Whisky Celebrations Get Underway Worldwide

Columbia Hillen

With International Whisk(e)y Day approaching connected March 27, there’s nary amended clip to sip the potent aureate liquid. Having enjoyed rather a fewer tipples, present are immoderate from the rocky coasts, islands and mountains of Ireland and Scotland I see worthy savoring.

Photo courtesy of Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery

Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery, Montrose, Scotland

Farm to vessel operation, the family-run Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery successful Scotland has produced its 3rd constricted variation Highland Rye Single Grain Scotch Whisky.

Honey bronze successful color, aged 5 years and matured successful charred American oak with a decorativeness successful Jamaican rum barrels, this creaseless whisky has nary chill filtration nor added coloring.

The archetypal mature Scotch whisky made with rye successful implicit 100 years, its ingredients are sourced straight from the household workplace astatine the distillery with the harvest assortment featuring Arrantes Scottish Rye, Viscount Scottish Wheat and Odyssey Scottish Malted Barley.

Interestingly, Arbikie Highland Estate sits connected a oversea cliff on the eastbound seashore of Angus, with records showing distillation dating backmost to 1794. The Stirling family, John, Iain, and David, transportation connected a household farming contented astatine Arbikie lasting 4 generations, planting connected fertile reddish sandstone-tinted ungraded beside the North Sea with the microclimate of Lunan Bay granting longer increasing seasons.

Arbikie Master Distiller Kirsty Black describes the aroma of the Highland Rye Single Grain arsenic ripe bananas, grilled pineapples, vanilla crystal cream, roasted almonds and toasted sweetener with the taste of stewed fruits, demerara sugar, cocoa, grilled pineapples, blackcurrants and cloves.

Photo courtesy of Powerscourt Distillery

Powerscourt Distillery, Wicklow, Ireland

Inspired by the atmospheric bodegas of the Andalusian portion of Spain, the Powerscourt Distillery, adjacent the picturesque colony of Enniskerry, boasts its oldest release, a 21-year-old azygous malt Fercullen whiskey, matured successful 70 percent bourbon, 20 percent Oloroso and 10 percent PX sherry casks. 

Head of whiskey John Cashman describes it arsenic “combining the distinctive acheronian effect sherried flavours of the Spanish portion with the brushed elegance of 21-year bourbon matured malt whiskey, which imparts a beauteous vanilla sweetness to the whiskey.” 

He added, “When combined with the dried fruits from the sherry casks and drying spice from the European oak this azygous malt has an astonishing extent of flavour and complexity.”

Powerscourt Distillery, a classical 3 cookware inactive distillery, started successful mid-2018, with the archetypal barrels laid down successful August that twelvemonth erstwhile Fercullen was launched. Fercullen is the autochthonal Irish sanction for the aged Celtic territory of onshore stretching from Dublin metropolis crossed the Wicklow Mountains. 

The distillery besides produces Fercullen Falls, a blend of malt and atom whiskeys matured successful first-fill, ex-bourbon barrels and the atom successful a operation of ex-bourbon and caller dense char oak casks. It besides offers a peculiar ‘Prestige Cask Programme.’

Columbia Hillen

Wayward Irish Spirits, Killarney, Ireland

In founding this distillery successful southwestern Ireland, Maurice O’Connell maintained his family’s links to the drinks manufacture dating backmost 600 years erstwhile his forefathers imported brandies and wines from Spain.

Named aft a fashionable 18th period Irish person Daniel O'Connell, whose passionate oratory earned him the nickname ‘the wayward Irishman,’ the distillery is located connected Lakeview Estate connected the shores of Lough Leane, the largest of the Three Lakes of Killarney.

Special among its offering is its archetypal Single Pot Still Whiskey entitled the ‘Coming of Age Release.’ After being distilled, it’s matured initially successful ex-Bourbon casks for 3 months, a further 40 months successful ex-Premier Cru Bordeaux NEOC barrels, with 10 per cent finished successful ex-peated casks for 3 months. It is past chopped implicit six months to guarantee integration and smoothness, with nary colour added and minimally filtered (no chill filter).

As for sensation - expect cherries connected the nose, affluent chromatic and a hint of smoke.

O’Connell said “the microclimate successful the region, half-jokingly referred to ‘four seasons successful 1 hour’ with regular somesthesia variations, enhances maturation arsenic the whiskey moves successful and retired of the wood. Made from our ain barley, it is matured present connected the Estate.”

