texture and toasty flavor,texture andtoasty andbottled percent ABV. at 40 BY AMANDA SCHUSTER AMANDA BY CATEGORY’S LIGHT-BODIED, EASY-DRINKING REPUTATION TOWARDSA TREND INNOVATIVE CASK CHALLENGES FINISHES THE FLAVOR REVOLUTION BOLD IRISH WHISKEY’S I in ex-bourbon American oakbarrels for that familiar ultra-smooth Jameson’s, Bushmills, Powers andTullamore are matured DEW the of classicmost expressions from prominent brands like brown spirit reason: law, by Allare for good triple-distilled and rish beginner’s whiskey regarded is as widely anaccessible, disruptor when itlaunchedin2016. by theMidletonDistillery, acategory finished inLustau sherry casks,produced innovative singlepotstillIrishwhiskey country. the largest Irishwhiskey collectioninthe formerly ofDeadRabbit,which boasts beverage director at Underdog NYC and specific flavors,” says Brooke Baker, spirit-finishing can be a fun way to impart spirit barrels. experimenting withex-rum or other ex- brands, like Tullamore DEW, are even or sherry, or even stillwines. Some that onceheldfortifiedwineslike port maturation, or blendingwithbarrels with distillers employing extended cask amplification trend intheIrishcategory, That bar popularized Redbreast’s “The addition ofwine,port, or other Lately, however, there’s beenaflavor

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BUSKER // GREEN SPOT // BUSHMILLS ex-Château Léoville Bartoncasks,” says [also produced at Midleton] finished in “I absolutely love thepotstillGreen Spot BEYOND AND COGNAC, WINE, FROM TO SHERRY in Moscatel wine. seasoned first in Oloroso sherry andthen Andalucia, Spainthathadbeencustom in Louth,which was finishedincasksfrom single malt, produced at Cooley distillery release ofThe Tyrconnell 16Year Old Another splashy U.S. debutwas the2019 innovative." excitingthat's and are for something thirsty consumersAmerican create ourown story. limitations to history of the beyond go "We CATEGORY FOCUS - Ray VP, Stoughton, executive Disaronno International

all traditional Irishwhiskey styles—single Oak, a hat-trick distillery which produces parent company for The Busker. executive VP,Disaronno International, ing andinnovative,” says Ray Stoughton, ers are thirsty for somethingthat’s excit- create our own story. Americanconsum go beyond thelimitationsofhistory to traditions toproduce superbliquid,we rich Irishheritage andwhiskey-making ence for bigflavor. “While we honor the banking onincreasing consumer prefer 2019, goes for aneven bolder tasteprofile, wine casksfrom theCôtesduRhône. single maltfinishedinBanyuls dessert II (Legacy IIIoutsoon), a16-year-old in XOCognacbarrels, and Legacy Reserve single maltandgrain blendfinished cask finishes,includingCentenary, a with aCognacfinishsetfor later in2021. aging inBarolo wineandMarsala casks, 12-year-old get monthsofadditional Castle singlemalt,which seestheir core cask-finish seriesfrom Knappogue white Burgundy—as well astherecent Port, Madeira, CabernetSauvignon, and finished infour additionalwinecasks— She’s alsoafanofTeeling's SingleMalt the whiskey acrisppear, grassy flavor.” Baker. “The [Bordeaux barrel] finish gives Hailing from County Carlow’s Royal The Busker, which debutedlatein Similarly, Egan’s plays withalternative - - course we want to pushboundarieswith flavor thanshock value, he explains. “Of The selectionoffinishesismore about says master distiller Darryl McNally. as muchor are completely innovative,” mix offinishesthathaven’t beenexplored aged malts, my task was to incorporate a ex-Tokaji winecasksfrom Hungary. The Murder Lane13-year-old isfinishedin sherry andPXsherry casks,respectively. Coin 16-year-old—finished inOloroso Copper Alley 10-year-old andKeeper’s expressions, two ofthemsinglemalts— U.S. debutin2020withfour full-flavored and Marsala casks. aged inacombinationofbourbon, sherry, The Busker isablendofallthree andthen grain, singlemalt,andpotstill— “Having accesstosuchanicerange of The DublinLibertiesDistillery madeits

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GABI PORTER (KNAPPOGUE CASTLE) // BEAM SUNTORY malt-rich whiskey, and the long duration fresh. “At itscore, Bushmills’ DNA isa casks, thattastessurprisingly vibrant and 28-year-old singlemaltfinishedinCognac Late last year, Bushmills released a TRADITION CHALLENGING ex-fortified winecasks. the fruitandnutflavors andaromas ofthe the whiskey, boosted,but nothiddenby regimen highlightstheedgy maltinessof ex-bourbon, sherry and Port barrels; the Batch #4isablendofsinglemaltsaged in casks for theentire maturation period. of ex-bourbon aswell ex-fortified wine Ireland), agingtheminacombination is alsoasinglepotstillavailable only in for Irishwhiskey—single malts(there up—the minimumagingrequirement blend, using their own young 3 year and approach. Dingleshowcases theartof similar philosophy, thoughvery different on thecoastofCounty Kerry, hasa taste of,” McNally shares. want tocraft whiskeys peoplelove the our whiskeys sothey are distinctive. We there’s avariedrange offlavours across innovation, butIalsosoughttoensure CATEGORY FOCUS Dingle distillery, foundedin2012 an opportunity tohibernatefor many not matured innew oak,theliquidhas of whiskey.” Because thesereserves are if you didthesamewithother categories out speciallayers thatyou mightnotget enhances our malt-rich liquid,bringing already smooth spirit in exotic casks, it ever released by us.When we mature the the mostcomplex andlayered whiskeys new anddistinctfor Bushmills—oneof distillery. has over 30years’ experience atthe master distiller Helen Mulholland, who while softening any rough edges,” remarks notes ofvanilla,honey, malt,andwood in ex-Cognac wood enrichesallthose Ireland. to awhiskey be from whatredefining itmeans are broadening and amongst distillers, who experimentationof There's anew spirit She says therare dram is“something in County Carlow.in County The Busker Irish attheRoyal Oak whiskeys Distillery BELOW: to make used stills pot The copper from Ireland. n redefining what it means to be a whiskey distillers, who are broadening and a new spiritofexperimentation amongst the Irishlandscapesince2010s,there’s time for release.” our barrels soIcandeterminethebest meticulously tasteandtesttheliquidfrom key. “As Master Blender, Iconstantly and long seasons,butcareful monitoringis With somany new distilleriesdotting

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NIALL CUMMINS PHOTOGRAPHY (DUBLIN LIBERTIES DISTILLERY) // BUSKER // REDBREAST