Single pot nonetheless whiskey, constituted of a mash invoice containing each malted and unmalted barley, is maybe Eire’s most iconic model of whiskey (assume Redbreast, or the well-known – variously colored – Spot whiskeys).
Notably lacking from the title of this specific whiskey from Glendalough, nevertheless, is the phrase “single.” It is because Glendalough’s Pot Nonetheless whiskey will not be a single pot nonetheless whiskey. The spirit was truly distilled particularly for Glendalough at an undisclosed distillery, and in accordance with Glendalough’s specs (on this case, two components unmalted barley to at least one half malted barley). The spirit was then handed over to Glendalough to mature and bottle. On condition that a couple of distillery was concerned within the making of this whiskey, it can’t be known as a single pot nonetheless whiskey.
That is the primary pot nonetheless whiskey that Glendalough has launched, and apparently additionally it is the primary Irish whiskey to be matured (at the least partly) in Irish oak casks… at the least within the final 100 years. They’ve opted to mature the whiskey for almost all of the time in ex-bourbon, American oak casks, and to complete the whiskey in virgin Irish oak casks. The usage of Irish oak is one thing Glendalough regards as integral to creating probably the most iconic of Irish whiskeys (a pot nonetheless whiskey) much more Irish.
The Irish oak they use is sourced from the mountainous areas that encompass the distillery. Quite a lot of emphasis is positioned on the truth that their felling of Irish oaks is a sustainable and environmentally pleasant follow: for each single oak they fell they plant seven alternative saplings.
This intriguing whiskey is made much more fascinating by the information-packed label on the bottle, which features a tree quantity, cask quantity, batch quantity and bottle quantity. So, the label in your specific bottle of Glendalough Pot Nonetheless will let you know which specific Irish oak they felled went on to type which specific cask your whisky was aged in; in my case, this was Tree No. 1, and Cask No. 1.
I had been instructed that should you go to the distillery’s web site, they even had brief video clips of every one of many oak timber being felled and transformed into casks, however that is now not the case. In reality, you gained’t discover any details about their Pot Nonetheless whiskey on their World web site anymore, though, (curiously) you’ll be able to nonetheless discover a bit of details about it on their US web site. It nonetheless appears to be pretty broadly obtainable (in keeping with the distillery, thus far they’ve launched properly over 300 casks to markets worldwide), but it surely doesn’t seem to type a part of their core vary. There was some speak about Glendalough opting to provide very personal single pot nonetheless whiskey sooner or later, with this specific whiskey being one thing of a trial run.
The truth that this bottle of whiskey will inform one the variety of the person cask it has been aged in may mislead one into considering that it’s a single cask whiskey, however this whiskey was solely completed within the individually numbered Irish oak cask (and it’s not clearly acknowledged how a lot time it spent in these particular person casks earlier than being bottled. Presumably not very lengthy, as it is a non-age-statement whiskey.
But, given the small print offered on every bottle of Glendalough’s Pot Nonetheless whiskey, there does appear to exist the potential for some variation in style from bottle to bottle (particularly that the whiskey from Batch No. 3 and aged Cask No. 1 and the whiskey from Batch No. 4 and aged in Cask No. 2 may style a bit of completely different from each other, or maybe even the whiskey aged in a cask constituted of Tree No. 1 may style a bit of completely different to the whiskey aged in a cask constituted of Tree No. 5, and so forth.). Variation in flavour from batch to batch would probably be extra apparent than any variation in flavour from cask to cask or tree to tree. Nevertheless refined the latter, it isn’t essentially inconceivable that one would be capable of detect a distinction.
In spite of everything, no two casks of whiskey ever style precisely the identical. The intricate interaction of seemingly minor variables corresponding to refined variations in wooden grain, or slight variations in temperature and humidity throughout the format of the warehouse can contribute to imparting a definite flavour profile to a whiskey. Conducting an experiment wherein one in contrast two completely different bottles of Glendalough’s Pot Nonetheless whiskey facet by facet may due to this fact be an fascinating expertise. Nevertheless, at $48 (roughly the identical value as Aberlour 12), it’s an experiment I’ve discovered myself a bit of unwilling to attempt.
Glendalough Pot Nonetheless – Assessment
Color: Heat gold.
On the nostril: Some toffee. Freshly baked bread offers strategy to a candy fruitiness that jogs my memory of pineapple. There’s a distinctly savoury notice lurking within the background that makes me consider a spice typically used within the curing of biltong: floor coriander seeds. There’s a bit of sharpness on the nostril, just like the spicy prickle of white pepper.
Within the mouth: Marzipan. A easy sugar sweetness makes an look, but it surely’s laborious to name this a candy whiskey. Fairly spicy, with a particular woody notice. The feel is kind of gentle and dry, and the end is a bit of bitter, redolent of darkish unsweetened cocoa.
The remaining residue on the glass smells a lot richer and extra like oak and milk chocolate than something beforehand detected.
Conclusions:
This can be a non-age assertion launch, so it’s probably pretty younger. This might properly be the explanation for among the extra astringent notes detected. I’m satisfied that this whisky will not be going to be everybody’s cup of tea; that particular savoury/tacky aroma strikes me as a divisive flavour notice (in an analogous manner that the medicinal notice in Laphroaig has change into one thing of a love or hate affair for many individuals). For all that, this has the potential to be an fascinating whisky to attempt. I might not precisely describe this whisky as scrumptious, however I did discover myself intrigued by among the uncommon aromas and flavours I detected. Should you’re in search of one thing a bit of completely different to attempt, this may very well be a bottle price exploring.