Columbia Hillen

Gortinore Distillery, Waterford, Ireland 

This distillery successful southeast Ireland aims to make what it presumption “a fusion of Irish and American whisky traditions” with its brand, Natterjack, named aft the lone toad autochthonal to Ireland. 

Founded by Aidan and Lisa Mehigan, it is located connected an aged woollen mill connected the River Mahon and houses 3 accepted copper cookware stills and aging whiskey casks. Led by maestro distiller, Jordan Via, the distillery is retrofitted into a 150-year-old building.

Its whiskies, with innovative vessel labeling, are aged successful ex-Bourbon barrels and finished successful virgin American oak selected onsite successful Kentucky. Triple distilled, it has a smooth, astir creamy palate of orange, spice, cedar and notes of tobacco. Its peculiar cask spot assortment is bottled astatine 63 percent. Orange and char travel to the fore, against a backdrop of malt, a proposition of cloves, grounded by butterscotch and earthy oak.

Columbia Hillen

Ballykeefe Distillery, Kilkenny, Ireland 

This artisan distillery is simply a household cognition headed by couple, Morgan and Anne Ging, who hint their unbroken farming lineage arsenic acold backmost arsenic written records beryllium successful a portion known arsenic ‘Ireland’s Ancient East.’ 

After 25 years of probe and painstaking effort, they turned a imagination into a world and diversified their farming endeavor by adding a azygous property ‘field to glass’ distillery six years ago. Built successful 2016, Whiskey accumulation began successful 2017 with a Single Pot Still, followed by Single Malt and Single Rye. In presumption of sustainability, the atom is produced connected the workplace and by-products of distilling are fed to livestock. 

Its Single Malt Irish is distilled successful Italian handcrafted copper cookware stills from 100 percent malted barley, with each vessel taken straight from a azygous cask. Expect an aggravated surge of fruit, saccharine licorice and malt with pome dominating, supported by tropical fruits, tarte tatin, marzipan and cloves. Its Pot Still displays a burst of orangish peel and acheronian chocolate, past a surge of spice with notes of licorice, cloves, cardamom and a hint of soothing menthol oil. 

Columbia Hillen

Rademon Estate Distillery, Crossgar, Northern Ireland

Award-winning Rademon Estate Distillery was founded successful 2012 by hubby and woman team, Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong, wrong an historical 500-acre property successful region Down, Northern Ireland dating backmost to AD565, with an archetypal location from 1667. It features a vintage courtyard, cottages, a workers bell, and an imposing obelisk. 

Whiskey-makers for implicit 7 years, it’s double-distilled Shortcross Rye and Malt variation has been created connected copper cookware stills including 1 of the smallest connected the land of Ireland and aged successful a operation of chinkapin oak and ex-bourbon barrels with a mash measure of 100 per cent Irish malted rye and barley. An innovative summation to its merchandise enactment is tiny batch Irish poitin with a chemoreceptor of caller effect crockery and palate of saccharine and airy greenish undertones and blackberry crumble.

Columbia Hillen

Dingle Distillery, Kerry, Ireland

Ireland launched this February a nationalist vacation successful grant of Brigid, the past Goddess of fertility and with cleanable timing, Dingle Distillery successful Kerry has released its triple-distilled Lá le Bríde Single Malt honoring the past Celtic solemnisation of Imbolg, the opening of Spring. Matured successful bourbon casks with a rye cask finish, Lá le Bríde expresses light, saccharine aromas of honey, raspberries, biscuits, icing sugar, and butterscotch. On the palate, it’s affluent successful spice, herbs, caramel, and ginger, with a interaction of mint, brought to a adjacent with a toffee and spiced effect finish.  

Dingle Distillery was conceived by Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley and launched successful 2012. It besides has a ‘Descendants Cask Programme’ for connoisseurs to put successful - the whiskey created by Master Distiller, Graham Coull, maturing for 8 years.

Columbia Hillen

Clonakilty Atlantic Distillery, Cork, Ireland

Located astatine the waterfront successful Cork, southwest Ireland, the Scully family, founders of Clonakilty Atlantic Distillery, person farmed this coastal onshore for 9 successive generations implicit 300 years.

Barley is grown connected their workplace successful the shadiness of the Galley Head lighthouse, and the distiller’s content is that “pure cleanable aerial transported crossed thousands of miles, from chaotic Atlantic storms, to tranquil oversea mist and brushed rain, supply a freshness unspoilt by quality intervention.” 

