Where now for Single Pot Still and SPS Blends?

[Luke Gough]

What are your thoughts on where SPS should go from here? Are there enough lines already? Is the market swamped?

Also, have SPS blends been neglected? Should they be developed beyond an exercise in Brand promotion?

Discuss please...

[Joel1802]

Depending on what you mean an SPS blend might not be possible for a few more years until some of the new make Cooley SPS is old enough to be called whisky.

I think there is much more room in the market for single cask SPS and experimental finishes are probably inevitable. The problem is the very high price for the Middleton single casks will keep the market very small. It would be nice to try all the different SPS makes from Middleton and in different types of casks. Maybe they should do a gift pack with examples of each at the same age and from both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry? A thought anyway.

Plenty of room to bring back old mash bills including different grains such as rye too. That'd be an interesting project for one of the new players.

[Fionnán]

Luke, when you say SPS blends do you mean 'blends with grain and sps in them instead of malt' or do you mean the likes of writers tears?

[IainB]

I'm goin to make the assumption that by SPS blends Luke is referring to Midleton blends like Jameson etc. (If I'm wrong let me know!)

Anyway when it comes is the Jameson type blends, i.e. Potstill/Grain with a sherry cask element there's a fairly extensive range there so we couldn't really ask for too much more - maybe an older age statement Jameson - 21 or 25??? At a reasonable price of course.

I definitely think there's room to explore more on the bourbon cask SPS blends - i.e. Midleton and Powers - personally when it comes to bourbon only I find the blends more interesting than the SPS. Of all the Midleton single casks I've tried from the last few years my favourite is still the very first one by the Celtic Whiskey Shop - a 12yo (I think) Pot still/grain single cask. I finished the remains of a bottle of this the other night - still one of my favourite Midleton whiskeys. (I've 2 left ). And I've always had a big soft spot for the regular Power 12yo.

So I guess I'd like to see some of the following, in no particular order:

Powers blend at 15, 18 or 21??
Another Midleton single cask blend at 12yo. (Actually if I had to pick one this would be it.)
Maybe even an older single cask blend.

And you know what would be fun - a 15yo Paddy.

[Luke Gough]

Luke, when you say SPS blends do you mean 'blends with grain and sps in them instead of malt' or do you mean the likes of writers tears?

SPS with Grain or SPS with Malt or SPS with Grain and Malt!

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

I think there is much more room in the market for single cask SPS and experimental finishes are probably inevitable. The problem is the very high price for the Middleton single casks will keep the market very small. It would be nice to try all the different SPS makes from Middleton and in different types of casks. Maybe they should do a gift pack with examples of each at the same age and from both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry? A thought anyway.

An excellent thought I think Joel.

Luke, when you say SPS blends do you mean 'blends with grain and sps in them instead of malt' or do you mean the likes of writers tears?

SPS with Grain or SPS with Malt or SPS with Grain and Malt!

I like to see Midleton turn out more stuff like Writers Tears. A cask strength would be great.

I think the Jameson Select Reserve is beautiful whiskey, with the rich pot still flavour.
That has be SPS with grain covered for them.

SPS with Malt Do you mean SPS with Malt only like a single malt? Again Irishman has that and I hope someday Midleton cover that base too.

As for the SPS with Grain and Malt well that sounds an interesting mix. I tried something like that earlier tonight but not exactly,I had a Midleton 2012 and some Writers Tears which was an improvement on both I think but Barry Crockett may not agree.

[Joel1802]

SPS + malt + Grain = Paddy

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

SPS + malt + Grain = Paddy

Is there really SPS in there?

[DavidH]

SPS + malt + Grain = Paddy

And Tullamore Dew

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I think there is much more room in the market for single cask SPS and experimental finishes are probably inevitable. The problem is the very high price for the Middleton single casks will keep the market very small. It would be nice to try all the different SPS makes from Middleton and in different types of casks. Maybe they should do a gift pack with examples of each at the same age and from both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry? A thought anyway.

Plenty of room to bring back old mash bills including different grains such as rye too. That'd be an interesting project for one of the new players.

Would agree with you there ...

Once we get a hand full of distilleries doing pot still you'll find things will free up. Obviously that is a long term game plan but if people think logically about Midleton single casks they would see how entirely over priced they are. As a virtual monopoly in the SPS single cask market they can charge what they like. However it probably needs to be made worth their while as they are not really geared up for single cask offerings.

[Joel1802]

Couldn't agree more, I can't wait to see the lay of the land in 10 or 12 years. I have high hopes for the new distillery in Tullamore, I might be living in a fantasy world, but I hope for some solid PPS releases from it.