Powers Gold Label

Of the blended Irish whiskeys I've sampled, this one stands out for its flavor and value, though the latter may be due to an unusually good deal I found. It has a nice aroma of hearty grain that I associate with Irish whiskey. There's also lemon, honey, and maybe sourdough bread. It's not a super complex nose as most of the elements are kind of pointing in the same direction, but it's undeniably warm and inviting. The taste is rich and full, with more thick, hearty fresh-baked-bread, and more honey. In the finish there is a hint of that sourdough tang and perhaps a whiff of cinnamon spice. Again, it's not very complex, but for a basic budget whiskey this is remarkably satisfying. It has substantial body and hearty flavor. I got a liter bottle for $22. I naively assumed I would be able to buy at this price again, and looked forward to it. At that price this is an absolute steal that blows stuff like Jameson out of the water and comes tantalizingly close to being the Evan Williams Bottled-in-bond of Irish whiskey. If I could get a liter for $22 on the regular I would probably never let myself run out of this. Unfortunately it appears I was just lucky with the deal I got. The typical price is more like $28 for a 750ml bottle, which is considerably more expensive. At that price it's still worth buying, and I will probably get it again at some point, but it's a tougher call because it's now in competition with stuff like The Busker, which has a single pot still for about the same price. In any case, a tip of the hat to Powers for making such a solid whiskey in the budget blended category.

Nose: Honeyed oak, shortbread biscuits, a hint of green apples, Bartlett pears, candied lemon peel, buttered toast drizzled with honey, a touch of butterscotch, some fresh caramel, a hint of toffee, green apple hard candies, a touch of rye and oak spice from the fresh ex bourbon casks, dusty Canadian grain note, vanilla icing, a hint of floral (lilac) and vanilla infused sandalwood, a hint of green and sweet sapiness/vegetal note, some red berries (cranberries, strawberries, raspberries), spearmint infused cream, slight tar and char note, white chocolate Palate: Toast covered in treacle, white pepper, green apple flavored hard candies, strawberry hard candies, chalky powdered sugar, limoncello (Italian lemon liquor), fresh caramel, old oak, a touch of spearmint and cream, bittersweet cocoa, rye spice, a touch of cinnamon, sweet green herbal note, honey covered apple slices Finish: A touch of white pepper, some sweet oakiness, apple skins, white chocolate and remnants of honey covered orchard fruits

Midleton Distillery post-tour tasting, May 20, 2024, whisky #2 Nose: Butter, honeydew melon, plantain, vanilla, with a metallic scent reminiscent of water from old plumbing. Palate: Slightly sweet, vegetal, with flavors of green apple and cereal that become papery grain notes as it develops. The texture is acceptable. Finish: Medium/Short. Tastes like over-steeped tea, cardboard, and oak. This is unmistakably a Midleton distillate, but it's clearly outshone by most other offerings in the Midleton range. To be fair, it's a blended whisky, and aside from the Jameson range, all other Midleton products are pot still or single malt, so that might be an unfair comparison. The issue is, in Australia, for $20 more you can get Green Spot, which is a much more flavorful pure pot still whisky and offers better overall value. At the other end of the spectrum, Jameson is $20 cheaper and is almost as good. So, you have to wonder – why choose Gold Label? "Average": 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Smells simple and sweet, with notes of vanilla, white clover, honeyed cereal, a hint of Pink Lady apple, and a touch of orangey citrus with a light caramel glaze. You have to sniff quite a bit to detect these though. Tastes sweet with just a bit of peppery spice, citrus tang, and a metallic quality. Angel food cake appears at first, quickly followed by pink pepper, then a little baked Bosc pear and apples with the skins on in a buttery crust, plus some pecans, and a suggestion of copper. The texture is velvety, even pillowy. It doesn't leave legs, appearing momentarily in the sheets that quickly fall from the glass walls to leave behind a contingency of side streaking droplets of various sizes. The finish is somewhat underwhelming, with the slightest oak barrel spice influence, astringent red apple skin tannins, and an inkling of honey sweetness. Aroma: 7 Taste: 8 Body: 8 Finnish: 6

The aroma is subtle, presenting notes of apple, banana, buttery cookie, caramel, and a hint of smoke. On the palate, it begins with apple, malt, grass, butter, and smoke. The malt becomes more prominent in the mid-palate. The finish transitions to a sweeter alcohol taste with more subdued caramel, malt, grass, and smoke. The mouthfeel is slightly lighter than Powers Irish Rye and considerably lighter than Powers John’s Lane, yet it retains that lingering, coating finish characteristic of other Powers whiskies. Ultimately, I find the Irish Rye to be more flavorful for a similar or lower cost, but Gold Label remains a whiskey I'd consider purchasing occasionally.

From the Flaviar advent calendar, day #16. I neglected to take a photo, but the color was a deep, vibrant amber. I don't believe I've ever seen whiskey this color before; it appeared unnatural, although it didn't taste that way! Nose: Cinnamon, clove, orange zest, white pepper, caramel, and oak. The faintest hint of pot still shortbread. Palate: Sweet. Honey, grain whiskey, butterscotch. It's slightly thin in places. Very mild oak and a bit of stewed apple. A hint of milk chocolate? Strong vanilla throughout. Cinnamon and wood spice as it moves to the finish. Finish: Woody. A touch of malt, a bit of metallic astringency, slight honey.