Award-winning whiskies see their Single Grain merchandise matured successful ex-bourbon casks for 10 years past for a further 2 years successful ex-Bordeaux reddish vino casks to springiness a rich, creaseless sensation with aromas of saccharine reddish berries and flavors of strawberries, chromatic and vanilla and a decorativeness of wood spice with ace pepper.

Columbia Hillen

The Eclinville Distillery, Newtownards, Northern Ireland 

Known arsenic ‘The Spirit of Belfast,’ Dunville’s Distillery successful Belfast dates from 1808 and was a starring whiskey shaper successful the Victorian Age. Revived by The Echlinville Distillery a decennary ago, it won ‘Ireland’s Best Whiskey’ astatine the Irish Whiskey Awards and 12 prizes astatine the World Whiskies Awards. 

Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey is aged for 10 years and finished in apical prime Pedro Ximenez saccharine sherry casks. Bottled astatine 46% without chill-filtration. This cleanable malt is interspersed with vanilla panna cotta, dried tropical fruits, clove, oak spice and a lingering of PX sherry. Its aromas comprise apricots, grapefruit and toasted almonds opening to caller greenish cooking apples, pome tatin, lightly spiced calvados caramel creme and a acheronian effect compote.

Photo courtesy of Sailor's Home

Sailor’s Home, Limerick, Ireland

Built by section officials successful 1856 successful Limerick, a stone’s propulsion from the Shannon Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, Sailor’s Home has present been transformed into a distillery. Here maestro whiskey shaper Jack Ó’Sé, has created what helium presumption ‘The Explorer Series.’ 

Among the brands, namely Journey, Haven, Horizon and Caravelle, is Stormchaser, a triple-distilled azygous malt whiskey aged successful virgin oak and ex-Bourbon casks with 2 intensely antithetic but complementary cask finishes – trade Irish stout barrels and Madeira casks. Its chemoreceptor comprises cocoa, bittersweet hops and roasted malts and its sensation is of subtle spice, espresso and acheronian cocoa notes, creamy vanilla and orangish peel. Its decorativeness has treacle and hints of acheronian fruit.

Photo courtesy of Sliabh Liag Distillers

Sliabh Liag Distilleries, Donegal, Ireland

Located successful the humanities festival municipality of Ardara overlooking Loughrosmore Bay, Sliabh Liag Distillers led by James and Moira Doherty brings an past artisan contented backmost to the Irish northwest.

Among its whiskey brands, its yellow-gold colored ‘Midnight Silkie’ is the smokiest blend successful the collection, with 4 triple distilled azygous malts and a triple distilled peated azygous malt astatine its heart. Five azygous malts aged successful sherry, Bourbon, oloroso reddish wine, virgin oak and imperial stout casks, are blended with non-chill filtered for richer character.

Its chemoreceptor is described arsenic having a affluent muscovado sweetness with tube smoke, sandalwood and orangish zest with a sensation initially of aggravated molasses with tube ash, raisins and sultanas boiled with nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Then toffee apples, toasted drying oak and tobacco.

Photo courtesy of Ardbeg Distillery

Ardbeg Distillery, Isle of Islay, Scotland

For implicit 200 years, according to the distiller owners, Ardbeg whisky has been made connected the small, distant Scottish Isle of Islay. And among the much modern brands is its 10-year-old peaty, smoky azygous malt. Produced connected the Kildalton seashore of the island, aft distillation, the tone is placed into American bourbon barrels, wherever it remains for a minimum of 10 years earlier idiosyncratic barrels are blended unneurotic to make the finished product. No chill-filtration is involved.

Light golden successful color, its aroma is described arsenic “a burst of aggravated smoky effect escaping into the ambiance of peat infused with zesty citrus and lime, wrapped successful waxy acheronian cocoa giving mode to the earthy sweetness of the malt.” Overall, it is simply a lighter instrumentality connected the Islay style, with immoderate slate minerality and chromatic and a sweet, floral element.

Columbia Hillen

Slane Irish Whiskey, Meath, Ireland

Launched connected the grounds of an historical castle an hour’s thrust from Dublin, Slane Irish Whiskey’s triple-casked blend combines atom and malt whiskeys done the distinctive flavors of 3 casks, with immoderate of the barley grown connected the castle grounds. Alex Conyngham, his begetter Henry and stepmother Iona started the distillery earlier partnering with Brown-Forman 8 years ago.

The triple cask blend has notes of vanilla, banana, butterscotch, dried chromatic fruits and subtle baking spice. The decorativeness has lingering hints of adust effect and caramelized wood sugar. The distillery, besides a unrecorded euphony venue, besides produces Slane Special Edition and Slane Batch Proof whiskies.