A Bond of traditional style and new world finishing inside a historical trade.
If you are not familiar with Two Stacks, Two Stacks are not a distillery, in fact they do not produce any of their whiskey themselves. What they are is called Whiskey Bonders, and it is a term from the annals of history with a huge significance. Traditionally, Bonders were the publicans and merchant store owners that would take their own casks to the local distillery and fill them and bring them back to their premises where they would age further or be blended with other casks they owned as well. The Bonders would then release their own blends and finished whiskeys under their own names and brands. Two Stacks is helping bring back the art of whiskey bonding back into the present time.
The bottle I am reviewing today is part of their core range which all carry the title of "Double Barrel" which simply means all of releases in this lineup have been matured in one cask and then finished in a second different style barrel. This one marries the traditional Irish style of Single Pot Still with a new world influence from American ex-rye casks. The single pot still whiskey is distilled at The Great Northern Distillery in County Louth, before being bonded at Two Stacks.
Facts
Style - Irish Single Pot Still
Casks - Ex-Bourbon Matured, Ex-American Rye finished
ABV - 43%
Age - NAS
Availability in Canada through the following stores
Keg N Cork
Malts & Grains
Vine Arts
REVIEW
In the Glass
Very light colour, like a very pale dried bale of hay.
Legs that take forever to form and even longer to fall. When they do start to fall, they are thin, small and take a day and a half to hit the surface of the whiskey in the glass.
Nose
The initial sniff in the glass reveals an earthy note along with the all too familiar pot still spiced note. The Pot Still flavours dominate the first initial nose before a fruit forward note shows with a touch of pear and golden apricot. The final thing found is a touch of grassiness with some vanilla and citrus like an orange flavoured creamsicle. The earthiness survives all the way through the entire nosing of the whisky which in this case lasted well over 20 minutes to make sure I could pull out as much as possible.
Palate
The look into the glass at the very start of the review was a definite foreshadowing, as this is velvety smooth in the mouth. Pot Still heft and mouthfeel in full effect. Its all ex-bourbon cask doing the heavy lifting initially, Vanilla heavy notes with a juicy character that makes your mouth water instantly. This is quickly enveloped and taken over by a beautiful spiced note that is equal parts from the Pot Still distillate and the rye finishing casks. That earthy note from the nose shows up alongside the spice notes and they meld beautifully and intertwine to take your taste buds on a refined but full flavoured ride.
Finish
That gorgeous spice character follows all the way through the finish. The orchard fruit and a touch of that same creamy citrus flavour poke through and end up sticking around the longest for this medium length finish. Wrapping things up in an almost perfect way for this truly unique and distinct Irish Pot Still Whiskey.
Conclusion
This is a truly unique pot still whiskey that will please the most ardent Irish Whiskey lover as well as draw in the new-to-whiskey drinkers. As a Canadian mega-fan of Irish Whiskey and of rye whisky, this bottle is an instant friend and one I will continue to spend a lot of time with. The price is right and there are very few Pot Still style whiskeys that can compete on the price vs flavour value spectrum. I can not recommend this bottle enough and I will pour this and share it with anyone I possibly can.
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