Irish whiskey of the year - whisky bible

[JohnM]

And in another boost for unsung whiskies, the own label Irish whiskey from Sainsbury’s Dún Léire Aged 8 Years Single Malt, won Irish Whiskey of the Year, the first time a supermarket brand has gained top country honours in The Whisky Bible. Produced by the Cooley Distillery for Sainsbury’s Jim Murray said, “this is Cooley at its best and a very astute and masterful piece of whiskey buying”.

[John]

That has to be a joke. An English shop's own-brand 8yo is the best Irish Whiskey available??! Utter drivel and a terrible insult to the excellent quality Irish brands out there; from single malts and PPS labels to blends. I can't help but think it would be a cold day in hell before the author ever ranked a Scotch product in the same vane

Whisky Bible? More like Whisky Blasphemy

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I think we'll need to search this one out and do a tasting to be sure before we knock it but yes on the face of it it is very surprising.

[Luke Gough]

Read here: http://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2010/10/the-2011-whisky-bible-by-jim-murray-ballantine%25e2%2580%2599s-takes-top-honours-in-2011-world-whisky-awards-scotch-whisky-news/

I know that the Sainsburys Cooley bottlings are top quality but this is, how shall I put it, an unusual verdict...

[Luke Gough]

Mmmm... Here's another award: http://www.iwsc.net/spirit/view/2881/sainsburys-dn-lire-single-malt-irish-whiskey-8-yo

Here's Ralfy Mitchell reviewing Sainsbury's standard Irish Single Malt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHGdtpIX6cg

We'll have to talk to Cooley about this methinks. The judges can't have tasted much of Cooley's range, certainly not the Single Cask products!

[Malt-Teaser]

There are quite a few rather strange, esoteric or downright puzzling awards in this year's list.

[varizoltan]

i just wonder what is our Premier Crew have scored

[IainB]

I suppose we really should hold fire on this until we've tasted the thing. I wonder what score it got?

It may not necessarily be the highest scoring Irish in the book - as I understand it the awards in this book usually relate to either an ongoing release that's been retasted or, in the case of limited editions, whiskeys that are released in that year. So, in fairness, a lot of the excellent single cask whiskeys from Cooley would not be eligible. I know there are some recent Sherry cask connemaras but as far as I can gather JM is not usually a fan of mixing sherry and peat. Likewise the 2007 JRVR would not be elibible as it's a 2007/8 release. The recent Redbreast 15yo bottlings would be but he only rated the earlier one at 94 (I think!).

We have to remember this is one man's preference and he's often expressed a liking for 8yo whiskeys (mainly Islays I admit). Also if this was an own label Cooley 8yo as opposed to a supermarket label would we be so shocked?? If he'd picked a certain 9yo Cooley last year,that was selected by some people not employed by cooley, I think some of us would have been very pleased. So it's entirely possible that, from the point of view of someone who likes whiskeys at this age, that Sainsburys bought some excellent casks.

For be it from me to defend JM, and i think it's highly unlikely that I would pick this bottling based on all the other good stuff out there, but we have to understand these things for what they are.

Plus is an 8yo Malt any more shocking as Irish whiskey of the year than a mass produced 7-8 yr old 50:50 grain / potstill blend as was picked a few years ago??

[JohnM]

I think it scored 95.5. A few molecules less sulphur and who knows what it would have scored.

[IainB]

So it's 0.5% better than Jameson NAS. Good bless the man's taste buds. I wonder can he tell what colour underpants Noel Sweeney was wearing the day the whiskey was distilled?

[varizoltan]

So it's 0.5% better than Jameson NAS. Good bless the man's taste buds. I wonder can he tell what colour underpants Noel Sweeney was wearing the day the whiskey was distilled?

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I suppose we really should hold fire on this until we've tasted the thing. I wonder what score it got?

It may not necessarily be the highest scoring Irish in the book - as I understand it the awards in this book usually relate to either an ongoing release that's been retasted or, in the case of limited editions, whiskeys that are released in that year. So, in fairness, a lot of the excellent single cask whiskeys from Cooley would not be eligible. I know there are some recent Sherry cask connemaras but as far as I can gather JM is not usually a fan of mixing sherry and peat. Likewise the 2007 JRVR would not be elibible as it's a 2007/8 release. The recent Redbreast 15yo bottlings would be but he only rated the earlier one at 94 (I think!).

