Irish Pot Still Whiskey seems to have its own qualities. It is generally light, full of orchard fruit, creamy, smooth and easy to drink. There are other dimensions that come from the way that it is matured, the length of maturation and the cask used to mature, but these qualities are almost always present too. This means that it is a great spirit for a non-whisky drink to start with, or (*winces and hides from the purists*) to make a quality whiskey cocktail from.
Today’s example is Hyde Whiskey – President’s Cask.
Price: £40 – 50
Appearance: Glimmering gold, like the sheen of an unimportant award given to an undeserving teen pop band simply for having all their teeth at a name brand ceremony.
Aroma: Thick, rich aromas of the orchard on a heady, if rare, hot summers day. Apples, mingling with pears and sun baked thick grass, combining to give a natural and teasing sweetness. Lower in the mix are the notes of cinnamon spice and porridge oats. All in all a classic pudding nose of a dram
Taste: Sweet and fruity, the initial notes build on the nose of this dram. They are super smooth and almost caress the tongue as the liquid glides backward through the mouth. This part of the dram is creamy and light.
As the liquid moves backward, there is a mix of toffee and spice. The spice widens and really gradually spreads through out the mouth. It descends down the back of the throat and warms. At this point one might swear that you could breathe fire with the best of the dragons. This isn’t to say that the dram is fiery, but warming and clingy, giving me the confidence that I would survive the expulsion of fire!
Lastly, as the dram winds is way around your mouth, swirling, warming and creamy. There is the heat of cinnamon, mixed with an almost metallic copperiness, which is a quality that immediately leaves you wanting more. The last notes as this whisky dies away are milky, like thick, full cream milk that you might get on a farm.
Mouthfeel: Clingy, long lasting, but ever so smooth.
Overall: Here are all the flavours of Irish Whiskey that I expect, but with added dimensions. You could get away with arguing that this is Irish Whiskey in 4D. Although I may have to turn up at your house and splash you with water to get away with that claim.
Real Dram Factor: 7.2
Source: Tweet Tasting – Sign up @TweetTastings for more information on the next ones.
More Information: Hyde Whisky Website
Buy Online: Amazon: Hyde Single Malt – £45.00 or Master of Malt: President’s Cask – £50.88
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