The Irishman brand is fairly new, established in 1999. It started out as a company, which was blending and bottling Irish Coffee. In 2007 they started to bottle Irish whiskey.
This Irishman 70, the Founder’s Reserve is made out of 70% single malt and 30% single pot still, created by founder Bernard Walsh. The blend is unusual because it’s the only Irish blended whiskey to contain 100% whiskey distillates from the copper pot still and 0% grain or column still whiskey.
The Founder’s Reserve is triple distilled and matured in bourbon casks. It has won a Gold Medal at The International Spirits Challenge in London and in The International Spirits Competition in San Francisco. Jim Murray gave it a score of 93 points in his Whisky Bible.
This dram truly was a big positive surprise for me. It’s easy to reference this whiskey with the movie Waking Ned Devine, because it almost felt like a lottery win. Definitely a “bang for the buck dram” – not complex but good for the price you’re getting it.
Fortunately I didn’t die like Ned Devine in the movie but I almost went to heaven while tasting The Irishman 70. It’s moments like these that make my day the most when tasting whisky. When you discover a great bargain. So that’s why the big hype compared to a fair score, The Irishman was just so nice compared to my expectations.
Nose: Cinnamon with fruity notes and touch of vanilla.
Taste: Bit spicy with a bourbon feel. Vanilla dominates greatly with hints of oak.
Finish: Toffee and oak hit briefly. Unfortunately the finish is a bit too short.
Balance: Good nose and the whiskey is fairly in balance, Nice dram for the price! Reminded me a bit of Buffalo Trace bourbon.
Colour: Full gold
Nose: 22 | Taste: 20 | Finish: 19 | Balance: 20
Overall score: 81
Brand: The Irishman
Owner: The Irishman Whiskey, Dublin, Ireland
ABV: 40%
1 Comment
[…] Tears is owned and bottled by Walsh Whiskey Company, who also own the Irishman brand. Writers Tear’s is a blend of 40% Irish Pure Pot Still (also known as Single Pot Still) […]