Category Archives: Ireland

Irish Night – Bushmills Steamship 40%

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Our Irish lads n lasses evening moved on to Bushmill‘s newer offering to the travel retail market – Steamship!

Susan Dias is our next Whisky Ladies of Mumbai guest whisky reviewer… 

(Susan's LInkedIn profile)

(Susan’s LinkedIn profile)

What does a Chartered Accountant with a fierce pride in Indian traditions and keen interest in local spirits do? Naturally start a venture, Native Brews, with a dream of celebrating traditional artisanal Indian spirits in a contemporary context.  

After a year of extensive exploration and research into remote corners of India, Susan returned to Mumbai to begin playing around with the distillation of Mahua, a flowering tree found in central India. While still in the early stages (so be patient!), exciting experiments are already under way!

Having focused more on native Indian spirits, Susan is newer to exploring the world of whiskies… however this lass is fast catching up! 

Here is what Susan has to say about the Bushmills Steamship….

Bushmills Steamship – Sherry Cask Reserve is part of Bushmill’s first ever travel retail exclusive, ‘The Steamship Collection’. The collection is inspired by the historical SS Bushmills steamship and celebrates its maiden voyage in the 1890s. Story goes that after being commissioned by then owner the Boyd Brothers, it sailed to America, travelling as far as Philadelphia and Yokohama, and returning with refilled casks of rum, fortfied wine and Bourbon.

The Steamship Sherry Cask Reserve is a no-age-statement single malt Irish whiskey exclusively matured in Oloroso Sherry casks.

(Bushmills)

(Bushmills)

Susan’s Tasting Notes

  • Color: Medium rich gold
  • Nose: An intriguing almost spicy aroma, burnt sugar sweetness
  • Palette: Sweet, dried fruits, vanilla
  • Finish: Medium finish, sweet
  • Water: Brings out spice. Opens it up and after sitting for a while becomes more enjoyable.

It is quite evidently a young whiskey. The first launch under new owner Jose Cuervo’s expansion plans, it has the characteristics typical of the brand, but lacks the maturity (pun intended) of its older siblings.

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at The Old Bushmills Distillery, said about the Steamship Collection

“For centuries distillers have experimented with different barrels so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world. So, together with Master Blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish – a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple distilled whiskeys.”

The experts at the tasting gave the Steamship a thumbs down although quite a happy one. This is because at some point (I don’t know how it came up – I was quite a few drams down by then) it was compared to a gay lad on the Love Boat. I will let you figure that one out yourselves!

PS Poor wee whisky, in the consumption contest, Steamship lagged behind all the other Bushmills…

Bushmills Steamship, 10, 16, 21

Bushmills Steamship, 10, 16, 21

Here are more guest reviews by different Whisky Ladies of Mumbai!

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

Irish Night – Bushmills 21 year 40%

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Our Irish lads n lasses evening continued with the Bushmill‘s 21 year!

(www.tripfolk.com)

(www.tripfolk.com)

Shruti Sutwala is our next Whisky Ladies of Mumbai guest whisky reviewer… 

With a background in marketing, Shruti took the plunge to transform her passion for travel into a profession. Her company, TripFolk, curates unique travel experiences with like minded travelers, tapping into local bloggers, travel writers, wine and food enthusiasts, art curators and more….. 

Given that Shruti travels extensively (plus has a partner who shares her whisky explorations), she can always be counted on to have a good whisky bottle (or more!) kicking around in her cabinet.

She’s particularly fond of more nuanced whiskies with a wide variety of profiles. Shruti has introduced us to Japanese whiskies like the yin yang Nikka Blended and the subtle Nikka Coffey Grain.

Here is what Shruti has to say about the Bushmills 21 year…

(Bushmills official website)

(Bushmills official website)

  • Colour – Dark Amber
  • Nose – Woody & spicy (hints of pepper) with some freshness of citrus fruits like orange
  • Palate – Sweet, sweet, sweet as you sip it! Gets a little nutty and spicy as you let it sit on your palate for some time!
  • Finish – It has a spicy finish which balances the sweet palate overall, however overall it’s not complex as expected
  • Water – You should try this with a few drops of water if you are really looking for some complexity in this 21 year old! It does bring out a few caramely notes..

