The fourth whiskey was an interesting diversion, distilled at the Middleton Distillery in Cork and named after a now defunct distillery, this was again another single pot still whiskey that tasted of its history. This is a whiskey that highlights the ability of pot still distillation to create very different flavours, whilst still bearing all the usual hallmarks of quality Irish whiskey. After some history of the distiller and some unique insights from Liam Sparks, we drank it from a stemmed glass.
Aroma: Leather, Vanilla and Citrus Fruit.
Taste: After the lightness of the Redbreast 21, this whisky was almost chewable in texture. As the dram enters the mouth, there is a cinnamon sweetness, that I can only link to a children’s breakfast cereal.
This flavour carries through from the start, but in the middle morphs to a darker, spicier version of those first flavour points. There are still notes of cereal, but they are joined by liquorice and aniseed. This part is more warming than the others that we have sampled tonight. It has a oddly Scottish feel to it and it reminds me of beef jerky.
Then suddenly this flavour ends, leaving behind a numbness on the lips. Then out come lighter spices, sweet notes of vanilla and toffee.
Mouthfeel: Darker and chewier than other pot still whiskies, but still unerring smooth and easy to drink.
Overall: I had fully braced myself for this to be the disappointing whisky of the tasting, but it completely proved me wrong. It brought a different dimension to the other drams and I could see this being the one most loved by Scotch whisky drinkers.
Aroma: 14
Start: 15
Middle: 16
Finish: 16
Value: 14
Overall: 75/100
More Information: Powers Website
Available: Weber and Trings
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