In a normal year, any one of the six Irish whiskeys released in 2011 could have staked a claim as Irish whiskey of the year. But 2011 wasn’t normal, not least because in a normal year it’s not likely there would have been six releases in total, let alone six potential award-winning contenders. Unsurprisingly, given the last decade or so, Cooley was never far from the headlines, and the company bookended the year with Kilbeggan 18 year old and Greenore 18 year old at the beginning of it, and Connemara Bog Oak toward the end.

But it was the stunning triple whammy of single pot still whiskeys from Irish Distillers in between that provided the greatest surprise in a generation for the Irish whiskey category. All three were wonderful, but it was the last of them, the cask strength version of the much-loved 12 year old Redbreast, that carried off the honors.

A rich, bittersweet plummy, red berry, oaky-spiced delight, the increased strength gives an already great whiskey a richer, fuller, fruitier dimension, and makes an already complex whiskey…even more complex. For me that makes it not just the best Irish whiskey of this year, but of any. An utter joy. —Dominic Roskrow

The recipient of Whisky Advocate’s Japanese Whisky of the Year will be announced here, tomorrow.

Read his post. How do you feel about what happened in whisky in 2011? Was it a good year or a bad year? And why?

John Teeling, Cooley’s founder, was quoted saying that it will allow the brands “to reach their potential.”

What do you think? Is this good for Irish whiskey drinkers worldwide or not? And why?

Looking at the catalog (which you can peruse here), I see some great whiskies being auctioned again, like this 1979 vintage release of The Macallan Gran Reserva (pictured on right).

This time, in addition to single malt scotch, there’s a greater emphasis on whiskies from other countries, including bourbon, Irish, Japanese, and Canadian whisky. For example, bourbon enthusiasts will drool at the 9-bottle case of Very Old Fitzgerald 8 year old bourbon distilled in 1948 at the defunct Stitzel-Weller distillery (pictured below).

I realize that many of you don’t have the means to buy some of these rare whiskies. For those of you who do, this is a great opportunity to perhaps procure that special whisky you’ve been looking for. And, to be honest, there are many lots of grouped “regular priced” whiskies that, depending on the bidding, might proved to be a bargain–even with the fees that are tacked on.

Regardless, it’s worth a look at the catalog, even if it’s only a stroll down memory lane for you.

Elijah Craig Barrel No. 3,735 20 year old, 45%, $150

From one barrel, and only sold in one location, but well worth the effort to procure a bottle. Nutty toffee, pecan pie, apricot, berried jam, and nougat, peppered with cinnamon, mint, cocoa, and tobacco. Warming, with polished leather and dried spice on the finish.  Seamless, richly textured, and impeccably balanced. (Exclusive to the Bourbon Heritage Center at the Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown, KY.) —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, 57.7%, €75

Irish Distillers has already released two 90+ pot still whiskeys this year, but this is the knockout blow, an immense take on the wonderful Redbreast. The nose gives little away, all damp autumn leaves and fermenting forest fruit, but on the palate it’s a fireworks display, a colorful mix of apple and pear, berries, vine fruits, chocolate liqueur, and oily pureed fruit. It’s coming to the States soon, and rumor has it there’s more to follow. But this will do. I can’t think if I’ve ever tasted a better Irish whiskey.  —Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

Sazerac Rye 18 year old, 45%, $70

Very similar to last year’s release. Well rounded, with a gently sweet foundation (toffee, vanilla taffy), pleasant spice (cinnamon, mocha, soft evergreen), date, glazed citrus, bramble, and a gentle finish for a rye. A classic ultra-aged rye whiskey. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

William Larue Weller, 66.75%, $70

No age statement, but distilled in 1998. The only wheated recipe bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and a very good one at that. Higher in strength than last year’s offering (which was 63.3%), but very similar (and equally as impressive). The most elegant and smoothest of this collection, with layered sweetness (honey, caramel, marzipan, maple syrup), fig, blackberry preserve, hint of green tea, and just the right amount of spice for balance (nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa). —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 95