Overall we found this to be the most “Irish” of the other expressions of Bushmills. A fun easy going whisky to drink which gives you a few nuances to experience, without making it too complicated and serious. One of the gentleman actually said “you almost feel like breaking into an Irish dance along with this whisky!”

Here’s what the folks over at Bushmills have to say about their 21 year:

Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 21 year old is aged for a minimum of 19 years in former Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon-seasoned casks, then transferred into Madeira casks for a further 2 years. The result is a whiskey awarded ‘Best Irish Single Malt 2013’.

It has huge depth that interweaves dried fruit flavors with spicy, aromatic maltiness and subtle nutty raisins notes.

PS The Bushmills 21 year clearly won the consumption contest!! An entire bottle was polished and could see eyes coveting the 2nd bottle waiting in the wings…

Here are more guest reviews by different Whisky Ladies of Mumbai!

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

Irish Night – Bushmills 16 year 40%

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Pindadaan-Marathi-Movie-Poster

Next up in our Irish lads n lasses evening was Bushmill‘s 16 year!

Fellow Canadian Paula McGlynn is our 1st guest whisky reviewer…

In addition to her blog & experiments with Pollywood Vlog (now discontinued), Paula is a film maker with her partner (Gulbadan Talkies) and actress, recently making her Marathi film debut.

What matters to our Whisky Ladies in Mumbai, is she’s the kind of lass that will track down a new whisky experiment from Canada, take an hour off from shooting in Goa to zip over to Paul John to collect a coveted bottle of Peated or pop into WhiskyLive when in South Africa… just because… whisky!

Here is what Paula has to say about the Bushmills 16 year….

Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 16 year old is aged for 16 years in a combination of Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon-seasoned casks, then matured for several months in port wine barrels.

(Photo: www.bushmills.com)

(www.bushmills.com)

Paula’s Tasting Notes

  • Color: Amber
  • Nose: Sweet and subtle nose. Burnt sugar, toffee, citrus, overall restrained.
  • Palette: Cinnamon, caramel, marmalade, orange peel, star anise.
  • Finish: It hangs at the back of the tongue. Fennel and spice.
  • Water: Leather and more spice. Not recommended. It damps it down, but it was noted that after sitting for a while, the water brings out more of the Port notes.

Overall it is reserved and subtle but clean. Retains the distinct sweetness characteristic of Bushmills expressions.

Here is what the folks over at Bushmill have to say about the 16 year:

“The unique maturation process gives this single malt its distinct notes of juicy fruits, nuts and spice, as well as a hint of ruby redness.

It’s best enjoyed neat or over ice.”

It was also awarded Gold at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

PS In the consumption contest, Bushmills 16 year was 2nd!

More reviews by different Whisky Ladies of Mumbai:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Irish Night – Bushmills 10 year 40%

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Rather than bounce around with multiple distilleries, our recent Irish evening narrowed its focus to primarily Bushmills.

For those not familiar, the Old Bushmills distillery can be found in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and traces its history back some 400+ years.

1st up in our combined Whisky Ladies & Bombay Malt & Cigar evening was the Bushmills 10 year.

Carissa’s tasting notes:

(Bushmills official website)

(Bushmills website)

  • Nose – Light, sweet, sprightly, a bit of banana, hints of vanilla, some honey, a whiff of spice all typical of an ex bourbon cask, mellowed into a soft caramel
  • Palate – Some fruit – apples and pears, very smooth and easy to drink, a hint of sweet spice like cinnamon, malty cereal
  • Finish – Was there a finish? Maybe a little light whisky sweetness…
  • Water – Hmm… honestly don’t… it was already quite ‘thin’ to our palates now more attuned to cask strength than 40%… and the whisky character is already quite restrained so best avoided

Overall we found it was a good start to the evening – one of those eminently accessible whiskies. While it doesn’t challenge, it does an admirable job of lubricating the senses with a sweet, sociable, uncomplicated yet pleasant whisky.

Here’s what the folks over at Bushmills have to say about their 10 year:

Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 10 year old is triple distilled from 100% malted barley and matured for at least 10 years in bourbon season barrels which give it it’s honey, vanilla and milk chocolate aroma.

