Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey

by **blackkeno** » Sat Aug 17, 2002 2:34 pm

In Issue 15 of Whisky Magazine, there was an "In conversation" interview with Barry Crocket. Barry's response to a question about traditional Irish whiskey included, "This is reflected in the success of Redbreast 12, Jameson 12 and 15-years-old-all Pure Pot Still whiskeys in the traditional Irish style."

I have seen several Jameson 12yo's, but they all appear to be blends. Anyone have any idea what Jameson 12yo is pure pot still?

by **Ize** » Mon Aug 19, 2002 5:15 am

Only Pure Pot Still Jameson I'm aware of is 15 Y.O. Limited Edition Pure Pot Still. My guess would be that 12 Y.O. means there Jameson Gold, but what I have read, it isn't Pure Pot Still whiskey. In fact, to my understanding many Irish Whiskeys claim to be Pure Pot Stills but are not ... too bad, that it isn't such a term like Scotch Whisky and Single Malt from which you know what you get.

Kippis,
Ize

P.S. Redbreast, luckily I still have half a bottle left.

Green Spot is on my must-get-list, but Jameson LE PPS is way too expensive for me.

by **Pdubya** » Thu Aug 29, 2002 7:34 pm

Gents:

I bought a bottle of Redbreast on Jim Murray's recommendation. Wonderful stuff! Highly drinkable, spicy and warming. Have to agree with his "lip-smacking" assessment.

I am looking to try Bushmills Black Bush next or maybe the 16 yr 1608.

Paul

by **Ize** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 7:12 am

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pdubya:
I am looking to try Bushmills Black Bush next or maybe the 16 yr 1608.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hi Paul,

I highly recommend Black Bush, despite it is blended whisky. IMO, it is much better than for instance Bushmills 10 Y.O. single malt. 16 Y.O. I haven't tasted though ...

Kippis,
Ize

by **Gate** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:05 am

I completely agree about the Black Bush - I don't know how they make it better than the 10 y.o. single malt for less money, but they do. The 16 y.o. came as a disappointment to me - I find the port finish somehow flattens out the malt and completely overwhelms that slight rosewater element that you get in Black Bush or the 10 y.o. But I seem to be alone in this: everyone else who has tried it thinks it's great. It's not Irish pot still as I understand the term, though - I think that involves unpeated barley in the mash and is limited to the likes of Redbreast (wonderful) and Green Spot (even more wonderful). Carrying through the "clear labelling" strand from another topic, is there a case for the Irish distillers deciding on a clear definition of "Pure Irish Pot Still"?

by **SpeedyJohn** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 2:02 pm

Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey is made from a combination of malted and unmalted barley. I have heard of only two Irish whiskeys that are "peated": one is Connemara Single Malt, the other's name escapes me, but it is also a single malt. It does get confusing. Connemara is a single malt made in a pot still, but is NOT Pure Pot Still whiskey.

SJ

by **lexkraai** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 2:48 pm

Another peated Irish single malt (not a 'pure pot still' although distilled in a pot still) is Slieve na Gloc (apologies for any misspelling!). Also from Cooley and bottled exclusively for an off-licence chain here in the UK.

Cheers, Lex

by **Gate** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 3:18 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gate:
It's not Irish pot still as I understand the term, though - I think that involves unpeated barley in the mash <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Whoops! I meant "unmalted", not unpeated, of course. I've never tasted the peated Irish whiskies: are they worth the trouble?

by **lexkraai** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 3:41 pm

Hi Gate

I forgot to mention an Adelphi bottling of a peated sm from Cooley: Suir.

As to whether they're worth the trouble, that depends on your own taste and likes/dislikes of course. Although quite young (no age is given on the label, but I guess it's around 6 y.o.) I like Connemara (the peatiness is different from Islay-like peatiness). Suir is a notch up from Connemara. Really curious as to how 10+ y.o. peated sm from Cooley would be!

Cheers, Lex

[This message has been edited by lexkraai (edited 30 August 2002).]

by **blackkeno** » Sat Aug 31, 2002 8:12 am

Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey is currently taken to mean that it inlcudes malted and umalted barley in the mashbill and is distilled in a pot rather than continuous still. This is what I meant by the term.

Technically, Irish single malts probably can be called "pure pot still" because that is how they are produced and there is no legal requirement to include unmalted barley.

Similarly, a single malt would not have to be a pure pot still whisk(e)y if it was pure malted barley distilled in a continuuous still. I think the '63 North of Scotland single grain met this criteria and technically would also be a single malt.

Interestingly, Irish Pure Pot still is also NOT restricted exclusively to barley. Other grains especially oats were often used in the mashbill till the last couple decades. It is my understanding that the (awesome) Middleton 26yo Pure Pot Still recently released did include oats in the mashbill!

by **Deactivated Member** » Sun Sep 01, 2002 11:00 am

How about the Knapogue 1992 and 1993 vintages???, the casks where choosen by Jim Murray, they where outstanding(and that says me, I'm not an Irish Whiskey drinker).
But I must admit that I like Conemara "pure pot still" too, and every now and then a Jameson. But I can't say if they are blends, or pure pot still, or whatever. If Conemara says that it's pure pot still, then I have to believe that, otherwise Conemara is incredible towarts us....

Erik

by **Gate** » Tue Sep 10, 2002 9:19 am

Looking back at earlier posts, it seems that there is no example to be had anywhere of a peated Irish pot still (i.e. made with both malted and unmalted barley, but with peating in the malted component). Is that so? A pity if so: Redbreast as a peat monster is something I would love to try.

by **blackkeno** » Wed Sep 11, 2002 5:03 am

Beyond the memory of today's tasting notes (earlier than 40 years ago) almost all Irish Whiskey was Pure Pot Still. Based on available sources of fuel prior to 1900, it has been assumed that peat was probably used in malting frequently in Ireland. What you long for may have been the standard just over a century ago!

by **Aidan** » Tue Nov 12, 2002 6:20 pm

Jameson 12-year-old is a vatting. It has huge pot still character, but is not a pure pot still.

It's called a vatting rather than a blend because all it's components are made at the same distillery. This is not purely semantics, but not of earth shattering importance either.

Connemara is technically not a pure pot still whiskey because there is no unmalted barley used in the ale. It is absolutely brilliant, IMO.

The pure pot still Irish are Redbreast, Green Spot, Jameson 15 year pot still, Middleton 25-year old (I think), and a few other ancient ones.

by **blackkeno** » Mon Nov 18, 2002 7:38 am

I had not heard of the Jameson 12yo being a vatting. The standard Jameson and the 1780 are both marketed in the US as blends yet I'm pretty sure all their pot still and grain whiskey is from Middleton. If they use any malt, I doubt it is from Bushmills.

BTW, the other PPS Irish Whiskeys that I think might still be (barely) available are:

Middleton 30 (along with the 25 & 26 you and I mentioned earlier).
Knappogue Castle '51 36yo (from Daly).
Old Comber
Dungourney '64
Dunville's '30's
Uncommon Cadenhead bottlings especially the 41yo from Daly.

by **Aidan** » Mon Nov 18, 2002 9:08 am

When they talk about Pure Pot Still Irish, tasters often mention the delicious "brittleness" of the pot still character. I love pure pot still, but don't know what this means.

I bought Jim Murray's Classic Irish Whiskey and enjoyed it, although it could do with some updating to cover many new vintages.