George T. Stagg, 71.3%, $70

At this strength, it’s almost like getting two whiskeys for the price of one. A great value, considering its age. (It’s not identified on the label, but was distilled in 1993.) Try to find a great 18 year old, cask-strength single malt scotch for this price. Very mature — with a good dose of oak — but not excessively so. Notes of toffee, tobacco, dark molasses, roasted nuts, dried vanilla, leather, and a hint of dusty corn. Dry on the finish, with lingering leather and tobacco. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 95

Aberfeldy 14 year old Single Cask, 58.1%, £115

Single cask Aberfeldy bottlings are very few and far between, and this is a stunner! After hogshead maturation the whisky ultimately underwent a period of finishing in an ex-sherry cask prior to bottling. The nose offers sultanas, raisins, and hot chocolate. Developing vanilla and a hint of over-ripe bananas. Finally, burnt sugar and caramel. Insinuating and syrupy on the palate, with apricots, dried fruits, honey, and sherry. Gently spicy and warming, with licorice in the notably long finish. —Gavin Smith

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 94

The Dalmore 1978, 46%, $750

This 1978 vintage release from The Dalmore has been ‘finished’ for two years in Matusalem sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass, following 29 years in American white oak. Just 477 bottles are available. Freshly-ground coffee, marzipan, dark berries, and rich sherry on the smooth nose, with milk chocolate and Jaffa oranges. Smokier with water. Citrus fruits and more milk chocolate on the rich, full palate, plus roasted almonds. Long and juicy in the finish, with aniseed and fruit pastilles. —Gavin Smith

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac, 64.3%, $70

The youngster in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. One taste and its relative youth is confirmed. (But no worries; it’s mature enough to enjoy neat or with some water (and would be killer in cocktails). This is rye whiskey in its most vibrant, masculine, and purest form. Bold spice (fresh evergreen, warming cinnamon), honey-coated orchard fruit, golden raisin, caramel, and brandy with a crisp, clean finish. The American equivalent to a young, cask-strength, smoky Islay whisky. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Eagle Rare 17 year old, 45%, $70

The most underrated of the five in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but this year’s release (like last year’s) is very lovely bourbon. Perhaps just a bit softer than last year, but with a similar profile: very even keeled and nicely balanced, with sweet notes (vanilla, toffee, añejo rum) peppered with soft orchard fruit and spice (cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, hint of mint), polished oak, and subtle tobacco. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Adelphi (distilled at Linkwood) 1984 26 year old, 57.6%, £94

There are light oaked notes to start, along with Oolong tea and very subtle smoke. These then shift into a mix of cedar and scented blossom. Classic, layered elegance with the cask offering support, not dominance. The fruits have that slightly eerie quality of decay, while the palate is deep and juicy. This is an exemplary, subtle, old whisky with delicate rancio (it’s a little cognac-like), which is given a boost of extra life with a small drop of water.— Dave Broom

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 92

Starting with Ireland, it looks like Jameson is introducing a new whiskey in their “Reserve” line. I received an invitation to attend an event in New York this Sunday where they will be uncorking the first bottle of Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel. Black must be the new cool these days, because we’ve recently seen the introduction of Crown Royal Black, Johnnie Walker Double Black, Canadian Mist Black Diamond, Bruichladdich Black Art, and now this whiskey. I guess Black Bush  and Black Bottle were way ahead of their time…

Also, from Ireland, I got my hands on a review sample of the new Redbreast 12 year old Cask Strength, which is supposed to arrive here in the U.S. sometime early next year. Amazing stuff!

You recently saw my review of the new Bruichladdich 10 year old. Well, I also received a review sample of the new Kilchoman 100% Islay release. It’s bottled at 50% ABV (slightly higher than the standard releases), and priced higher too at $100. It’s called 100% Islay because, according to my press release, it’s produced from barley grown, malted, distilled matured, and bottled at the distillery. Only 780 bottle are coming to the U.S.