It can be served neat, over ice or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try it frozen.

We didn’t try it frozen, however…in a muggy Mumbai May night? Perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Extra special treat for this sessions are guest reviews by different Whisky Ladies of Mumbai!

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

Irish Night – When the BMC + Whisky Ladies unite!

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To the casual observer, it may seem slightly absurd that one woman living in Mumbai could be part of three whisky tasting groups. Yet each are unique and completely delightful.

Particularly our Whisky Ladies group attracts quite a bit of… ahem… gentlemanly attention with many men wishing to crash our female only party.

However the lads over at our Bombay Malt & Cigar club are a rather more civilised lot. Clever gents, they knew the best way to enjoy an evening with the ladies would be to extend a gracious invitation to the mysterious whisky women of Mumbai.

And thus the Irish night was conceived!

While it didn’t take 9 months for this momentum occasion to become a reality, many  most amusing efforts went into selecting more sociable Irish whiskies, with the gentlemen taking full charge of sourcing everything from the whiskies to pipettes to acquiring more Glencairn classes to even glass covers!

Bushmills Distillery 21 May 2016 (Photo: Arti)

Bushmills Distillery 21 May 2016 (Photo: Arti)

At one point some 10+ whiskies were being bandied about as options, however in the end they settled on:

Then a few more were added as ‘bonus’ whiskies:

As always, the proof of what proved most popular is what was consumed most during the evening… in this case, the evidence is quite clear! The Bushmill’s 21 year beat the pants off the entire competition. Followed by the 16, 10 and Steamship lagged behind…

Bushmills Steamship, 10, 16, 21

Bushmills Steamship, 10, 16, 21

Our venue host personally cooked an Irish stew as the focus entrée of a fabulous sit down dinner which followed our slightly inebriated pronouncements about the various drams. We even had an Irish themed assortment of music and naturally much merriment was had by all!

To say the lads fully embraced our Irish evening is a wee bit of an understatement.

As for the lasses? Let’s just say we are plotting how to return the courtesy… with a theme that may completely disrupt normal notions of what defines a good dram!

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

Irish standard – Tyrconnell Single Malt 40%

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A few nights ago was up on the 42nd floor of one of Mumbai’s few truly ‘high rise’ residential buildings to sample… what else? Whiskies.

Our host admitted to enjoying an Irish whiskey or two, however the other gents dismissed drams from this land completely. There were decidedly STRONG views in favour or against whiskies from Ireland. Sure the country is known for pot still whiskies, for triple distilling (or 2 1/2 depending on who you ask!), and using less or no peat. Once upon a time, Irish whiskey was the most popular spirit in the world!

What I’ve found is it all depends on what you expect. If you are looking for a sociable dram, a whisky that may not be massively complex but eminently approachable and, let’s be honest here, also more in the affordable category, then some Irish offerings may be right up your alley!

The January host for our original tasting group’s spouse travels to Ireland quite often. So I’ll admit I was expecting a purely Irish night! As this group strictly samples blind, we had no idea what we were in for… and this Cooley distillery offering kicked off our tasting.

Tyrconnell 10 yrs

Tyrconnell Single Malt 40%
  • Nose – Very sweet, floral, some fruit, light clover honey – all a clear sign matured in ex bourbon cask. As it aired, light banana and coconut, vanilla and toffee emerged. Caught of a whiff something softly sour like hung yoghurt, then citrus spice – like sweet cinnamon. Has a beautiful nose that keeps opening and evolving.
  • Taste – Initially a bit of cardboard, slightly chewy, bitter, astringent… realised it actually is quite smooth and not in the least bit harsh
  • Finish – Has some capsicum, melons, a bit bitter then simply peters away
  • With water? A bit dry, doesn’t do much and wouldn’t recommend adding
  • Overall – Light, elegant whisky with a dry finish

However did it really DO it for us? To be honest the nose was far more promising than the palate. While pleasant, simple and straight forward, there wasn’t much substance and none of the complexity most of our merry malt group prefer.

What do the distillery folks have to say about their whisky?

