Replay: Meet The Maker with Eric Ryan, Powers Whiskey Distiller
January 31, 2023
Replay now available below
Join Eric Ryan, Powers Distiller at the Midleton Distillery and whiskey historian, for a conversation about the newest addition to the Powers lineup of whiskeys - Powers Rye Irish Whiskey.
Eric will share the story of this world-first whiskey, and how this release reflects a historical approach to distilling dating all the way back to the time of the Powers John's Lane Distillery in Dublin.
Although finding an Irish supplier was a challenge, since commercial rye farming in Ireland had all but disappeared, Powers persevered and commissioned the planting of rye crops exclusively for this Irish whiskey. With a commitment to sustainable farming, the Cooney Furlong Farm in Co. Wexford supply 100% of the rye used in Powers Irish Rye.
Located just a short distance from Edermine House, the ancestral home of the Powers family, the farm guarantees ongoing Irish rye supply for this world first release.
Celebrating the launch of Powers Irish Rye, Eric Ryan commented: “We attribute the success of this whiskey firstly to the extended team at Midleton Distillery, yet also to the generations of Powers distillers who considered rye grain to be a unique component of their craft. From our commitment to farming a difficult crop, to reduced brewhouse throughput, to longer fermentation times, and considering the exceptional cask profile; if it was only about efficiency, we would never have used rye! But it proved a worthy endeavor.
In an interview conducted by Royal Commission on whiskey back in 1908, the Powers ethos was best described by James Talbot Power, ‘At Powers, we are producers of flavors, not of spirits`, and we are proud to continue this Powers legacy in 2023.”
Eric will take your questions on this new release, the rich Powers whiskey history and the other expressions in the Powers range.
Watch the replay of our event below