We have to remember this is one man's preference and he's often expressed a liking for 8yo whiskeys (mainly Islays I admit). Also if this was an own label Cooley 8yo as opposed to a supermarket label would we be so shocked?? If he'd picked a certain 9yo Cooley last year,that was selected by some people not employed by cooley, I think some of us would have been very pleased. So it's entirely possible that, from the point of view of someone who likes whiskeys at this age, that Sainsburys bought some excellent casks.

For be it from me to defend JM, and i think it's highly unlikely that I would pick this bottling based on all the other good stuff out there, but we have to understand these things for what they are.

Plus is an 8yo Malt any more shocking as Irish whiskey of the year than a mass produced 7-8 yr old 50:50 grain / potstill blend as was picked a few years ago??

True True oh sage of the firey water ... tasting is the only way we will know if this is a good whiskey or not ... I can see a rush on this stuff soon

[varizoltan]

i am off to Sainsburys

[varizoltan]

i just got my signed bible in the post

funny enough, he re-tasted the Grand Crew 696 and given less than last year (93.5) 90.5
but he also tasted Grand Crew 700 and given 91.5 for that, which i always liked more

but anyway, he scored 88 for the Premier Crew, and believes that, Cooley whiskeys are "Brilliant and relatively undiscovered between 7 and 9 years

[varizoltan]

Turf Mor Cask nr 393 scored 94 (we sampled 392 at the Kilbeggan night)

he has a new section for Old Kilbeggan
scored 89 for the Distillery reserve (3 yrs)
90.5 for 1 months spitit tube
85 for 1 years old spirit
84 for 2 years old

[varizoltan]

The Irishman Rare Cask Strength 2010 only scored 81.5

[IainB]

What about your Tyrconnell 17.5?? 99.999999 Points??

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

What about your Tyrconnell 17.5?? 99.999999 Points??

HAve not heard much about the 17.5 lately ... have you drank it all

ANyway thanks for posting ... now I don't need to buy it

[varizoltan]

What about your Tyrconnell 17.5?? 99.999999 Points??

HAve not heard much about the 17.5 lately ... have you drank it all

ANyway thanks for posting ... now I don't need to buy it

had it last night, while i was watching CNN Live, rescuing the last few miners in Chille

i should send him a sample all right...

still have lots of bottles...

[JohnM]

Got mine too. Unfortunately, as an Irish whiskey fan, it's not worth getting this year. About six new whiskeys tasted. Maybe a few more.

And he suggests that Midleon VR and Redbreast 15 are coloured with spirit caramel. Now maybe they are, but the IDL guy says they don't colour anything premium or with an age statement. Does it say on the new ones they sell in Germany that they're coloured? I think they have to say it on the label in some countries.

[DavidH]

Why would they need to colour Redbreast with its 15yo sherry and green bottle.

[JohnM]

Why would they need to colour Redbreast with its 15yo sherry and green bottle.

Absolutely.

[jcskinner]

And in another boost for unsung whiskies, the own label Irish whiskey from Sainsbury’s Dún Léire Aged 8 Years Single Malt, won Irish Whiskey of the Year, the first time a supermarket brand has gained top country honours in The Whisky Bible. Produced by the Cooley Distillery for Sainsbury’s Jim Murray said, “this is Cooley at its best and a very astute and masterful piece of whiskey buying”.

Irish whiskey of the year? I don't think so. I've had it and it was pretty nondescript. My notes read simply 'bog-standard Cooley'.

[IainB]

Got mine too. Unfortunately, as an Irish whiskey fan, it's not worth getting this year. About six new whiskeys tasted. Maybe a few more.

And he suggests that Midleon VR and Redbreast 15 are coloured with spirit caramel. Now maybe they are, but the IDL guy says they don't colour anything premium or with an age statement. Does it say on the new ones they sell in Germany that they're coloured? I think they have to say it on the label in some countries.

I've heard that too - not sure where, maybe from you. That said the Midleton VR's can be quite dark for something matured in bourbon cask only.

[jcskinner]

Got mine too. Unfortunately, as an Irish whiskey fan, it's not worth getting this year. About six new whiskeys tasted. Maybe a few more.

And he suggests that Midleon VR and Redbreast 15 are coloured with spirit caramel. Now maybe they are, but the IDL guy says they don't colour anything premium or with an age statement. Does it say on the new ones they sell in Germany that they're coloured? I think they have to say it on the label in some countries.

I'll check this next week.