  • Nose: Full and fruity aroma with a citrus – spiciness taste
  • Taste: Well structured with honey notes hanging from the nose. A tang of oranges and lemons, a strong malt presence that balances well with the oily sweetness
  • Finish: A long finish with the malt becoming more dominant to the end without the soft fruits and honey, which helped make up the middle.

It would be interesting to sample this flagship Tyrconnell NAS 40% with the 10 year Madiera Cask we tasted nearly a year ago. After properly recalibrating expectations for something simple, light and above all – affordable, wonder how the two would compare?

For me though, I must admit that of the Beam Suntory Irish stable under the overall Kilbeggan family, my preference leans more to the peated Connemara…

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On a lighter note… Tyrconnell, Clynelish, Speyburn

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Most whisky aficionados have a ‘preferred’ profile. It could be bold peaty or sweet sherry or a craving for complexity where nothing else will do!

One of our original malt group members is partial to lighter more delicate whiskies. He seeks a little nuance and elegance in his dram.

So when it came time to host our 1st tasting session for 2016, he selected whiskies that he hoped would achieve such an approach.

2016-01-27 Oak League

Our evening had a decidedly light sprightly feel with:

However don’t be fooled! Just when pegged into a particular ‘type’, purely for contrast, our host shared that when he’s had a hard day at work, only something a bit rougher, tougher and robust will do.

That’s when a Wasmund’s 12 month 48% was pulled out! Because we all need a little ‘bad boy’ to spice things up once and a awhile.

Me? I’m terribly mood dependant. Some could say I can’t make up my mind, but it is simply that I enjoy the range of profiles.

You can also find Whisky Lady in India at:

Irish Eyes – Green Spot, Yellow Spot + Redbreast

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Tonight I was all set for our Mumbai Whisky Club’s monthly tasting … and as our host’s wife now regularly travels to Ireland, I had visions of sociable whiskies dancing in my head with a palate primed for pot still drams!

Alas our sampling was unavoidably postponed to next week… but I just couldn’t shake that Irish mood… So decided it was high time to revisit the joys of Irish pot stills!

A lot is said about the distinctive character of pot still whiskies – that they have a spicier character that comes from their way of blending malted and unmalted barley. Experts say it is this mash rather than the pot itself that qualifies a whisky as being a pot still whisk(e)y.

Here are a few Irish post still whiskeys we’ve sampled over the years…

Green Spot NAS 40%

  • Nose – Creamy caramel, tarka, fresh green apples – tart and sweet combine
  • Taste – Black peppercorn and rose sherbet, bringing together both sweet and spice
  • Finish – Chewy, warm with a little spice, yet not as complex as Yellow Spot
  • Add water? With water becomes lighter with a delightful toasted nut finish – delightful.
  • Our verdict? While Green Spot more than holds its own, it brought back memories of the superb Yellow Spot. Value for money and an excellent example of what a single pot still can produced.

First sampled November 2013…

Yellow Spot 12 year 46%

From Ireland, a single pot still Irish whisky produced for Mitchell & Son of Dublin, matured in bourbon, sherry and Malaga casks.

  • Nose – Fresh and sweet with hints of a complexity to come, sweet spices and fresh hay
  • Palate – Initially a blend of sea salt and honey, it rounded out with creamy chocolate to fruit, supported by a woody toasted robustness
  • Finish – Particularly superb!
  • Our verdict? – Complex, with a gorgeous flavour that lingered… It has garnered some very well deserved praise from Jim Murray (and us)! An exceptional whisky that hit all our favourite counts for a wonderful malt.

First sampled June 2013 and again Dec 2015…  Redbreast 12 year cask strength 57.7%

  • Nose – Burnt rubber, bold, fruit cake chock full of raisins, dates, nuts, apples
  • Taste – Follows through with its promise, adding cinnamon to the dried fruit and a roasted woodiness
  • Finish – Stays keeping you cosy warm, like Christmas time, curled up by the fireside sipping spiced mulled whiskey, creamy, fruity, toasty warm yumminess!
  • Add water? Even sweeter with spicy delight
  • Our verdict? Ooooohhhhh the Redbreast definitely caught our attention and appreciation! This is certainly one worth revisiting.

