Roe & Co. Solera Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review

By David Lavine

Rating: B-

Roe & Co. Solera Single Malt
(Credit: Diageo)

Roe & Co.’s newest entry into the market is a solera-aged and blended single malt Irish Whiskey. Taking an inventive spin on the solera method, Roe & Co. intends this to be a periodic release, each version showcasing another element of the process.

The solera method is most associated with Sherry, where tiers of casks are filled from top to bottom with progressively newer spirit entering at the highest level and finished spirit drawn from the bottom casks. The core idea is consistency: each product draw is, in theory, imbued with a portion of the previous fill, leading to flavor being reliably familiar regardless of the vintage. Some producers will replace the casks regularly, refreshing the wood’s influence, whereas others will use the casks more as blending and oxidizing vessels, where the wood is little more than a neutral, breathable container.

Roe & Co. has clearly gone with the former.

The initial offering includes, from the brand website, “…refill and first fill American Oak ex Bourbon barrels, Alligator charred American oak barrels, Chestnut barrels with custom toasting profiles, and Sherry casks” in the solera. Their four-tier solera system goes in that order: ex-bourbon at the top, new char #4 (alligator) right below, Chestnut below that, and Sherry casks on the bottom.

This is, notably, the first single malt coming from Roe & Co., and moreover the first single malt Irish whiskey to come out of Dublin in a century. I’ll admit to wanting to try the single malt in a more “traditional” way, perhaps just an ex-bourbon cask, to get a baseline for comparison, but I’ll similarly admit to looking a gift horse in the mouth. The other Roe & Co. whiskey I’ve had – the Blended Irish Whiskey – is a vanilla pastry bomb. Mouthwatering, velvety, and sweet, it is simpler in profile than the Single Malt (with a different mash bill, of course). The Blended Irish Whiskey does show a starting point from which the Single Malt emerges down the line, but it’s not a perfect base of comparison.

All that said, let’s dig into the Roe & Co. Single Malt Irish Whiskey.

The Whiskey
In a Glencairn, the color is pale straw, a bit darker than the Blended Irish Whiskey but not by much.

The nose reveals a solid malt character – you know this is a full malted barley mash bill immediately. The grain outshines the finishing casks, with none of those casks coming through in any identifiable way beyond perhaps some light fruitiness. Dryness characteristic of grape brandy cuts into the sweetness. A bit of barnyard funk and preserved lemons with a slight sulfur note a the end.

The palate is creamy and malty right out of the gate, the preserved lemons from the nose now thrown on the grill for some smokiness. Oak pepperiness hits the tip of my tongue. Granny Smith apples and Anjou pears, orchard fruits both tart and sweet. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, coating like a thin custard. Front half of my tongue is still lightly burning in a pleasant way. The finish allows much more vanilla character from those ex-bourbon and new American oak casks to come through and balance out the maltiness on a medium-to-long finish.

Overall, this is an intriguing idea that, while tasty, doesn’t meet the expectations set by its producer. The whiskey itself is mouthwatering and invites a second sip, and at the price point it’s a high-quality Irish whiskey. Where it falls short is in showcasing the unique solera method Roe & Co. has developed.

My understanding is that future releases in the Solera line will explore these flavors more specifically. I take this to mean that certain elements, such as the chestnut casks on the third tier or sherry casks at the bottom of the solera will be highlighted. This remains to be seen, and I welcome correction from Roe & Co. if my interpretation is misguided.

My rating of a B- is based on solid marks for nose and palate and a well-rounded whiskey experience. Detractions on the overall score came from a failure to communicate in the liquid what was communicated in the literature and marketing. Had this been released simply as a Single Malt Irish Whiskey that happened to be solera aged or blended, it would have rated higher.

This sample was provided to me indirectly from Roe & Co. All opinions and evaluations are my own.

The Price
When the first batch was released, this was priced at €85 (approximately $92). So, beware of online retailers who have it marked up to $300.