I’ve tried it and must admit that–as cool as this bottling is with the “all Islay” theme–it’s my least favorite of the Kilchoman releases here in the U.S. It just taste too young and immature to me, which is atypical for Kilchoman. Their 3-4 year old whiskies usually tastes a few years older than they really are. My advice: go and get a bottle of the Spring 2011 bottling if you can find one. That’s my favorite of the releases so far.

Turning to the U.S., Buffalo Trace just announced the third release of their Single Oak project. I’ve tasted all the whiskeys from the first two releases. I must say that, as a whole, I liked the second release more than the first release, which had a lot of whiskeys in the 12 bottle lot with an aggressive amount of oak influence. Round two was tamer and more to my liking. (In fact, I actually thought a couple from the second round to be too tame…!)

The news on the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection release for 2011 is out. This time it’s actually two releases: both 100% rye whiskeys. One is aged in new charred oak barrels, while the other is aged in first fill Woodford barrels. Details to follow.

The 2011 allocation of Van Winkle whiskeys are coming out. Again, they will be in very limited supply. The collection consists of Old Rip Van Winkle 10 years, available in 90 proof and 107 proof; Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon, aged 12 years; Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbons, aged 15 years, 20 years and 23 years; and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey, aged 13 years.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed and not sure which one to buy? I tasted my way through the 10, 15, 20, and 23 year olds recently at WhiskyFest San Francisco. My favorite was the 15 year old. That’s the sweet spot in the range. Save yourself some money and get this one instead of the 20 or 23 year old.

Finally, I wanted to mention again that Suntory’s Hakushu whisky is finally being distributed here in the U.S. Unlike Suntory’s Yamazaki whisky, which has been available for quite some time here, the Hakushu is slightly smoky. (If you like whiskies like Ardmore or Oban, then you might want to give this one a try.)  I really enjoy the entire line of whiskies from Hakushu and have been asking Suntory to bring this whisky to the U.S. ever since I toured the distillery several years ago. For now, we’re only getting the 12 year old (43%, $60). Hopefully, the 18 year old will follow shortly.

• It’s a very entertaining and informative show that I think will appeal to both the novice and seasoned whisky enthusiast.
• I’m interviewed several times during the show. (Let that be a warning to you…)

If you still haven’t had a chance to see it, or if you would like to watch it again, you can now catch it on Hulu. I’m including the link here. They excluded most of the commercials (thankfully), so the show is only about 45 minutes.

Check it out.  One bit of advice: having a whisky in your hand while watching it only enhances the pleasure!

Powers John’s Lane, 46%, €55

Wow! Could this be the greatest comeback since Rocky climbed back in the ring and showed the young upstarts who was the boss? It’s taken Irish Distillers a long time to respond to the pounding it’s taken from Cooley but it’s back in the ring with two wonderful pot still whiskeys. This is the better of the two, a whopping oily, woody package of classic pot still Irishness. The green fruits tumble over tannin and spice like frisky puppies. —Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 94

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, 46%, €160

Like the man himself, this is altogether more considered and elegant, mixing whiskeys up to 25 years old for a complex and less bruising experience than the Powers. Instead, lemon and lime zest, kumquat, and blood orange entwine themselves around vanilla, nutmeg, and soft, drying tannins. No big knockout punches, but it goes the distance and wins unanimously and easily on points. —Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 92

Kilbeggan 18 year old, 40%, $130

Kilbeggan, once overshadowed by its stable-mates, is the rising star in the Cooley repertoire; an active distillery once more and capable of thoroughbred gems like this. This isn’t your typical Irish whiskey at all, so be warned.  Sure there are lashings of soft caramel, peach crumble, and vanilla up front, but then the wood takes over and big waves of tannin and chili pepper kick in. It’s 40% ABV but it delivers a much harder punch. Limited edition release. –Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 90

Michael Collins 10 Year Old, 40%, $40

Don’t remember ever reading that Michael Collins suffered from schizophrenia… This is a bewildering whiskey suffering from an identity crisis; its fruity apple Irish heart wrapped in wood, some peat, and conversely, some sherbet and sugar-coated almonds. It’s not unpleasant — far from it — but the journey from sweet apple to sharp spice is a challenge. Stay with it and ultimately the complexities of the malt win through. –Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 84

photo courtesy of Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc.

