Exclusive Irish Whiskeys At The Single Malt Shop
What will you be drinking for St Patrick’s Day? Newly launched online drinks retailer, The Single Malt Shop, showcased some of the finest Irish whiskeys on the market last week at Darby’s at a Superior Irish Whisky Tasting Event. Read on to discover our thoughts about five whiskeys ranging from £65 to just under £400.
Our absolute favourite of the evening was the Redbreast 22 year old. It’s a triple distilled whiskey matured in sherry casks. It has 59% ABV and with only 468 bottles in the series it retails exclusively for The Single Malt Whiskey Shop. It’s a deep ruby colour with a nose of leather, mahogany, orange oils, dark chocolate, nutmeg and cherry. The palate is walnut and black cherry with a cinnamon, burnt coffee, spice and red fruit finish. It retails for £385.
We also loved the limited edition single pot still Irish whiskey from Method & Madness. It’s finished in Japanese cedar casks, which is unique as normally the casks are used for sake and not whiskey. Full of rich spice bursting with red fruits and vanilla, the nose is one of bubblegum, cloves and eucalyptus. The palate is black tea, clove, caraway seeds and fennel with a finish sandalwood and liquorice. We were told to add water to the whiskey and although skeptical at first, it really bought forth the plum, honeysuckle, melon, clove and cinnamon. It retails for £91.54.
Green Spot 10 year old is a hot still whiskey with 58% ABV. Baked red apple, custard and cinnamon nose with a dark toffee, green tea, baked apricot and nectarine palate. The finish is dried slices, nutmeg, peach, pear and apple. Adding water provides more of the apple and custard flavours. It’s exclusive to The Single Malt Shop and priced at £282.92. With only 300 bottles in existence, se savoured every mouthful.
Teeling Wonders of Wood Series II is a triple distilled whiskey aged in Virgin Portuguese Oak casks. Due to this it has wood and vanilla flavours. There’s notes of stewed apple, marmalade, tobacco, pepper, and assertive spices like mace. Made of 50/50 malted and unmalted barley, it has a rich, dark chocolate flavour. By adding a little water you get more of the steed apple notes. At £65 it’s an accessible whisky.
Bushmills 2022 Vermouth cask is the world’s first-ever vermouth cask-finished Irish single malt whiskey release, an exciting innovation from the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. Matured in sherry butts and bourbon barrels for over 18 years it’s then aged for nearly two years in vermouth casks from northern Italy. These have a floral character contributing to the tropical fruit nose. Hints of rose petal give way to sweet honey, mandarin orange, fresh vanilla, dried fruits and toasted almond. It also has the classic hazelnut skin that’s quintessentially Bushmills. There’s some bitterness from the vermouth. An elegant whiskey at £212.
The whiskeys were accompanied by a menu of bespoke dishes by Darby’s, which is owned by renowned Dublin chef, Robin Gill.
The Single Malt Shop is a new specialist whiskey online retailer of premium whiskeys, including the finest Irish whiskeys. Irish whisky is going through a reconnaissance at the moment and it’s time to celebrate it.
Website: https://thesinglemaltshop.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_single_malt_shop
Written by Caitlin Neal
