans kindly gifted us in 2016. We were captivated by their Single Malts from this farm to cask distillery in British Columbia. So it was only fitting that I share more recent releases. I was all primed to offer a trio in January 2024, however then the original folks familiar with Shelter Point – including a fellow Canadian – could not join. So I decided to postpone for another opportunity.

It was tough deciding which three to bring… What did I pick?

Curious to learn more? Just wait a few days to read tasting notes about our collective impressions!

Spoiler alert! We found three distinctive elements in all the whiskies we tried: Sunshine, sea salt, a herbaceous quality. Delicious.

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Not your ordinary blend!

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We were toying around with ideas for whisky themes for our wee Nurnberg International Whisky Explorers group, and proposed exploring inventive and interesting blends. The goal was to avoid all mass-produced well-known names. Instead, we challenged ourselves to research and bring something a bit different for each other to discover!

So what made its way into our theme of “Not Your Ordinary Blend“?

Technically the last isn’t a blend, however, we were delighted to have it close our evening – in honour of our birthday lass!

We then had a “bonus” round with Two of Pentacles blended whisky alongside a pairing – with nuts and chocolate with special wafers joining our usual close with cheese and bread to help soak up the alcohol before going our different ways. This addition was a complete hit! And certainly something to consider for future sessions.

Interested in joining our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events? Just find us on Meetup! https://www.meetup.com/nurnberg-whisky-explorers/events/

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Waterford Irish Whisky – Arcadian Farm Origin Peat Ballybannon 1.1 50%

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When Waterford Irish Whiskies introduced their peated expressions, there was surprise. This was not what was expected or even talked about. And in keeping with the Waterford philosophy of ensuring the whisky was fully Irish, this meant tracking down Irish peat.

Waterford Arcadian Farm Origin Peated Ballybannon 1.1 (17 Sep 2018 – Aug 2022) Terroir P062E01-01 50%. 11,088 bottles. Retailing worldwide for Eur 92.

  • Nose – Woah peat! Then it started to settle down. Burnt rubber. A curl of acrid smoke. Iodine then campfire. Wet mop or a wet wool sweater with a distinctly humid smell. Shifted into yoghurty baby puke.
  • Palate – High heat then sweet cured meats. It was more bitter on the palate than the nose indicated. Also some salty damp elements too. Dare I say it has a kind of maritime quality?
  • Finish – Peat and spice with cinnamon
  • Water – Doesn’t do much. Subdues the palate but despite softening a bit, doesn’t shift the character significantly
  • Revisit – Is this the same whisky? Clearly, it needs much more time in the glass. The peat remains very much there however a sweet honey joins the seaweed with the fire dampened, and the palate becomes smooth – much more approachable with a bit of apple sauce easing into a nice cinnamon finish.

Fascinating. The peat was certainly unlike a Scottish peat, having a maritime swagger. At 47 ppm, it isn’t overwhelming. And definitely needs time to open up.

If you are curious to know more – check out the video telling the tale of how the folks at Waterford approached acquiring and using peat in their whiskies.

As for our specific dram, If you have never heard of Ballybannon farm? Well then read on…

Ballybannon in Co. Carlow could be the perfect terroir for growing barley for peating. Sitting on raised ground along the banks of the River Barrow, its heavy, lime-rich soils — archetypal Elton series — are directly adjacent to sphagnum-dense inland bog. Small wonder then that the Pender family’s barley and peat from Niall Carroll’s Ballyteige cuttings in Co. Kildare have proven such a natural combination. Such is Ballybannon barley’s natural affinity for peat, that we have been able to kiln-dry it to a high 47ppm and still find that the character of Ballybannon’s terroir itself remains the dominant flavour in the spirit. Along with its sister bottling, Fenniscourt, Peated Ballybannon represents the first marriage of Irish barley and Irish peat in generations.

Curious about the maturation period? 1346 days or 3 years, 8 months, 7 days. Want to know about the barley? Laureate. Yeast? Mauri distiller’s yeast. Production water? Volcanic aquifer. Fermentation period? 167 hours. Description of the soil? Fine, loamy drift, Elton association soils. Barrel composition?

  • 38% American First Fill (presumably ex-bourbon)
  • 21% American virgin oak
  • 30% French premium casks
  • 11% Vin doux natural

And the Head Distiller’s observations?

  • APPEARANCE: Light gold with everlasting oils.
  • NOSE: Soft peat, almonds, crisp, lavender honey, reminds me of a seaside escape, driftwood fire smoke, green apples, padrón peppers, salt crust, a morning walk on a fresh day.
  • TASTE:  Peat kick, very chewable, BBQ fish by the sea, buttery, warm apple and almond tart with honeycomb ice cream, wool, frangipane, samphire.
  • FINISH: What finish?!

