Today we compare two of the most well received Irish whiskies available in the states, Powers John's Lane and Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. Both are 12 year old single (pure) pot still whiskies made by Irish Distillers at the Midleton Distillery. Both are matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks. Both are non chill filtered. With all of these similarities, I was really interested to taste them side by side.
First, a little history. Irish Distillers has a great comeback story. By the late 1960s, demand for Irish whiskey was nearly non-existent. In order to survive, the John Jameson & Son, Powers & Sons, and the Cork Distillery Co. merged in 1966 to create Irish Distillers. The old distilleries were closed and operations were consolidated a facility in Midleton (Cork County), where the New Midleton Distillery was built in 1975. The company was purchased by Pernot-Ricard in 1988. Today, Irish whiskey is the fastest growing whiskey category in the U.S. market, and Midleton produces many of the most highly regarded whiskies within that category, including Redbreast, Powers, and the Green and Yellow Spots. (Yellow Spot is not yet available in the U.S.)
The Redbreast Cask Strength and the Powers John's Lane are single pot still (f/k/a pure pot still) whiskies, meaning they are distilled from a combination of malted and unmalted barley (single malt scotch uses only malted barley) and in a copper pot still rather than a column still. The pot still is known for imparting round and creamy quality that I really enjoy.
Okay, enough history. Let's taste 'em.
