Here at Great Drams, we’re all about being innovative and imaginative in the spirits business, while also making whisky/whiskey fun and not taking itself too seriously. In my line of work, I’m blessed in many different ways, particularly in that I get to visit distillery after distillery, speaking to likeminded individuals who share our same passions and beliefs when it comes to whisky. 

One of my favourite distilleries to visit is Northern Ireland’s Two Stacks Distillery. Co-founded by Donal McLynn, Liam Brogan, and Shane McCarthy. I love what the guys are doing with whiskey over there, and love their relaxed and innovative approach. 

Recently, Shane McCarthy, one of the company’s co-founders, participated in a media event in anticipation of their latest release, where he discussed the company’s radical approach to whiskey, the direction they’re heading, the state of the Irish whiskey market, and of course, their latest range of whiskey.

For those who like their whiskey fruity, innovative, and free of the snobbery and pretentiousness that sometimes comes with whiskey drinking, you should find the following very interesting. Here’s a quick summary of what Shane had to say. 

Innovation and Accessibility

At a recent distillery event, Shane McCarthy, one of Two Stacks Distillery’s co-founders sat down with a number of guests and general big wigs from the world of whiskey, to discuss the launch of their new ‘Fruit Drops’ whiskey range. 

The distillery isn’t afraid to push boundaries, and try new things, which is rare in this line of work. Their unique approach is evident in a variety of ways. They recently made headlines when they launched the world’s very first Irish whiskey in a can, aptly named ‘Dram in a Can’, alongside a delicious Irish whisky cream liqueur. 

Over the last decade, the brand has enjoyed enormous success, yet they believe they’re still in their infancy. If this is indeed the case, they could be destined for huge things, and will certainly help put Irish whiskey back on the map. 

During the media event, Shane reiterated the fact that they wanted to make whiskey innovative and accessible for more people. I recently wrote about how whisky/whiskey is the “new gin” and this is yet another piece of evidence to back this up. The drink is becoming more fashionable than ever, and as palates and tastes evolve, so too does the process of producing these exceptional drams. 

As the company wants to make whiskey more accessible, they’ve gone with flavour profiles that you perhaps wouldn’t expect in a traditional Irish whiskey. For a person unsure about whether or not they enjoy whiskey, ‘Fruit Drops’ would serve as a fantastic gateway to whiskey. 

Changing Preferences

During the event, Shane mentioned how Two Stacks had enjoyed great success in the Asian market. Their fruit-forward expressions share a lot of similarities with Asian whisky drinkers, particularly those in Japan. After sampling their latest dram, you can certainly see the Asian influence, and understand why it’s such a hit in Asia. 

Shane also spoke in great detail about how whiskey generally isn’t accessible for non-whisky drinkers, and how the brand wanted to change that. He wanted to create a whiskey that non-whiskey drinkers could quite happily enjoy. Their goal is to bring more people into the whiskey community and make whiskey fun, without taking itself too seriously. 

McCarthy spoke about how whiskey could be divisive, even tribal in nature, similar to football perhaps. Everybody seems to have their favourite, be it Irish whiskey, single-malt Scotch, bourbon, rye, or anything else. It almost feels as if people get overly protective of their favourite drams, which could be preventing them from trying something different. Again, Two Stacks want to change this. They want to bring the whiskey community together and unite them. 

During the event, participants were pressed on their preferences with whiskey, with many mentioning how high ABVs and cask strengths were in high demand, along with fruitier expressions, ones ideal for cocktails, and drams which could be enjoyed over ice and with different mixers such as soda. This is precisely why Two Stacks developed their latest range. 

Two Stacks Fruit Drops Range

As an independent bottler, Two Stacks were able to experiment and try new things. They differentiated themselves from the competition and set about creating flavour profiles that would appeal to not only seasoned whiskey drinkers, but a wider demographic in general. 

The guys over at Two Stacks worked on this range for more than 14 months. It consists of three fruit-heavy expressions, each one coming in at 50% ABV. The three expressions in the range are made up of: A Blackberry Brandy Cask, an Apple Brandy Cask, and an Apricot Brandy Cask. 

The whiskies are created via a five-part blend of grain, malt, and pot still whiskies, which they call the 54321 blend. This unique blend consists of 8% pot still Oloroso Sherry cask aged whiskey, 40% single grain bourbon cask aged whiskey, 40% single grain virgin oak cask aged whiskey, 10% double malt bourbon cask aged whiskey, and finally, 2% peated malt bourbon cask aged whiskey for the most subtle of smoky hits. 

The use of stone fruits has really helped to set them apart, creating a deliciously refreshing and fruity whiskey that can be sipped neat, enjoyed over ice, or mixed with soda or any other number of mixers. 

The Blackberry Fruit Brandy Cask delivers dark fruity notes, with strong notes of summer berry compotes and ripe blackberries, balanced perfectly subtle caramel and vanilla. The Apple Brandy Cask provides strong crisp orchard fruits, roasted oak, golden caramel, and gentle baking spices. For the Apricot Brandy Cask, which incidentally was my favourite, expect juicy apricots, vanilla cream, heather honey, sugared almonds, and rich marzipan. There’s also a hint of citrus zest and charred oak. 

Despite only recently releasing, the range is already proving to be hugely popular, and like other releases from the distillery, they can be purchased in 700ml bottles, as well as individual 10cl cans.