I don’t think we’ve ever laid our hand on Power’s Irish whiskey. The brand had a rich history since its foundation in 1791. It is now part of Irish Distillers, distilled at Midleton distillery.
We’re trying the Gold Label Distiller’s Cut which is a fancy name for the cornerstone expression. I heard it is the best-selling whiskey in Ireland, but I couldn’t find proper confirmation. Anyway it got a new identity in 2020 and a revised ABV of 43.2% a few years before. The blend is made up of potstill whiskey and grain whiskey from bourbon casks, aged between 5 and 7 years.
Power’s Gold Label – Distiller’s Cut (43,2%, OB +/- 2024)
Nose: fairly neutral, with some citrus notes, green apples and melons, sweet vanilla and a few floral top notes. Then shortbread, drops of clove oil and a little cinnamon. There’s also a slight grassy and alcoholic side. Overall fairly light and inoffensive.
Mouth: hints of unripe banana and apple, more floral notes and vanilla. A bit of synthetic sugars and toffee. Still a bit of an alcoholic edge, despite a characteristic oily pot still note and fresh barley too.
Finish: fairly short, with sweet wood, vanilla and honey.
Very limited flavours, but not a bad blend. More of a bar dram than something I would pour at home. I used to say the best affordable option in bars was always an Irish whiskey, but nowadays, well… I don’t go to bars often any more. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt for instance.