The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B
The Irish Whiskey Museum’s 13 year Old Single Malt bottling
(Credit: Richard Thomas)
Whiskey tastings are a fixture of distillery visits, and most sell their own wares in their gift shops. For whiskey museums, however, what I have found is most don’t even have a tasting, let alone whiskey for sale.
The recently opened Irish Whiskey Museum was therefore a refreshing departure from both of these common failings. Not only does a tasting crown their tour, but they have their own bottling available for sale. This is a 13 year old, ex-sherry cask Irish single malt, triple distilled and bottled at 46% abv.
The Whiskey
This whiskey bears the look of one that spent more than a dozen years in an ex-sherry cask, both in the bottle and the glass. In the former it’s dark and ambery, and in the latter the appearance takes on the rich look of gold leaning into brown.
The scent is crisp, but at the same time permeated by wet wood. The major note is that of juicy grapes, with just a hint of grass.
The flavor doesn’t follow the rather soaked character of the nose. The wood goes from wet to dry, delivering a bit of pepper. Yet the sherry vein is still there, as is the slight grassy note. From there the aftertaste emerges, turning things ashy, and the finish leaves a tingly, warm afterglow.
The Price
Available only at the Irish Whiskey Museum, this is a limited edition bottling and costs €100.
