LCBO Food and Drink Spring 2016

I R I S H W H I S K E Y

Smooth, welcoming and full of the sweet aroma of the grain, these spirits are packed with personality.

New Irish whiskeys show up regularly in Ontario. While most are blends of pot still spirits and lighter grain spirits from con- tinuous stills, there are several glorious exceptions. Writers Tears ( LCBO 271106, 700 mL, $50.30) is a rich beauty, an unfil- tered braid of malted and unmalted pot still whiskeys with a delightful hint of honey and marmalade on the nose. The Irishman Founder’s Reserve ( LCBO 402552, $54.35), made by the same company, has a differ- ent ratio of malted and unmalted spir- its. It’s opulently flavourful with notes of toffee, vanilla and chocolate that linger for ages on the palate. Redbreast ( LCBO 636845, $74.95) is an old favourite, first produced in 1903, and is another whiskey that doesn’t add lighter grain spirits to the blend. The 12-year-old is full-bodied and slightly oily while long aging in oloroso sherry casks gives a wonderfully complex flavour of spice cake, nuts, licorice and ginger. Try it with the Cashel Blue cheese. While the saltiness of the cheese empha- sizes the natural sweetness of the grain in the whiskey, they both have a similar level of intensity and will merrily duke it out— a donnybrook on your taste buds.    Blended whiskeys can also be fasci- nating and unique. Jameson Caskmates ( LCBO 429258, $39.90) is a unique experi- ment with mature Jameson whiskey aged for an extra six months in casks that have held stout, giving unexpected hints of dark chocolate and coffee to the spirit. Then there’s Kilbeggan ( LCBO 334045, $35.45), produced in Ireland’s oldest licensed distill- ery (established in 1757), gracefully smooth and light on its feet. So many styles! No wonder Irish whiskey is the fastest-growing category in the spirit world.

BROWN BREAD WITH CASHEL BLUE CHEESE recipe on page 104

68  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2016