Infectious Charm. Devastating Wit. Below Average Looks.
Irish whiskey is on the rise. Just kidding. Little inside joke there for those paying attention. What I can say is on the rise is rum finished whiskies. Balvenie does it, Angel’s Envy does it, I think, and now our close, personal, mutual friends at Tullamore Dew are jumping in on the Caribbean action. And... Continue Reading →
Okay, you win, Midleton, you win all the awards. You’re the kings of the single pot still style. The SWC seems to gravitate towards this stuff like Matthew McConaughey into a black hole, and I secretly wonder out loud in front of you all if we should just slow down a little. All the Spots,... Continue Reading →
Here's how you know if the whiskey blogger you are reading has nothing unique or interesting to say about Irish whiskey: they begin their review with the oft repeated, vomit inducing lede, "Irish whiskey is on the rise" or, the ever blood curdling opener, "Irish whiskey is in the midst of a comeback." I'm not... Continue Reading →
We continue onward and upward through our beer soaked whiskey odyssey to Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition. Next review will be our favorite of that particular tasting theme mentioned in last week’s review, but today’s will be ranked somewhere in the middle in terms of what we liked best. A number of us greatly enjoy stout,... Continue Reading →
We have discussed as a club the now dwindling Irish options on the shelf as we approach our 6th year together. Our plan initially was to rotate three themes, each theme getting its own meeting and every now and then we throw in a Canadian or world whiskey. Every third meeting was devoted to Irish... Continue Reading →
The following statement might come across as shocking to some of you, but peated whiskey doesn't have to claw your very face off as you force it down your ravaged gullet. For the rest of you, it might also come off as shocking that there exists out there in the world people that prefer their... Continue Reading →
In my experience, nearly every liquor joint I sashay into displays all the available Irish whiskey bottles into a single, four to five foot wide section. A big store might have two of these sections at most. Because of this, it is easy for a schmuck like me to visualize the entirety of available options... Continue Reading →
It’s been too long since I have spent a meaningful amount of time poking around the Irish whiskey scene. Last I looked, it wasn’t just all about Midleton, Bushmills and Cooley. Small outfits were popping up much like the American craft boom, although not quite at our pace. The most prominent of these new distilleries... Continue Reading →
Concerning the Midleton Barry Crocket Legacy bottling released years ago, a promotional video on the various Midleton releases claimed that it “must be the ultimate expression of the art,” namely, the single pot still style of Ireland. Another marketing claim? I will say that I do not think it is. In fact, I think they are right. Midleton... Continue Reading →
As recently stated by Lew Bryson, Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey was once a “white whale” in the whiskey world, and not just the Irish one. But the pursuit for this rare pot still style was not quite at the vomit inducing level of Pappy hunting by the various Ahabs lurking among us.... Continue Reading →
It is not without a sense of delicious irony that our selection today was volunteered by the one member of SWC who enjoys Irish whiskey the least. But where this story becomes less amusing is when this said member found himself at the Irish Beer and Whiskey Festival in, of course, Ireland, and speaking one on... Continue Reading →
“Alcohol makes other people less tedious, and food less bland, and can help provide what the Greeks called entheos, or the slight buzz of inspiration when reading or writing.” This claim, made by one of the great writer/drinkers of recent times, Christopher Hitchens, may get a few things right when it comes to the value... Continue Reading →
A luxurious, full bodied Irish whiskey is a beautiful thing. This may sound like a dumb thing to write, any full bodied whisky is a good thing, but what if your local shelf has little to offer? In the case of Irish whiskey, this is my reality. Having already the reputation as a lighter style,... Continue Reading →
As opposed to the wine world, we in the wonderful world of whiskey do not often experience the dreaded “bad bottle.” Oxidation, sulpher, and acidity attack wine bottles with a vengeance, but as we know, whiskey does not change much on the shelf or cabinet. The industry phrase is “dead in the bottle.” As long... Continue Reading →
The path to Peated Glory is either a long, painful and strange one or you zip through it in no time at all. It depends on what your palate is ready for. It should be no surprise that it takes time to acclimate to a beverage that tastes like iodine, smoke and fossil fuels, but God help... Continue Reading →
It really is a shame when we read or hear someone speak ill of the Irish category. There is a decent level of variety within this style with plenty to talk about. Today’s selection of Redbreast 15 Year Old is one of those go to game changers than could convert any non-believer. We are already... Continue Reading →
In a world saturated with bottle after bottle of Jameson, Bushmills and Tullamore Dew, it’s hard to find something different to sample. Any trip to a local liquor store is telling: the Irish section is usually the smallest. However, the gems are there. And we drink them for you. It’s a solemn duty, really. In fact,... Continue Reading →
When you go through as many whiskies as we do, it’s crucial to seek out what is different to keep things interesting. The same is true for the individual for a big reason: the palate acclimates to whatever you throw at it. Constantly introducing variables is the best way to keep a system guessing. This is an important point... Continue Reading →
Friends, if you are not a regular viewer of CNN, allow me to share with you a recent press release from your trusted Spokane Whiskey Club: it is with great joy and full glee that I announce the club has returned to the Irish Whiskey Category with four new reviews. I know you’re all pretty... Continue Reading →
Spokane Whiskey Club 