Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/990824
70 / the tasting panel / june 2018 "The Champagne of Irish Whiskey" Located just one hour south of Dublin, Walsh Whiskey Distillery calls the 18th-century farmland estate known as Royal Oak its home. Located over a freshwater reservoir with close proximity to barley farms, Royal Oak is currently undergoing careful restora- tion. "We are located in a world-class setting for making premium whiskey," Walsh says. "Our manually operated distillery produces all three styles of Irish whiskey—pot-still, malt, and grain. This gives us great flexibility and scale in our production capabilities." Walsh Whiskey releases a number of bottlings under its two brands, Writers' Tears and The Irishman, with The Irishman Founder's Reserve and Writers' Tears Copper Pot ranking as its most popular offerings. "These are recreations of rare styles of whiskey that were very popular during the 'golden age' of Irish whiskey in the 19th century, when they were known as the Champagne of Irish whiskey," Walsh says. The Irishman Founder's Reserve approaches the nose with hints of spicy black pepper and cinnamon before finishing with the lasting essence of oak and butterscotch. Writers' Tears Copper Pot, meanwhile, exudes honey and apple aromas that give way to ginger and toasted oak on the palate, finishing with a seemingly endless burst of almond and milk chocolate. Despite the company's painstaking adherence to historically accurate techniques, Walsh Whiskey also pushes the envelope in creating new styles, finishes, and approaches to the centuries-old production of Irish whiskey. "We have invested in creating a range of innovative and exclusive whiskeys under both our brands. We were the first to finish Irish whiskey in Marsala wine casks, doing so under The Irishman label. This year we distilled the world's first-ever organic pot-still whiskey, which we have laid down for maturing under the Writers' Tears label," Walsh says proudly. The fruits of the Walsh family's labor are reflected in their bottlings' stream- lined, classic packaging, which stands out amongst competitors on any bar shelf. "Writers' Tears rests in one of the tallest bottles of any spirit in any market and the name enjoys great customer recall," Walsh adds. He also believes that in order to continue distinguishing itself as a relatively small company in a mas- sive market, Walsh Whiskey must show a great dedication to quality that rivals or exceeds that of the biggest brands. "Our continued success and very future depends on nothing less than consis- tency, high standards, and innovation. Many of our staff have worked in major multinational companies and we have been able to adopt and adapt learnings and systems they have experienced during their careers," Walsh explains. With the capability to produce 650,000 cases of whiskey per year, the company's next five to ten years should result in an impressive 8 mil- lion bottles of annual output, accord- ing to Walsh. "We will also invest in promoting our distillery, which is a unique new destination for whiskey lovers and visitors to Ireland," he says. "If you visit our distillery at Royal Oak, you are guaranteed to experience nothing less than the royal treatment." With an offer like that, who can resist the call of the dram? WHISKEY The distillery team at Walsh Whiskey, from right to left: Barry Cahill, Ger Kavanagh, Johnny Graham, Robert Rice, David McEvoy, Eugene O'Rourke, Kevin Hayden, Brendan Massey, Roger McGrath, Fergal Carroll, and Aidan Knox. Not pictured is Distillery Manager Lisa Ryan. Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, pictured at their Royal Oak distillery, launched Walsh Whiskey in 1999.