The Tasting Panel magazine

December 2012

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IRISH WHISKEY A Trifecta Cork from County PERNOD RICARD USA LAUNCHES THREE NEW ULTRA-PREMIUM WINNERS FROM MIDLETON���S BARRY CROCKETT by Robert Plotkin T here���s no such thing as a mediocre Irish whiskey. One reason that���s true is Barry Crockett, Master Distiller extraordinaire at the famed Midleton Distillery in County Cork. Crockett oversees the making of every drop of John Jameson, Redbreast, Powers and Midleton Very Rare���four of the most successful brands in this very dynamic category. To honor Crockett���s nearly 50-year commitment to making world-class whiskey, the distillery is about to release Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, an ultra-premium expression handcrafted by blending different styles of triple-distilled, pot still Irish whiskey, all of which are matured in charred American white oak barrels. The whiskey is bottled at 46% abv (90 proof). ���Distiller Barry Crockett has been immersed in the art of whiskey distilling for almost 50 years,��� says Wayne Hartunian, Vice President Whiskies, Pernod Ricard USA. ���Today, he oversees the wonder that is the distilling operation at Midleton, which gives rise to some of the most remarkable whiskey distillates in the world. Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy was crafted as a tribute to the man who is inextricably linked to the Midleton Distillery and who has, more than anyone, shaped the unique Midleton style.��� Also high among Crockett���s most recent accomplishments is John Jameson Black Barrel, a rare blend of small batch grain and pot still whiskies. The result is superb and unmistakably Jameson. ���Jameson Black Barrel is more full-bodied and complex than the original John 60 / the tasting panel / december 2012 Jameson,��� observes Hartunian. ���That said, Barry Crockett ensured that it delivered the same high degree of satisfaction associated with Jameson whiskies.��� Differentiating itself from Jameson original, Jameson Black Barrel has a higher proportion of Irish pot still whiskey to produce perfectly proportioned sweet fruit and toasted wood lavors. The distillate is matured in black, lame-charred American oak casks. Launched in late 2011, Black Barrel is available in 750-millilter and l-liter sizes and retails at a suggested price of $34.99 and $39.99 respectively. Rounding out Crockett���s whiskey trifecta is Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Cask Strength Irish Whiskey. The only remaining traditional Irish pot still whiskey brand, this highly regarded release is a natural, non-chill-iltered version of Redbreast 12 Year Old that bottled straight from the cask. According to Hartunian, ���The brand���s organic popularity and growth present the ideal platform for driving further innovation within this growing segment. This is the only ongoing bottling of a cask strength single pot still whiskey from the Midleton Distillery, making it very special and unique.��� Redbreast 12 Cask Strength retails for a suggested price of $65 per 750 milliliter.

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