Whiskey & Chocolate

It's election season in Ireland. Next week we'll see off one government and get another in its place.

Since we will all be in decision mode anyway, the Irish Whiskey Society will pose another conundrum on the eve of the big poll: whiskey, chocolate, or whiskey and chocolate. It would be unjust to make too hasty a selection so lots of careful tasting and re-tasting will be warranted. Just to be sure.

David Wright, of Lily O'Brien's, will be there to explain the wonders of chocolate and we'll have the usual half-dozen or so tipples to sample besides.

If any further enticement was needed, one of the whiskeys we have secured has never been released and may never be. It's Irish but you'll extract no more information from me except that it's unusual, it's very nice and it's worth trying.

So, it's Brooks Hotel, Thursday, 24th February. The last fling before Lent!

Knappogue Castle 16yo "Twin Wood"

We have the first new Irish whiskey of 2011: a 16 year old Knappogue Castle "Twin Wood" single malt. It's the oldest of Knappogue's modern releases to date but it's even more unusual for being partly matured in ex-sherry casks. Knappogue is normally ex-bourbon cask-matured and thus quite light in colour.

This time the whiskey has spent 15 years and 3 months in bourbon casks, followed by 9 months in sherry butts. This "finish" is the explanation for the "Twin Wood" in the name.

Although Knappogue once had a relationship with Cooley distillery it's most likely that this stuff comes from Bushmills. There are only 1,900 bottles and distribution is focused on the US market where this will cost about $100 a pop.

A very limited number of bottles are allocated for Ireland.

Jameson redesign for St Patrick's Day

Want to see a pretty picture? Here you go. Click on it for a larger version.


The artist is Paul Daly.

It is

inspired by the legendary Celtic illustrations in The Book of Kells. By using a screen-printing technique, the image is textured while all gold-coloured elements are foiled to highlight the brand’s premium positioning and offer on-shelf stand-out. The launch will be supported by bespoke POS including engraved glassware and limited prints of the artwork.

The Jameson limited edition St Patrick’s Day bottle will be available from mid-February in selected markets including the UK, Latvia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Travel Retail Europe.

Not really whiskey news but I'm in an arty mood after visiting the finest art museums in the world today.