Irish Whiskey News - May 9 - 2019

This week our Irish Whiskey News features articles on Walsh Whiskey releasing a Writers Tears Double oak edition and Powerscourt Distillery unveiling a limited edition cask programme.

So let's see what's happening this week in our Irish whiskey news.

 Walsh Whiskey adds Double Oak to its core range

Writers’ Tears Double Oak is the result of a collaboration between Bernard Walsh and the Legaret family in Cognac, France. The collaboration initially saw Walsh introduce French oak to its Writers’ Tears portfolio with the release of Writers’ Tears Cognac Cask. The French oak-influenced liquid will now become a permanent feature in the product line-up through the introduction of Double Oak. Bernard Walsh, founder and managing director of Walsh Whiskey, said: “At Walsh, we are driven by an endless quest for the perfect ‘drop’ of Irish whisky as part of our family’s dream to create a legacy of whiskey excellence. “Our fascination with what has gone before us provides an endless well of inspiration and that led us to work our way back to exploring what French oak first brought to our taste profile in the 1800s. I look forward to hearing what followers of Writers’ Tears think of our addition to the family.”

Double Oak has been matured in both American and French oak casks, with the American barrels imparting “bolder flavours” such as vanilla, while the French oak influence offers “silky tannins, a light sweetness and fruity flavours”. The third expression in the Writers’ Tears core range is triple-distilled, non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% abv. Writers’ Tears Double Oak will be first available in the USA, Russia, UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Ireland, with a recommended retail price of US$64.99.

Since then, and particularly in the last decade, the industry has had a comeback. Driven in part by a worldwide boom and the success of legacy brand Jameson, the energy behind what once made the category exciting has returned. And, as of January, the IWA counted 21 operational facilities, with another 26 in various stages of planning to open in the near future. These producers are eager to make their mark on the country’s signature spirit. Since good whiskey takes time to make and age, many upstarts work with at least some distillate made elsewhere to blend whiskeys or add unique finishes. Yet, each pushes Irish whiskey forward in their own way. Discover five of the innovative distilleries shaping the way it looks today, and what it may become in the future.

Powerscourt Distillery Launches Cask Programme

The Powerscourt Distillery and Visitor Centre have announced details of a limited-availability cask membership programme. The distillery and visitor centre, located on the Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, began producing Irish whiskey in 2018. The cask membership programme will be restricted to a membership of 397 200L casks, each one representing a foot of water from the nearby 397ft Powerscourt Waterfall. Together with cask ownership, other benefits of the programme will include distillery shopping discounts, early access to future limited and special releases, annual samplings and special tasting events. It also includes an exclusive bottling of the otherwise unavailable Powerscourt Distillery Fercullen 16-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey.

Alex Peirce, chief executive of The Powerscourt Distillery, said that the cask programme provides a once-off opportunity to become part of the unfolding story of whiskey distilling on Powerscourt Estate. “The past few years have seen a lot of careful preparatory work, and we now have a whiskey distillery located in an extraordinary setting, complemented by a world-class visitor centre and facilities, and an onsite maturation warehouse all in the one place,” Peirce stated. “We also have one of Ireland’s most decorated and recognisable distillers, Noel Sweeney, at the helm of our distilling operations.”

 Thanks again for reading our Irish Whiskey News.

Andrew

The Whiskey Experts

The Whiskey Experts - Irish Whiskey News ? 2019

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