Powers 12 yo/o Irish Whiskey
Age: 12 y/o
Proof: 80
Maker: Midleton Distillery, Midleton (Cork), Ireland (Pernod-Ricard)
I drink very little Scotch, but I drink even less Irish whiskey. This is because most of the Irish I’ve tasted has been really, really boring. But, encouraged by positive reviews of a few Irish whiskeys in my first issue of Malt Advocate a few months ago, I’ve decided to branch out.
I picked up a bottle of this a few weeks ago, as the beginning of a spot in my rotation for finer Irish Whiskeys. I’ve had the standard Powers Gold Label before and while it does have some character, it was still very dull and had a nasty grain whiskey aftertaste. Powers is made a the same distillery as Jameson, Midleton, Redbreast and Paddy’s.
The extra years in the barrel have greatly improved this Powers. I drank it with one ice cube, and now I’m doing it again. There is a LOT of bourbon in the nose, but of course I think this is a very good thing. Behind the bourbon is a nice fruitiness, lots of mango and buttery papaya. It’s complemented by a bit of toffee.
On the palate the toffee jumps out at first, then it’s followed by more mango and some mandarin orange and a nice bit of burn (shocking in an Irish). The finish is surprisingly dry, with a parting glance from the mango. Another light, but flavorful, summer sipper.
Powers 12 only became available in the U.S. this year. I hope it sticks around, because it’s not doing a very good job sticking around my house.
Sipology 