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Irish Whiskey has really been taking off in recent years, with a huge increase in interest. As such the market has become saturated with new releases and new distilleries. We’ve brought together the best new Irish Whiskey releases from 2017 so you know exactly what the island has to offer.
1. Midleton Very Rare 2017
Found in County Cork, Midleton Distillery is the home of Jameson Whiskey and all its offshoots. The Midleton brand itself is one of those, and produces some top quality malt.
This particular expression (around €150) is a release from their Very Rare range, and is a wonderful example of how good their malt can be. The nose is saccharine sweet with a warming hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate, fruitier flavours come out, with lots of raisins and apricots appearing. It is packed with sweet flavours and plenty of deep oak tones as well.
2. Dingle Single Pot Still
A very successful first release (€65) from the Dingle Distillery in County Kerry. Dingle was set up by Oliver Hughes, Peter Mosley and Liam LaHart in 2012. The trio already had plenty of experience in the drinks industry, having started he Porterhouse Brewing Company in 1996.
This is Dingle's first proper Whiskey release and is certainly something to behold. It opens with a nose full of peppery spices and soft fruits. Apples and pears are especially present. The palate is full of sweet chocolate notes and a lovely caramel undertone, which eventually develops into toasted oak wood.
3. Writers’ Tears Cask Strength 2017
Writers’ Tears is a range created by the Walsh Distillery in Carlow. It was inspired by the golden age of the Irish Whiskey industry in the early 1900s, and the long list of great Irish writers who lived at the same time.
This expression (priced at around €125) is full of rich fruit flavours and lovely sweet tones. It begins with lots of chocolate and oak notes, which turn into spicy caramel and boiled sweets on the palate. More exotic fruits such as mango and banana are also present, giving it real depth and sophistication.
4. Roe & Co.
Roe & Co. (around €32) is relatively new to the Irish Whiskey market and sees drinks giant Diageo reclaim their stake in the industry after selling off Bushmills. This is an exciting malt that has been matured in ex-Bourbon barrels and is made from a blend of single malt and grain Whiskey.
The nose is brimming with oak wood and caramel notes. The palate allows these to become fully formed, where they develop into rich vanilla and cinnamon, with a lovely toasted warmth to them. This is an exceptional malt that will certainly give Diageo a good foothold in the market.
The nose is brimming with oak wood and caramel notes. The palate allows these to become fully formed, where they develop into rich vanilla and cinnamon, with a lovely toasted warmth to them. This is an exceptional malt that will certainly give Diageo a good foothold in the market.
5. Teeling, Revival IV
Teeling opened the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years back in 2015 and have been churning out fantastic malts ever since. Their Revival IV (available for around €120) is a celebration of their distillery opening and the penultimate release in the range.
It is packed with sweet citrus fruits and dark chocolate from the get-go. The palate is well rounded and has lots of malted notes coming through. The chocolate and the malt go especially well together. There is more citrussy tang on the palate, and it finishes with a bite of fresh green apple.
6. Method & Madness Range
Method and Madness (from €49-€79) is a new range released from Midleton Distillery and they’re all so good we couldn’t just pick one. The range consists of a Single Grain, Single Malt and a Single Pot Still. They come from a place of experimentation, as part of an innovative collaboration between the Master Distillers and Apprentices at the distillery.
Each bottling is an exploration of grain and cask, with combinations such as Single Grain matured in Virgin Spanish Oak, Single Malt in French Limousin Oak and the Single Pot Still in Chestnut casks. These are some truly interesting partnerships and its safe to say they were all remarkably successful.
