Powers Gold Label opinions?

[hoser]

Saw a bottle of Powers Gold Label (just standard, not 12 year or anything). It's about $17. Opinions?

[Gov]

I like it! Better than Jameson NAS and Kilbeggan NAS.

[hoser]

How is it compared to Jameson 12, in your opinion? Is just getting the Jameson 12 worth the extra money as a daily drinker or is Powers is great value for that purpose?

[cathach]

Powers is bourbon matured and Jameson sherry matured. I prefer Powers myself as it is an oily spicy dram and very flavoursome for an entry level whiskey.

[hoser]

I've heard the Powers 12 year old is awesome, but I only see the Gold Label locally.

[Aidan]

I love Powers.Much prefer it to Jameson. It's one of my favourite whiskies.

[hoser]

I love Powers.Much prefer it to Jameson. It's one of my favourite whiskies.

Gold Label or the 12 year old?

[Aidan]

Both, really. When I'm in the pub, I drink Powers Gold Label. I also love the 12 year old, but I find it varies a bit.

[Gov]

How is it compared to Jameson 12, in your opinion? Is just getting the Jameson 12 worth the extra money as a daily drinker or is Powers is great value for that purpose?

That is like comparing "apples to oranges". Powers makes for a nice inexpensive daily dram.
BTW, I would take Jameson 12 over Powers NAS any day

[irishwhiskeychaser]

If your looking for a cheap Irish blend Powers NAS is the way to go as it is the cream of the crop. However some people don't get it? We really can't tell you what you like. Any mini's of it in your area or a pub to try it.


If your looking for value in taste to price ratio in an Irish blend that is full of flavour and smooth & silky to drink then spend the extra money and go for the Jameson 12yo.

[hoser]

I think I'll try the Jameson 12. It's available and not too $! I can compare directly to Powers Gold Label at the same time.

[Pure Pot Head]

I agree on the point that comparing Powers and JJS 12yr old is like comparing apples and oranges. Both however are matured in a combination of both Sherry and Bourbon casks. However, Jameson 12 is about 2/3rds Sherry to 1/3 Bourbon. Powers is the opposite, about 1/4 to a 1/3 Sherry.

Both are triple distilled of course so you get that distinctive smoothness.

And of course the JJS is 12yrs old so it is far more mature and overall a more rich and velvety experience.

Then again, there's this ppowerful classic Irish whsikey taste in the Powers that I'm drawn to time and time again. According to the chaps at the distillery it comes with a significantly superior Pure Pot Still component to that which is in Jameson although they as always, refuse to specify the exact ratios. Rumour has it that Powers has about 60% Pure Pot Still. Does anyone out there have a better idea?

There is a Powers 12 year old which I've never seen outside of Ireland. But it is fantastic, however, I find it hard to 'place' it. It's like an old friend whose name I've forgotten. It's a strange one. But then again I've only had it a couple of times. Maybe we need to get together and catch up on old times!

[Aidan]

Very interesting again. I thought there was no sherry matured whiskey in Powers, but you seem to know differently. I don't know where I got that information, so it could well be wrong.

[Pure Pot Head]

I've spent time with Brendan Monks who retired this year as Master of Maturation at Midelton.

All the key brands are matured in both sherry and bourbon. IDL actually control the sherry casks from start to finish. They commision them and then lease them to a couple of Bodegas in Olorosso. I can find out the actual names of these Bodegas, in fact I have a video clip of Brendan at work down there. He mentioned at the time that Bourbon casks were costing them about €70 (or $70 maybe) a cask but the sherry casks cost about €700! Each!

The main exceptions to this rule (bearing in mind how each whiskey has it's own combination ratio between Sherry and Bourbon but also between first fill Bourbon (B1), second fill Sherry (S2) etc) are Midleton, Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve and Jameson Gold.

Midleton Rare uses only Bourbon casks picked out by Barry Crockett.
Jameson Gold is the only IDL brand to use B0's or virgin unseasoned Bourbon casks (generally about 10 years matured so strong wood overtones).
The Rarest Vintage Reserve has Port Pipe matured components and for furture vintagers they have stock of Madiera and Marsala matured whiskey waiting in the wings.

I don't think there's a place like it in the world when it comes to the levels of obsession about wood and casks.

[Aidan]

They have a fameously good wood policy. I like the Jameson Gold a lot. The virgin casks gives it something different. There's a few Scottish distillers doing that now too.

The Rarest Vintage Reserve is brilliant, I think. It's just a shame that Irish Distillers charge us €400 in Ireland for it, while the Americans only have to pay $250. Now amount of tax can make up the difference.

[Pure Pot Head]

Yeah, it is a big disparity, I agree. I think the problem lies in the fact that the American market pushed back on the original proposed price position. Jameson are trying to establish non-aged premium references for a number of reasons. The first one is stock itself. There is very little stock available to them that is particularly old, the Jameson brand itself has been selling so strongly for so long. The second reason is the intrinsics of their production style. There's a certain disregard in Midleton among the whiskey makers for the confomity established around whiskey conventions driven by the enormous Scottish industry. For example should a Jameson 12yr old be compared in price to a Scottish 12 yr old? They're totally different but such is the strenght of the Scottish industry that retailers around the world have tended to follow the market segments established by them.Yet the American whiskey makers are allowed to follow their won route, never under specific pressure to produce Scotch style premium tiers (note Jack Daniels Singel Barrel). So why does oen of the worlds oldest brands keep getting requests to makea Single Malt or follow the same age references. No one is adking Jack Daniels to make a 12 year old.
It seems the whiskey makers in Midleton want to push on according to their own traditions and the focus on distillation styles, cask selections etc is of far more importance than playing the aging game.
So Rarest Vintage Reserve becomes a difficult brand to price. What do you benchmark it against. Johnny Walker Blue achieved a premium status without aging and a lot of myth building.

Pot Head