The Legendary Dark Silkie Irish Whiskey Tasting Notes
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The Legendary Dark Silkie Irish Whiskey |
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Sliabh Liag Distillers (sourced) |
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Blended Irish Whiskey |
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46% |
Tasting note compiled by Mark McLaughlin (@mark_whiskey)
Introduction
The bolder, more boisterous sibling of The Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey, Dark Silkie was created to put a stronger emphasis on peat, given that Sliabh Liag Distillers intend to produce predominantly peated whiskey in their newly commissioned distillery. We can assume they are hoping to emulate flavour profiles such as this with their own distillates in the future.
You can find a breakdown of their component choices for Dark Silkie at www.silkiewhiskey.com. With all of the components having been selected from the Great Northern Distillery, as far as I am aware. The breakdown is as follows:
- 15% Double Distilled Malt matured in Bourbon Casks
- 15% Triple Distilled Peated Single Malt matured in Sherry Casks
- 70% Grain whiskey matured in Virgin Oak Casks
With the high use of Virgin oak here we can assume that the sweetness will be quite distinct, full and spiceful. We’d expect the double-distilled malt to carry some weight and fruity character, and the triple distilled peated malt to give us a distinct smoky profile. No indication of age given here, but we will make our guesses from tasting.
Color
Burnt yellow. Natural.
Nose (Aromas)
The spicy grain whiskey jumps from the glass initially with a healthy kick of spirit and soft peat smoke. It develops quite naturally to caramelized sugars, pears and apples with a touch of chili-chocolate. The peat is pleasant throughout, what initially started with a kick has turned quite relaxed on 2nd, 3rd and 4th noses.
Palate & Finish
Sweet and citric, like a lemon macaroon, with an abundance of sugary character. It’s quite woody, it could be described as a healthy dose of wood spice, cedar saw dust and cinnamon sticks mixed together. The smoke is present which reminds me of bacon jam, a kind of rich chutney with smoked bacon lardons through it. There’s a hint of pepper, lemon sherbet, vanilla and wafer cone, all balanced by a smoky licorice, like blackjack sweets (Irish candy!).
Verdict
The nose gives you an essence of youth initially but as it starts to maneuver through the gears it develops a lot of distinct layers. The palate here is a quite joyous affair. A great entry to peated whiskeys, if you’re not into them, and is going every day sipper for anyone else. I’d imagine it makes a smashing whiskey sour. I prefer this one.
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