The Irishman 17 Year Old Single Malt Cask Strength Tasting Notes

	The Irishman 17 Year Old Cask Strength
	Walsh Whiskey
	Single Malt
	56%

 

Tasting note compiled by Mark McLaughlin (@mark_rye)

 

Introduction

The Irishman is one of two brands created to form the Walsh Whiskey range, alongside Writer’s Tears. Interestingly the company started back in 1999 with an Irish Coffee Liqueur called ‘Hot Irishman,’ which was a mixture of Irish whiskey, coffee and sweeteners to make a base for an Irish Coffee.

Today, the Irishman range contains a range of sourced whiskeys, a blended whiskey, Irishman Founders Reserve, a NAS Single Malt, a 12 year Old Single Malt, a Limited Edition Cask Strength Blend and the famed 17 year Old Single Malt.

Interestingly, Walsh’s contracts for mature whiskey are with Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard), owners of Midleton, but you will know that Midleton do not produce Single Malt in quantities to supply to other brands, so this would have been distilled at Bushmills. Triple-distilled and matured for the full 17 years in a sherry butt. This is one of the only fully sherry matured aged expressions in the Irish Whiskey market which is relatively easy to get your hands on.

Color

Oloroso Sherry, just gorgeous.

 

Nose (Aromas)

Rich and spicy, absolutely bursting out of the glass with dusty clove, it’s almost like a basket of popery. There’s a distinct linseed oil note, with a touch of rose and chocolate covered nuts. The alcohol is well balanced and refined, there but part of the nose as a whole. Wood spices fill the nose when inhaling deeply. Not quite a sherry bomb.

 

Palate & Finish 

This is where the sherry starts to shine through, with of rich, booze soaked fruits and a plethora of rich spices. Touches of leather, tobacco and a hint of meatiness in the back, it’s got a dusty earthen texture which dries the palate down before the aromatics become almost tropical while staying true to the chocolate covered fruits and nuts of the nose. In terms of length, it just keeps going.

 

Verdict

As far as I’m aware these are bottled in relatively small batches, I think they may even be single casks in some cases, and while the nose wasn’t quite what I remember in terms of the sherry bomb characteristic, the palate delivers 10 fold. For the price, you’re going to get a whiskey that bursts with flavour and won’t be all that easy to get your hands on, if you see it’s worth 1 bottle at least, but be sure that you like sherry influence.

Buy Online

            EU/UK shipping

 

Request Tasting Notes

Looking for tasting notes of a whiskey not yet covered? Whiskey Club members can request tasting notes for any Irish whiskey by filling out the form here. We’ll add this whiskey to the queue and let you know as soon as it’s published.