Irish whiskey is enjoying a huge resurgence as of late, and personally, I’m all for it. I’m also certain I’m not alone in my sentiments either.

Irish whiskey, by its nature, is often considered smoother, creamier, and oilier to most Scotch whiskies. It also typically undergoes a triple-distillation, resulting in a silky smooth finish, with elevated notes of fruits and cereals.

While Irish whiskey often plays second fiddle to Scotch here at Great Drams, I’ve still got quite the soft spot for an Irish dram and jump at any chance I get to enjoy a wee sample or two. Not too long ago, I found myself in Belfast at the McConnell’s Distiller, where I was invited to participate in a tasting session of three of their most popular expressions, along with a new make of theirs.

Here are my thoughts on the four drams we got to sample.

McConnell’s New Make Whiskey

Kicking things off at the tasting, we were treated to a dram of McConnell’s ‘New Make’ whiskey, which came in at a warming 50% ABV.

What I really loved about their new make spirit was the fact that they emphasised the importance of the different senses and stimuli when crafting this amazing wee dram. Temperature, climate, aroma, appearance, and so much more besides all play such an important role in determining how a whiskey should taste.

Mouthfeel and texture are very important when crafting whiskey, and the team at McConnell’s have really picked up on this with this dram. They set out to craft a whiskey with “legs” or “tears” as it is also known. These serve as an indicator of a whiskey’s thickness, or oiliness, and alcohol content. Once the whiskey is swirled in the glass, tiny droplets, or “tears” will run down the glass. The slower they fall, the oilier the mouthfeel will be.

This dram smelled incredible, which is not surprising considering McConnell’s state that as much as 70% of the whiskey’s taste comes from the smell. I picked up strong notes of blackberry and liquorice to start with floral honey notes, vanilla ice cream, and summer berry jam.

On the palate, a warm up sip was recommended due to the high ABV, and boy, were they right. It was harsh for an Irish dram, but not as harsh as I was expecting. It also quickly dissipated. A second sip yielded strong vanilla and blackberry jam flavours, tied together beautifully by slightly aromatic notes. I, along with several others, also picked up malty, grainy, cereal notes that balanced out the tart fruity flavours perfectly. It reminded me of an autumn/winter berry crumble, doused in lashings of vanilla custard.

The finish was very leggy, with wonderful mouthfeel. It almost felt like syrup in the mouth. Again, plenty of blackberry with notes of raspberry, and perhaps a hint of lightly roasted oak.