All in all – what an experience! It will be interesting to see how Waterford evolves. And a good reminder of why being part of a tasting group is so rewarding – one is introduced to whiskies that likely otherwise might not have tried. So thank you to our whisky host of the evening!

What did we try in our evening devoted to exploring Waterford Irish Whisky?

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Waterford Irish Whisky – Arcadian Farm Origin Heritage Hunter 1.1 50%

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Welcome to the world of Waterford Irish Whiskies… where things are clearly being done a bit differently.

After sampling the very salty Single Farm Origin “Hook Head” 1.1, we moved on to their Arcadian Farm concept – more precisely the Heritage Hunter expression:

Hunter, named after pioneering plant breeder Dr Herbert Hunter, was introduced in 1959 and  was for almost two decades noted for its distinctive flavour. We now reintroduce this game-changing barley to a new era of single malt connoisseurs. Vanished from the Irish landscape since the late 1970s, superceded by more economically rewarding crosses, all that remained of Hunter was a 50 gram bag in the seed bank of the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine.

Planted in greenhouse grow bags, this 50 grams grew to four kilograms, and the cycle went again and again over two years, until there was enough for  ten acres at our partner Minch Malt’s test site in Athy. Test successful, Hunter was sown on a commercial scale on the lime-rich Elton series terroir of Donoughmore, yielding 25.5 tonnes of malting barley — enough to fill 50 casks. It is from that first pioneering distillation that this whisky has been drawn.

Now on to the whisky…

Waterford Arcadian Farm Origin Heritage Hunter 1.1 (23 Feb 2019 – Aug 2022) Terroir HE01E01-01 50% 9048 bottles. Worldwide distribution, sold out at Eur 100

  • Nose – Well well well… what have we here? For some, it began as caramel sweetness. For others, it was like walking into a chemistry lab! There was an organic agricultural quality. Then it shifted to different woods – particularly dry wood shavings, there was even a savoury side, which then was replaced with sweet
  • Palate – Deceptive as it began with sweet then the spice kicks in! Young, quite active. Think of an old peach pit. Another found dried prune seeds liquor. There is a vegetable earthy quality too. Yet sweet too… with a hint of dried orange
  • Finish – Lasts with a bit of burn, more peach pit with some bitter clove oil? Then salt
  • Water – A few drops opens it up a bit
  • Revisit – It sounds curious, yet for me it was spicier

If the Single Farm Origin “Hook Head” reminded me of the Bruichladdich Micro-Provenance experiments, the Arcadian Farm “Heritage Hunter” reminded me of some of AD Laws forays into ancient grains and barleys. Except MUCH better!

I described it as chewing raw grains or barley. I received a few quizzical looks. For some, this seemed to be the preferred.

Now diving deep into the details, we start with the terroir:

A dry and windy summer’s day at Donoughmore. This track begins inside some of the old stone sheds at the edge of the fields. Time has rendered them open to the elements, but they still give a little shelter. Heading outside into the open, the wind rattles the loose sheeting on a nearby barn, we’re surrounded here by a semicircle of trees filled with busy birds in the afternoon sun. A gap in the trees leads us out into the fields, the wind buffeting the barley as it blows through heading south.

Want to know about the maturation period? 1161 days or 3 years, 2 months, 6 days. Want to know about the barley? Hunter (obviously!). Yeast? Mauri distiller’s yeast. Production water? Volcanic aquifer. Fermentation period? 169 hours. Description of the soil? Fine, loamy drift with limestones, Elton association. Barrel composition?

  • 45% American First Fill (presumably ex-bourbon)
  • 18% American virgin oak
  • 21% French premium casks
  • 16% Vin doux natural

How does all of this equate into the glass? Here are the Head Distiller’s observations

  • APPEARANCE: Pale gold with unctuous oils.
  • NOSE: Earthy, dry soil, lemon sherbet, red apple skin, dry bark, barnyard, petrichor, rolled barley, baked salt, chalk.
  • TASTE: Orange cake, dry savoury spice, cloves, porridge with prunes, wood char, citrus oils.
  • FINISH: Dry greenness with a gentle spice.

And there you have it!

What did we try in our evening devoted to exploring Waterford Irish Whisky?

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Waterford Irish Whisky – Single Farm Origin Hook Head 1.1 50%

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Before we started, our whisky host shared that we could expect a salty whisky, a spicy whisky, and a smoky whisky. So we decided to begin our journey into Waterford Irish Whiskies with the one reputed to be the most maritime of the lot! The “Hook Head” is described as:

The lighthouse at Hook Head stands resolute against the full force of the Atlantic Ocean on Ireland’s southern coast, 10 miles from the distillery – so close that Oliver Cromwell vowed to take Waterford ‘by hook or by crook’ in the 17th century. In its shadow, Martin Foley grows barley on clay/loam soils derived from limestone, belonging to the Elton series. Exposed to the full range of salt-laden storms, sea mists & ocean breezes, it’s an extreme maritime terroir.

