Tasting a peated Dunville ahead of the distillery's masterclass at Cork Whiskey Fest 24-26 March

Tasting a peated Dunville ahead of the distillery's masterclass at Cork Whiskey Fest 24-26 March

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Dunville's Belfast Peated Three Crowns Whiskey 43.5% ABV

A peated vintage blend of selected aged malt and grain whiskeys.. A quiet nose. Stunning texture. Beautiful delivery. Wonderful final kiss of smoke.

These are points that Dunville proclaim about the Peated Three Crowns whiskey. There is also an unpeated Three Crowns!

Hold it up to the light and you’ll notice the colour is a lighter than usual pale gold. Aromas are also on the delicate side, leaving a wisp of smoke to lead the way. Lively spices and light but definite smoke head up the palate, honey and apricot also in the posse, hints of aniseed, as we are led beautifully to the final stage, long and fruity and still that persistent yet friendly smoke. As they say, good things come to those who wait and, yes, this Dunville delivers quite a finalé.

 

A decade after a near 80 year absence, Dunville’s Irish Whiskey is well and truly back and it is more beautiful than ever. Dunville’s was born in 1808 and reborn 2012, with that long silence in between before the brand rebirth. This particular whiskey is a peated vintage blend of selected aged malt and grain whiskeys.

The excellent Celtic Whiskey site explains it in detail: “Comprised of a Single Grain Whiskey, a 10 Year Old Single Malt & a 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry finished Single Malt which have been married together in a peated cask. A rare, delicately smoked Irish whiskey. Stunning!”

Master of Malts concur: “Exciting stuff, as peaty Irish whiskeys are not a common sight - and that's quite an understatement, frankly.”

Not sure that this particular whiskey will feature when Dunville visit Cork late in March for the Cork Whiskey Fest. Organisers tell me that Jarlath Watson’s Dunville’s Masterclasses have taken on “legendary status”. He always digs deep into the Echlinville Distillery’s stash of sherry bombs to blow people’s minds. Expect a lot!

The Echlinville Distillery, where Dunville is produced, is located on the Ards Peninsula in County Down near Ireland’s most easterly point. It is situated on the shores of Strangford Lough and it is surrounded by an internationally recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Sounds like a great place to visit!

* The retail price seems to vary a bit - expect to pay 60-65 euro. I got my six ounces as a refill, part of the Hip Flask Club in Bradleys, North Main Street, Cork.

The Metropole will be a hive of activity during the Cork Whiskey Fest
24-26 March. Now over 125 years old, the hotel was "dry" for its early decades.
More info oin the festival, including tickets, here

Powers 100% Irish Rye Whiskey. On the shelves today! Latest on Cork Whiskey Fest.

Powers Launch their 100% Irish Rye Whiskey today. 

 Latest on Cork Whiskey Festival.

Powers Launch their 100% Irish Rye Whiskey 43.2% ABV, 

RRP €40.00, widely available

The world’s first 100% Irish rye whiskey is on shelves around the world today. The producers are happy: “Proudly honouring the pioneering spirit of Powers Irish Whiskey, this ground-breaking release uses 100% Irish rye for the first time ever. The result is Powers Irish Rye, a complex and flavourful Irish whiskey that is set to shake up the increasingly popular rye whiskey category.”

It appears in your glass as a warm bronze liquid. Aromas are complex, barbecued banana, cherries and vanilla along with spicy notes especially of clove, with pepper and ginger also in mix. The rye announces itself more in the mouth along with the banana and clove and waves of sweetness (sugar and vanilla). A relatively mild but very satisfactory experience in the palate is followed by something similar on the finish, the flavours smoother, the spices enhanced, as they mix in harmony and waltz for quite a while.

Didn’t quite finish the 100ml sample provided on the first go. Went back a second time and was even more impressed. This 100% Irish Rye Whiskey is 100% compatible with this palate. Very happy indeed with it and thrilled to be able “award” a Very Highly Recommended stamp!

A few years ago at the little Micil Distillery in Galway, Pádraic Ó Griallais told me the three conditions needed to become a proper drinker: É a ioc, é a ól, é a iompar  (Pay for it; drink it; carry it.) When it comes to this Powers, I could well meet all three - not too expensive, not too harsh (far from it), and easy to drink and carry! A bigs thumbs up for this breakthrough from Powers. Not every day are you going to come across a whiskey of this quality at such a reasonable price.

The launch of Powers Irish Rye is grounded in the heritage of the whiskey brand, as Carol Quinn, Archivist at Irish Distillers, uncovered. Old mash bills and recipes reveal that Powers experimented with rye over their history, shows how, as the scientific knowledge of distilling expanded throughout the 19th century, they continually strove to innovate with new techniques and processes.  

This new bottle is born from trials at Irish Distillers’ renowned Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland, Powers Irish Rye balances the trademark earthy, peppery character of rye with the sweet flavour profile imparted from maturation in a full repertoire of American oak – with virgin oak, first fill and refills in the cask mix.

Rye is mainly grown in northern European countries and used in bread and beer. Not easy to find a farm growing it in Ireland. But Powers persevered and commissioned the planting of rye crops. With a commitment to sustainable farming, the Cooney Furlong Farm in Co. Wexford supply 100% of the rye used in Powers Irish Rye. Located just a short distance from Edermine House, the ancestral home of the Powers family, the farm guarantees ongoing Irish rye supply for this world first release.

In an interview conducted by Royal Commission on whiskey back in 1908, the Powers ethos was best described by James Talbot Power, ‘At Powers, we are producers of flavours, not of spirits`.  They are proud to continue this Powers legacy in 2023. And it is indeed the flavours that catch the attention in this latest release.

Bottled at 43.2% ABV, Powers Irish Rye will be released from 20th February in the US, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Dublin Airport and online at PowersWhiskey.com, and via The Whisky Exchange in the UK in the coming months at RRP €40.

The whiskey can be drunk neat but should also catch the attention of mixologists and Powers have already proposed this recipe for a Classic Manhattan cocktail.

Manhattan cocktail

Ingredients: 50ml Powers Irish Rye, 25ml sweet vermouth, 1 dash aromatic bitters, 1 dash orange bitters

Method: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass; Add ice and stir to mix and chill; Strain into a chilled coupe glass; Express orange oils from an orange zest and discard the zest; Garnish with 3 skewered maraschino cherries.

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Cork Whiskey Fest 2023

Shelbourne ace Rory McGee.

The Cork Whiskey Fest 2023 continues to gather momentum and will get another boost with the official launch this coming Thursday.

Some 34 events have been organised over the three days and some have already been sold out. I'm looking forward to two events in particular: the Mitchell Spot Whiskeys & Wine Masterclass and also the Dunville Masterclass

Mitchell and Sons Wine & Spirits Merchants are the sole remaining licenced bonder with Irish Distillers. Their wine finished single pot still Irish whiskeys are a pillar in Irish Whiskey. Midleton legend Ger Garland and Brand Ambassador Mathew Smith will guide us through a selection of Spot whiskey along with their finishing wines, for this stellar masterclass.

Jarlath Watson’s Dunville’s Masterclasses have taken on legendary status. He always digs deep into the Echlinville Distillery’s stash of sherry bombs to blow people’s minds. Expect a lot!

Another event that promises much is the Jameson Tasting in the helbourne Bar on Sunday March 26th at 12 noon. Here, Tommy Byrne who is the lead educator in the Irish Whiskey Academy in Midleton and Deirdre O’Carroll (of the Blending Team) will host a lively informative session, bringing an exciting liquid insight to this historic brand. A masterclass not to be missed!

Tickets for this and all the events here.