Greenore 18 year old, 46%, $125

Greenore is the grain whisky produced by Cooley, and as an 8 year old and a 15 year old it has proved to be a world beater.  Now it’s being marketed as the oldest Irish single grain whiskey in the world, and while there’s lots to recommend, this age might be a step too far. Lashings of banana and vanilla ice cream are up front, but then sharp salt and pepper slash across it and leave an astringent, puckerish mixed finish. –Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 82

photo courtesy of Patrick Bolger

Midleton invited us to come taste some new single pot still Irish whiskeys they’re coming out with, and given how much we like Redbreast and Green Spot, well, I got right on the plane.

There were some 60 journalists, bloggers, and retailers on the trip, and we all trouped down to Midleton in the rain. After a tour of the distillery — during which master of whiskey chemistry Dave Quinn attempted to explain the entire path of their triple distillation process and lost us in a maze of low feints, low wines, high feints, and reintroduced low feints; suffice to say it’s a very complex and beautifully flexible process — we wound up in the master distiller’s cottage for a tasting of single pot still Irish whiskeys.

There are, Quinn said to begin, pot still whiskeys currently aging in their warehouses that are of such configurations of distillation and wood that they don’t currently have a destination; brand-wise. They don’t fit. Some may be new releases in the future; some may well not make the cut. But here are two new whiskeys that contain spirits like that: Powers John’s Lane and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy. Fascinating to see extensions of these two brands.

We started by tasting Green Spot and Redbreast 12. Green Spot has a light, fresh character that echoed the raw barley we’d smelled mashing in the brewhouse. (Quinn noted that the Mitchells also had a Blue, Yellow, and Red Spot whiskey in the past, and that they were likely candidates for future releases.) Redbreast took that and upped the ante with a good dose of sherry wood, a much bigger cask contribution.

Then we moved up to the new whiskeys. The Powers was first, and it was clearly, distinctly different. First, it was 46% ABV. More importantly, it was fuller in the nose, with more wood, bitter chocolate, and old leather. The bigness continued in the mouth with a real punch, more of the cocoa and wood, and a wowing finish. This is a whiskey with real verve, “like strong candy,” my notes say. It is made up of 12 to 14 year old whiskeys, non-chill filtered and natural color, in “a sizeable percentage of second fill and refill casks.” Quinn said it was a best efforts attempt to re-create the older, earthier Powers style. It was impressive.

The Midleton was also impressive, in a more elegant way. The idea was to take the pot still component of Midleton Very Rare and refine it. It is a mix of three distillates: light pot still, moderate pot still, and one they call “Mod 4,” a heavier distillate. This is aged in almost all first fill bourbon wood, with a small amount of what Midleton calls “B-Naughts,” bourbon-type barrels that have never had spirit in them. There will only be about 2,500 bottles of this each year. It was light, sweet, and indeed quite elegant; creamy, a touch of mineral dryness, and a citric note of lime. Quite nice whiskey.

After a fascinating demonstration of hand-shaping staves by master cooper Ger Buckley, we were loaded up and ferried to Warehouse A-3, where the itinerary promised “Blas Spesialta.” Ah, Dave Broom said, the only Irish I know: “Special Tasting.” It was: we were sampled on three other single pot still whiskeys, right from the casks, which will probably be components of future releases. A great surprise!

The first was a mod pot distillate aged in a Madeira drum, distilled in 1994. It was light, fresh, with wood spice and sweet fruit in the nose. Tasting revealed a big melting sweetness, with some of that fresh green barley at the end. Very well-mannered for cask strength, quite fine and elegant.

Second was a light pot distillate aged in a “B-Naught,” distilled in 1992. There was an unsurprising pile of oak spice and vanilla in the nose, and the whiskey itself was bursting with the raw barley character and fruit you find in Redbreast, very light and floating over my palate to a fantastic finish. I finished this one.

