Food & Wine

The 30 was distilled in 1987 and it makes you think for a second what were you doing in that year? I was in England studying hard at school as we’d be the first year of GCSE guinea pigs the following year. My beloved Liverpool were top of the table and would win the league that year. They’d do it again in the 1989-90 season and not again since. Ronald Reagan was President and Maggie Thatcher was the Prime Minister. The mega-hit of the year was “La Bamba” by Los Lobos and “Platoon” took home the Oscar for best film. 30 years is a long time in the life of a human, but boy can that time do some wonderful things to a whiskey in a barrel.

Good whiskey is just like good watches, it comes with box and papers 😀 What makes the 30 year old unique is it was matured first in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-white burgundy wine casks. This adds a wonderful sweetness and complexity to the whiskey.

Okay, let’s crack this bad boy! First, the color is a gorgeous caramel and oh my, the nose is delightful, tons of fruit and the smell reminds me of freshly-cut grass in the summer. On the palate, it starts out with a little wood and spice (zero smoke) and then develops a beautiful rounded sweetness, like pears and apricots (but not overly-sweet as bourbon can be) with gorgeous complexity and a long, lingering finish. Bottled at 46% alcohol but drinks so smoothly you’d think it was 3%, no bite or sharpness at all. Like a fine perfume whose scent changes on the skin, the profile changes significantly from the nose to the palate to the finish. Easily one of the most satisfying whiskeys I have ever tasted, and I’ve tasted a few It was voted World's Best Irish Whiskey in 2019 and I can see why.  

A quick word on whiskey investment: you know, I feel sorry for people who buy whiskey merely for investment purposes. If you’re going to invest in material goods, in my opinion the best way to go is Art. You can hang a picture on a wall or put a sculpture in your home and enjoy it to the fullest up to the day you decide to sell it. Next in line comes collectibles such as cars, watches, guns, knives etc. Even if you decide not to ever use them for their intended purpose, enjoyment can still be had from the tactile experience of handling and inspecting etc. But bottom of the stack is whiskey and wine. If you decide to invest in whiskey, you can do nothing except stare at the unopened bottle until the day you sell it. And how much fun is that? Absolutely none in my books which is why every bottle I buy is opened, consumed and enjoyed with the purpose of creating some wonderful new memories. And I expect to get many great memories from this bottle! Thanks for reading and........

Slainte!

NickO

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