Irish Whiskey

After a couple of years of talking about having an Irish Whiskey night at the Cabinet, it finally happened last Thursday. There was also a secondary overlapping theme of triple distillation as that is the unique hallmark of Irish as opposed to Scottish whiskies. The only exception being the Auchentoshan, which is also triple distilled and was thus the obvious choice for a Caledonian counterpart to the otherwise Hibernian evening.


It was reported that the three Irish Whiskies purchased for this meeting were quite reasonable in price leaving the Cabinet finances in good shape for a possible field trip to the MLCC. There was continued talk of a field trip to the Crown Royal Distillery in Gimli but the weekday requirement during working hours is still a hurdle for some in the group. It was also reported that most of the Irish whiskies are distilled in a single very large distillery but one of the examples for this evening, the Tyrconnell, distilled by Cooley's, is an exception.

The whiskies were tasted in the following order which was selected somewhat randomly:
1. Tyrconnell
2. Mystery Pour provided by Cory.
3. The Irishman
4. Knappogue Castle
5. Auchentoshan 12
6. A sampling of FGB Kona coffee flavored beer

Tasting notes (copied from enthusiast internet sites) were provided for all three Irish whiskies and the Scottish Whisky but not for the mystery pour or the beer.

Snacks available to pair with the whiskies included Dubliner, Irish Whiskey, Malt Whiskey and Applewood Smoked Cheddar cheeses, and candied smoked salmon as well as crackers and the traditional much beloved rough oat cakes.

1. The Tyrconnell was found to be much like a Scottish Whisky though not peated. The nose in the tulip glass seemed to put Michael off some but he enjoyed the taste. It was found to be somewhat sweet and fruity with a definite malt flavor. The finish was almond to Philipp and walnut to Trevor. Overall this whiskey was enjoyed and found to be very different from Jameson the Irish whiskey most were acquainted with.

2. The mystery pour was described as fiery and not pleasant to taste. It was revealed that this was Amrut an Indian whisky, after which many curry jokes were made. Not likely to be purchased by the Cabinet again.

3. The Irishman seemed to be bottled in a Gibson’s Finest bottle and was the least favorite among the three Irish whiskies. Incidentally it also has the least original name. The nose did have some toasted cereal and nut aromas but none of the group were able to discern the mossy river stone described in the tasting notes. The taste was described as sugar with a harsh edge and fruity. It does not have a lasting finish but what was there was described as a sweet brief finish with a taste of cantaloupe(Michael), honeydew(Jason), and watermelon(Grant). At this point the group ran out of members of the melon family to offer as comparison so the others fell silent.

 4. The Knappogue Caste whiskey was appreciated by all. It was decsribed as having a candy flavor and was not at all bitter as was the case with The Irishman. The finish was much longer and had flavors of apricot and dark chocolate. really quite a nice pour and certain to be re-visited. This was felt to be the nicest of the three Irish whiskies.

5. The Auchentoshan 12 was described by Grant as being his “cabin whisky” and we could all see why. It had a beautiful nose of caramel and brown sugar which matched the tasting notes. It did not quite bring any of us to the “nostril orgasm” described in the somewhat hyperbolic notes, but some were feigned. It was sweet on the palate and did offer a nice hallelujah moment. A wonderful Scottish Whisky which was a good counterpoint to the Irish Whiskies tasted.

6. The beer was enjoyed by all and seen as step forward for the otherwise rather middling and dull Fort Garry Brewery. Strong dark chocolate notes were in evidence in addition to the obvious coffee.

Other discussions at the meeting included the use of kevlar diapers to avoid genital mutilation of US soldiers dealing with the threat of IEDs, voice recognition software on mobile devices, and the change in intelligence noted in people who were told they were wearing a lab coat vs. those told they were wearing an artist smock. Ivan was congratulated on having won a competition to secure funding for his forthcoming film, "Mosquito". It turns out that everyone in the Cabinet has a mosquito story or three, so Ivan may have to pitch a mini-series instead.

Thank you Trevor for providing most of the notes and Cory for providing most of the photos.

Slainte!