As you will see – we would indeed agree if salty is an expression of extreme maritime terroir, it is indeed apt!

Waterford Single Farm Origin Hook Head 1.1 (19 Jan 2017 – 14 Feb 2021) Terroir F035E01-01 50% 12,000 bottles for Germany. Retailing for Eur 80

  • Colour – Light straw
  • Nose – An almost agricultural whiff at first, malted barley, sweetening the more time it spends in the glass. Shifted between Ovaltine and Marmite. Then we were hit with salty sea spray and how! Joined by something at first dusty then distinctly mineral, wet granite. Followed by a hint of salty honey-coated nuts that then back to saline
  • Palate – Mineral, oily then sweet, a warming heat more than spice per se, though perhaps there was some white pepper in there. More vegetal than fruit. There was also a return of a milky Ovaltine. The 2nd sip was pure salt – like sucking on a salt rock!
  • Finish – Lasts yet is super salty and drying in the mouth
  • Water – With a few drops the sweetness comes more to the fore on the nose revealing a lightly floral element and pushing the saltiness back a bit. It also becomes softer on the palate, more mineral than salty alone. With a more generous splash, this becomes one fine dram, creamy, interesting, and much more up my alley!
  • Revisit – After sampling all three Waterfords, I returned to the glass to discover citrus koolaid and vanilla, with the saline fully under control!

Overall this was quite an interesting start to our explorations of Waterford. There was no doubt distinctive things were going on. This was no bog-standard social Irish dram. This was an experiment in a glass. And reminded me of the Bruichladdich micro-provenance experiments – just without peat!

This was my favourite… and the one I returned to for the balance of the evening whilst the gents pupped away at their rare cigars.

What more do we know? A whole heck of a lot in this case! It is more a question of where to begin??

Let’s start with Terroir – using the bottle label – we learn that everything comes from Tinnashrule farm in Wexford:

John Crowley farms at Tinnashrule – The Hollytree Crossroads – in the rain shadow of the Blackstairs Mountains, north of Enniscorthy. Here the rolling lowland barley fields lie in the lee of ash & larch woods, benefiting from well-drained loam & clay loam of the famously productive Clonroche series, on glacial drift derived from Ordovician shale & granite.

Want to know about the maturation period? 3 years, 8 months, 14 days. Want to know about the barley? Sebastian. Yeast? Mauri distiller’s yeast. Production water? Volcanic aquifer. Fermentation period? 152 hours. Description of the soil? Fine, loamy drift with siliceous stones and Clonroche series. Barrel composition?

  • 46% American First Fill (presumably ex-bourbon)
  • 22% American virgin oak
  • 15% French premium casks
  • 17% Vin doux naturel

We also have the Head Distiller’s observations on how these elements translate into aromas and flavours in the glass…

  • APPEARANCE: Light gold with oils.
  • NOSE: Sweet honeycomb, plums, rolled barley, mint, dark chocolate, orange zest, leather, rose water, aniseed, pear drops and has a warmth on the nose.
  • TASTE: Cloves, white pepper, dark creamy chocolate, fresh bread, grapefruit, dry but chewy, late spice explosion with a wasabi hit, orange syrup, root vegetables.
  • FINISH: Long, dry spiciness, which is also chewy.

Interestingly there are both descriptions for the exact “terroir” (as noted above) and the “Hook Head” expression. Confused? Shall we compare? The expression is described as:

  • Taste: spice bomb, cloves, white pepper, salted caramel, licorice, ginger biscuits, lemon zest, chili chocolate
  • Nose: earthy maltiness, fresh soil, citrus peel, bread crust, clove, white pepper, caramel, milk chocolate, salted popcorn, barnyard, oak green foliage
  • Finish: dry

Whilst not totally contradictory, there are certainly differences and nuances to each. As for us? Well, that was quite the intro! And now it is clearly time to move on to the 2nd and 3rd Waterford whiskies…

What did we try in our evening devoted to exploring Waterford Irish Whisky?

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Waterford Irish Whisky – Single Farm, Arcadian Heritage, Peat

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When you hear the word “Waterford” one typically thinks of crystal glasses, not whisky! This is readily understandable given one has a tradition that harkens back to 1783 and the other was founded only in 2016 – not even a decade old!

However, there we were in South Bombay, a fine evening at the end of March 2024, about to embark on a journey into one of the newest and most original players in the Irish whisky revival scene.

In this case, it is notable the choice of spelling “whisky” without an “e” and the claim that the distillery is “40 years in the making“, given the role Mark Reynier has played in founding a distillery devoted to terroir, biodynamic, and cuvées.

