1901
The Whistler P.X. I Love You
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed
June 18, 2021 (edited June 2, 2023)
Cooley Distillery, now owned by Beam Suntory, are like the MGP of Ireland. They do have a few brands of their own (Kilbeggan, Tyrconnell, Connemara) but their distillate is used in probably 40 or so brands of Irish whiskey and is the source of most of the “output” of the glut of newly established whiskey companies waiting on their own distilleries to be built or their own stock to mature.
Teeling is Cooley. Glendalough is Cooley. Fercullen is Cooley. If you have some Knappogue Castle you are drinking some of the Cooley-Aid.
The Whistler range from Boann is also sourced from this same distillery in County Louth.
The Boann distillery was opened in 2017 in the neighbouring County Meath and they are laying down stock with an expectation of releasing their first whiskeys after 5 years. If the World Whiskey Awards are a source to be trusted then Boann are not doing too badly with their early efforts. They won the 2021 award for “World's Best New Make & Young Spirit”.
In the case of this NAS whiskey, Boann have taken non-chill filtered, non-coloured Cooley stock that was previously aged in ex-bourbon casks and then they finished it for at least 9 months in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
What jumps out first is a pleasing mix of aromas: raspberry, blackberry, fresh sawdust, vanilla, a touch of eraser and a hint of cough medicine. The sherry finish is most prominent on the palate with a syrupy klaxon of forest fruit and fig chutney. It holds for a medium length finish that is gently drying, with a tail-whip of spice.
This is good. Very good. It is my first sampling of what Boann are offering and, while this isn’t their own distillate, based on their selection and further maturation of the Cooley stock I now trust them sufficiently to pay attention to what else they offer and what they do next.
#DAD
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
@Soba45 Cheers mate. There’s a glut of new brands and distilleries it is hard to keep up! I think I shared before but here is a list of some of them, and where they are sourcing their stock. That’s not to say i have a problem with that necessarily. Good whiskey is good whiskey and I like this Boann for example. But I did buy batch#1 of Glendalough’s pot still in the mistaken belief that it was distilled in their distillery (which is in my town). A bit more research on my part would’ve helped, but also a bit more transparency on their part.
Ah really interesting and informative review. I'm really looking fwd to trying a lot of stuff from the new Irish distilleries. I think there were 3 or 4 when i lived their in the early 2000's. last i heard the figure was 49 built or in progress .. and that was a year ago!