Third was a mod pot 4 distilled in 1995, aged in a second fill sherry butt. This one was disappointing: a big nose of toffee, butterscotch, and dried fruit had a puffy note of sulfur in it that was also in the mouth; meaty, oily, and big. Hard to get past the sulfur.

Still, it was an excellent day, and as the sun finally came out when we left the warehouse, it was quite a capper. It’s great to see Midleton bringing back single pot still like this, expanding the range and definition of Irish whiskey.

Knappogue has offered many expressions over the years, from three different Irish distilleries, including vintage release and whiskeys with age statements.  Other than the original 1951 vintage from the long-gone B. Daly distillery (where Tullamore Dew used to be made), I think this “Twin Wood” 16 year old is my favorite.

It’s aged in bourbon casks first, and then finished in sherry casks. My main issue with some of the Knappogue releases in the past is that they have been a bit on the youthful side. This one is nicely matured and the sherry adds an extra layer of flavors. (There’s no disclosure on where this came from, buy my guess is Bushmills.) It will set you back $100.

Michael Collins, offering both a single malt and a blended whiskey (from the Cooley distillery), was originally released with no age statement. My issue was the same as with Knappogue Castle–it tasted a little big green when originally released. Now, they have changed the packaging and also bottled the single malt at 10 years of age.  Cooley has been releasing some great whiskeys lately, and this is another example of the quality of their work. I’m not tasting sherry in this one. It’s just a very nice, straight-forward Irish single malt.

You might want to give both of these a try if you are an Irish whiskey drinker.

I’m going to share with you a sampling of these reviews before they are published in Malt Advocate. (It’s my way of saying “thank you” for taking time out of your busy schedule to check in here.) I’ll post up at least one new review every day for the entire month (including weekends).

Stay tuned…

As you know, I was in Chicago last week hosting WhiskyFest. It was a great event, and I even managed to find time to taste some whiskies and get the scoop on a few items. I thought I would pass them on to you.

I tasted the new Spring 2011 release of Kilchoman. This one has some sherry aging, unlike the previous two releases here in the U.S. I must say that I think this is the best Kilchoman whisky yet. It’s well rounded, surprisingly mature for its age, and 100% Islay!

This was the first time independent bottler Samaroli was at WhiskyFest. Indeed, they are only now being imported to the U.S. I tasted a few of their offerings and really enjoyed them. (Really cool bottles, too, as you can see pictured on the left!) I look forward to tasting more of their whiskies in the future.

The importers of Springbank for the U.S. hand selected several casks 14 year old Springbanks, each one matured in a different type of sherry, and what will be offered at cask-strength. It’s an interesting essay in the impact of different sherry wines on a whisky. You might want to check those out.

I was able to taste a prototype of what will be a new barrel-proof expression of Angel’s Envy bourbon which will be released later this year. It was delicious!

The folks behind the Jefferson’s line of bourbons, including the outstanding Jefferson’s Presidential Select releases, told me they will be releasing a 10 year old 100% rye whiskey later this year at 94 proof. I tasted a pre-release. It reminded me of WhistlePig. I mean, it really reminded me of WhistlePig (hint!), but at a slightly lower proof (and what will be offered at the significantly lower price of about $35).

Do you remember my review of Redemption Rye? Well, they recently came out with a high-rye bourbon. Which was also pretty good. Now I’m told they will be introducing a more standard, easy-going bourbon (which the brand manager referred to as a “breakfast bourbon”) in July. They will also be releasing a barrel-proof version of their high-rye bourbon around August.

This isn’t WhiskyFest related, but there’s a big press event going on at the Midleton distillery in Ireland in a couple weeks. A little while back I was informed that Pernod has repackaged Redbreast and Green Spot single pot still whiskeys. (Note that I used the word “single” and not “pure.”) Rumor has it that they will also be introducing a new line of single pot still whiskeys at this press event. Malt Advocate will be present at this event and we will report back here with our findings.

Finally, some of you were also at WhiskyFest Chicago. For those that were, please feel free to share what you learned at the event–new releases, whiskies the really stood out, etc.