Even the boxes tell a story – signaling the type of whisky category to be explored. Would it be a Single Farm with clean firm lines? Or Arcadian Farm with a few lines joining to bring their different elements into a single experience? And where peat is in the mix, the box colour shifts to a smokey grey with black. There is a 3rd concept devoted to Cuvées which we did not experience.

Here is what the folks at Waterford have to say about their Single Farm Origin line “precision of place”:

Each Single Farm Origin is a compelling and intriguing whisky, but also an intellectual challenge to the whisky world’s status quo. Our radical, uncompromising philosophy allows inquisitive drinkers to join our exploration of the frontiers of authentic flavours, to search beyond conventions and to celebrate individuality.

One place, one farm, at a time.

And now what they share about their Arcadian Farm Origin line with a few options “the old ways – organic, biodynamic, peated & heritage”:

We ask what organic farming, or the ancient wisdom of biodynamics can offer to the intensity of barley’s flavour. Our curiosity leads us to discover then resurrect rare heritage grains, one variety at a time; and to experience the pungency of real Irish peat for the first time in generations in whisky. With these radical methods we ask the inquisitive, daring drinker to join us on our unorthodox journey towards the frontiers of authentic, uninhibited flavour.

What did we try?

The more I looked into the approach here, the more I recognized this is true whisky “geek” territory! Curious what the farm where the barley was grown sounds like? The exact location of where the barley was grown, who did what, and how? The organisms that live in the soil? Old wives’ tales converted into accumulated knowledge, combined with the cycles of the moons around the earth into science. The impact of how agro-business has “buggered the soil”, the importance of barley seeds from before 1967, and the role of air and composting? Enquiring minds will get answers to questions they didn’t even know to ask!

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Nurnberg’s St Paddy’s Night – Kilbeggan, Jameson, Glendalough, Bushmills, Connemara

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We went all out this time – Irish music, a hearty Irish stew, and absolutely 100% an assortment of Irish whiskies! It was a merry evening that really ‘upped’ the ante for future Nurnberg Whisky Explorer gatherings!

So what did we explore whiskey-wise?

  • Kilbeggan 43% – A friendly Irish pub kind of dram!
  • Jameson Triple Triple 40% – A pleasant accompaniment
  • Glendalough Single Grain Olorosso 42% – Interesting to try
  • Bushmills 10 year 40% – Ye old standard
  • Connemara peated single malt 40% – A bit “blah”

Let’s begin with a pub crawl dram…

Kilbeggan Single Post Still Irish Whiskey 43% ~Eur 32

  • Nose – Fresh, clean, simple yet inviting, floral, honey with a light citrus twist
  • Palate – Toasted cereal, nutty – mostly almonds, creamy, smooth and sugary
  • Finish – Light and pleasant

What can we say? It was a perfect appetizer dram. Easy to drink, very approachable, and uncomplicated.

A step up from the standard Kilbeggan, this expression is from a single pot still. Nice stuff.

Jameson Triple Triple 40% ~Eur 32

  • Nose – Caramel, cooked fruits – a generic melange impossible to distinguish the different elements, very very sweet
  • Palate – Much more character than expected from the nose. Now distinct berries could be discerned, some citrus and cloves
  • Finish – Milk chocolate, dusting of cinnamon

A triple cask of ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, and ex-Malaga, this is a wee step up from the normal Jameson fare. The combination created a dram which was sweet and sweet and sweet. Our verdict? A pleasant accompaniment when you don’t want to be distracted by your dram.

Glendalough Single Grain Double Barrel Bourbon and Olorosso 42% ~Eur 29

  • Nose – At first fumes – which isn’t so surprising for a young grain… then it settled down
  • Palate – Salty nuts, quite mineral, white pepper, spice yet also soft, it reminded me a bit of pancake batter, a hint of rose – like a light rooafza
  • Finish – Smooth with nutmeg

One only single grain of the evening, it was a welcome departure. Whilst others spent more time with the other Irish offerings, for me this was the one to return to…

Bushmills 10 year 40% ~Eur 28

  • Nose – Fresh hay, green apple
  • Palate – Juicy white wine grapes, malty, milky, like a fruity crisp with cream
  • Finish – Dry

Overall it held its own, reminding us why the Bushmills 10 year is a standard.

Connemara peated single malt 40% ~Eur 25

  • Nose – Green tea, iodine and seaweed
  • Palate – Grassy, grape juice, peat but not so heavy
  • Finish – Smoking at the end with cinnamon

Don’t laugh, but my notes were so scant, closing with just two words: Boring. Unidimensional. And now sigh…

Unfortunately, I did not take any photographs of our AMAZING dinner! For the carnivores there was a rich Irish stew. And for the vegetarians a delicious tangy spicy chili sin carne. Yum! Way too delicious and completely spoilt us!

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