This whiskey is an unusual piece of the Irish whiskey fabric currently. It is tied to the immensely popular, period drama, Peaky Blinders. The whiskey was produced as a licenced product of the show and caused its own controversy in the Irish whiskey industry by plastering ‘Product of the British Isles’ across all of their bottles and whiskey advertising. Irish whiskey is an all island affair and does not differentiate between the North and the Republic. The phrase ‘British Isles’ is often a source of confusion and consternation owing to the geographical and political connotations of the words used.
Due to this, the whiskey had limited popularity on the island of Ireland but was retailed extensively abroad. It is a triple distilled blended whiskey, apparently on contract from West Cork Distilleries, although I have not confirmed this. It is bottled at 40% ABV and is ex-bourbon and sherry matured. This was a whiskey that I hadn’t had the opportunity to try before I opened window #8 of my Drinks By the Dram, Irish Whiskey Advent Calendar. And I’m delighted I had the opportunity to try it now.
I was delighted by the quality of whiskey that was in store for me, and at a very affordable €26.50 in the Republic of Ireland, this is one I will keep an eye out for.
Tasting Notes by Matt Healy, Chief Editor of Potstilled.com
Nose: an amazingly fruity nose, black currants, black cherries, juicy green apples, toasted oak, and creamy vanilla.
Palate: slightly watery/light palate but still delivers a good amount of flavour. A hint of mulled spices, creamy chocolate, apricots, pears and a slight cinnamon prickle.
Finish: Medium finish with cinnamon and some dried fruits remain.
Overall: Utterly perplexed by how flavoursome and aromatic this whiskey actually is. The Peaky Blinders is a beautifully easy drinking blend with a fantastic amount of flavour. Definitely one that will end up on my shelf at some stage this year.