First sampled November 2013… I later tried the standard 40% and must say, this cask strength one is by far my preference!

Other Irish Isles Evenings:

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‘Old Fashioned’ – Greenore 18 vs Corsair Triple Smoke

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With all the bans, whispers of prohibition, it is no surprise that the 1920s style “Speakeasy” bars are popping up all over India.

On a recent trip to Gurgaon, I stopped by CND and sampled their insanely good Scotch Sour. It was a toss-up between trying that and an Old Fashioned.

When our recent tasting session in Mumbai featured whiskies that encourage cocktails, thought why not create a little “Speakeasy” atmosphere at home!

20150917_Greenore Old Fashioned

Greenore Single Grain 18 year 43%

Greenore is an Irish single grain whiskey which they say can be enjoyed “neat, over ice, or makes a perfect base for a cocktail.”  Their 18 year only has 4,000 bottles and is deceptive as comes across as quite young.

Here’s the ‘Greenore Old Fashioned‘ recommendation for the 18 year….

  • Muddle together a cube of white sugar, dash of Angostura bitters, tablespoon of soda water
  • Top glass with cubed ice
  • Add whisky and stir slowly
  • Garnish with fresh orange peel, spraying a little on the glass

See their mixologist’s video here for more details.

Triple Smoke Old Fashioned

Triple Smoke Old Fashioned

Corsair Triple Smoke 40%

Corsair is an American small batch fine spirits maker. Their Triple Smoke has a bolder character – think smoky bacon on the nose, chewy coffee and tobacco on the palate with a complex curl of smoke. Rather an interesting base for a cocktail…

Here’s the Corsair Triple Smoke version of an Old Fashioned:

  • 3 oz Triple Smoke Whiskey
  • 1/2 oz Amber Agave
  • 2 dashes old fashioned bitters
  • Combine in a mixing glass, add ice and stir til well chilled
  • Strain into a chilled rocks glass
  • Add large ice cubes
  • Garnish with a bing cherry

So there you have it – two very different whiskies with two contrasting Old Fashioned recipes!

Slainthe!

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Greenore Single Grain 18 year 43%

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We’ve sampled quite a few Irish whiskeys over the years – not just Jameson but also a few of the T’s – Teeling, Tullamore and Tyrconnell.

Most are NAS or a maximum of 10 years… so it was a surprise to discover this Greenore Single Grain has ‘ripened’ to 18 years.

As usual, we sampled blind then revealed and reacted to what we found. Read on…

Greenore 18 year

Greenore 18 year

Greenore Single Grain 18 year 43%

  • Nose: Lemony, musky, rose water, definitely on the sweeter side, honey, fruity but not any specific fruit, perhaps a little wine? Come back after a few minutes and the nose takes on a citrusy character
  • Taste: Lemony, bitter, very light on the tongue, like sweet ice wine. Then a light spice…
  • Finish: No finish to limited with the faintest hint of woody smoke
  • Comment: “You can get friendly with it, and have fun”
  • Overall: Unbelievable this is 18 years!

I’m not sure if others would agree, but if there is one characteristic we seem to find in whiskies from Ireland is their ‘sociable‘ quality. They may be a bit rough around the edges or a little light like this Greenore, however they all come across as quite ‘friendly’ sorts, tempting you to forget fancy shmancy tasting rituals to simply kick back to enjoy.

In this case, the very simple, fun element of the whiskey seems contradictory for its age. One typically expects a little complexity in an 18 year old single malt which is completely absent here from this grain whiskey. However if you set aside any assumptions about age = complexity, its happy character has a certain appeal.

From Cooley Distillery – part of the Kilbeggan Distilling Company now owed by Beam Suntory – the Gleenore 18 year has a limited production of 4,000 bottles.

What the Greenore folks have to say about the 18 year:

  • Nose: Soft sweet corn accompanied by a burst of zesty orange and citrus lemon
  • Taste: Sweet butterscotch toffee with a rich creamy vanilla character
  • Finish: Sweetness lingers on the tongue giving way to smooth clean oak note

They also encourage using it as a base for cocktails – like the Old Fashioned.

Check out the other whiskies sampled at our September 2015 session:

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