Luxco’s Newest release – The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey

 

The Quiet Man Irish WhiskieLuxco’s first quarter of 2016 is going to be a busy one, with now two whiskies set for release.  In late 2015 they announced a permanent expression of Yellowstone bourbon due in January.  Now, Luxco, in association with Niche Drinks, are introducing their first Irish whiskey, The Quiet Man, in both a blended and single malt release.  Both expressions are scheduled to be launched this month in the U.S.  Read the full press release from Luxco below.

(St. Louis) January 5, 2016 — Luxco is proud to introduce its first-ever Irish whiskey, The Quiet Man, set to launch two varieties in the U.S. this month. The handcrafted Quiet Man is produced through Luxco’s partnership with Niche Drinks in Derry, Ireland, and is the first Irish whiskey bottled in Derry in more than 100 years.

The Quiet Man brand was born when Ciaran Mulgrew, managing director and co-owner of Niche Drinks, and founder of The Quiet Man, decided to create a whiskey to honor his father, John Mulgrew.

“The Quiet Man is a completely unique combination of hand selected whiskies, finished in first-fill bourbon barrels, creating sweet and spicy notes,” Ciaran Mulgrew said. “In more than 50 years behind the bar, my father saw and heard it all, but like all good bartenders, John Mulgrew was true to the code and told no tales. He was ‘The Quiet Man,’ or as they say in the pubs of Ireland, ‘An Fear Ciuin.’”

Distilled in traditional Irish whiskey pot stills matured in oak barrels and recasked in first-fill bourbon casks, The Quiet Man will be available in two varieties: The Quiet Man Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey and The Quiet Man 8-Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey, both bottled at 80 proof and sold in 750ML bottles. The Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey is aged four years and has a high malt percentage, compared to most blends, offering a mellow and ultra-smooth finish. The Single Malt offers a smooth taste and floral notes for a premium experience.

“The difference between a good whiskey and a great whiskey lies not just in picking the best ingredients and having the most skilled distiller,” Mulgrew added. “It lies in selecting the finest barrels to let the whiskey mature in. Our unique process of finishing the aging in barrels that previously held bourbon but never whiskey allows The Quiet Man to soak up those wonderfully sweet yet spicy oak flavors, and the result is two great Irish whiskies.”

The Quiet Man is currently available in Germany, South Africa, Canada and Ireland, and was first bottled in June 2015. It will be available in the U.S. in January, through a joint venture between Luxco and Niche Drinks, whose partnership dates back to 1986.

Suggested retail price is $39.99 for the blended variety and $49.99 for the single malt variety.

For more information on The Quiet Man, please visit www.thequietmanirishwhiskey.com, or www.facebook.com/the-quiet-man-irish-whiskey.

 

Highspire Whiskey Review

Highspire Rye

What business does California winemaker Austin Hope have making whiskey?  Given the surge of craft whiskies on the market, Hope thought he could bring his palate and ideas to the world of whiskey.

Highspire is a very old brand of Pennsylvania rye whiskey dating back to the early 1800s.  Like countless others, the distillery was shut down for Prohibition and the brand simply died.  Enter Austin Hope.

After spending a couple of years nailing down a mashbill, Hope finally settled on a 100% rye mashbill, sourced from a farm close to his distillery.  In an interview with The Whiskey Jug’s Josh Peters, Hope said he ages his whiskey in used-wine barrels for 130 days hoping to preserve its young, fruity rye characteristics.  According to the brand’s website, a blend of oak staves are added to barrels to help accelerate or enhance the short aging process.

This young whiskey isn’t intended to replicate the original Highspire.  Instead, Hope pays homage to the 100% rye mashbill of the original Pennsylvania Highspire whiskey.  This new Highspire whiskey is bottled at 80 proof and runs around $35 for a 750 mL bottle.  So, how does it taste?

The first thing on the nose is a young, strong rye grain aroma.  Very expected given the mashbill and brief aging.  An oak-aged white wine note (chardonnay?) plays right underneath the rye.  There’s also a bit of young-ish oak and a slight fruity note in the background.  The entry starts a little thin and watery.  The young oak and wine note mingle with the rye grain right up front, as suggested by the nose.  A touch of candy sweetness, vanilla and fruit add to the tasting experience.  Towards the end and going into the finish is a bit of rye spice.  The finish is of medium length, with white wine fruitiness lingering.

I don’t hate this whiskey, but I also don’t love it.  All in all, Highspire Rye is not a bad whiskey.  It’s fruitier than any other rye-based whiskey I’ve tasted up to this point.  It’s simply a different experience,  I do applaud Austin Hope for giving us something interesting.  However, I can’t help but wonder what a year or two in the barrel would do to this whiskey.  In addition, I’d love to see this bottled at a higher proof.  It would help the slight thin mouthfeel and add more punch to the flavors.

That said, if you’re a big fan of white wine and whiskey, this may be right up your alley.  Try a pour at your local watering hole (Highspire’s website lists locations that carries their product).

6.0/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Highspire.)

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Review
Photo courtesy of Stranahan's.

Photo courtesy of Stranahan’s.

Stranahan’s is a whiskey I’ve been wanting to try for a while now.  Each small batch made of 100% barley, and aged in new American oak casks for a minimum of two years in Colorado.  And a small batch it is.  Stranahan’s selects between 10 and 20 casks per batch.  This standard release is bottled at 94 proof.

The nose has a big honeyed malt character.  A touch of oak pops up, along with some stewed fruit.  The entry starts off mellow.  Some wood spice builds up a bit.  Honey and toffee notes ramp up, along with cereal grain and a touch of orange zest.  Stranahan’s is medium bodied, and doesn’t feel thin.  The tasting experience ends with a medium-long finish and a nice clove honey note.

 

Head distiller Rob Dietrich and his crew are crafting some delicious whiskey over in Colorado.  It’s definitely a different breed than other American whiskeys.  Going the barley route versus producing something with a corn-based or rye-based mashbill is commended.  This is a solid bottle of whiskey.  Recommended.

8.0/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Stranahan’s.)