What another review!? Well I needed a sparring partner for the Gold Spot.
Ok I think this has been reviewed by other's so I will try and keep it brief. Power's rounds out the OG trio of classic Irish Pot Still styles made at Midleton distillery. According to Irish whisky historian Fionan O'connor, the Power's family were the other big family clan of controlling interest along with the Jameson's in the Irish Distillers conglomerate. That said where the Jamesons were a bit hoity toity and uptight, the Power's clan had kept their working class roots and also had a powerful reputation among those same folks thus their sales reps knew this and loved to rub it in to the faces of the other folks in the IDL organisation. Power's Pot still style was a bit more edgy than what was produced elsewhere and the pot still recipes used at Midleton for their blends maintain that style.
This is matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon & ex-Sherry casks.
Nose: Just a great start, plump raisins, Popeye Candy sticks, grape candy, linseed oil, wet grain, mineral oil, there are spices, like a wonderful blend heavy on the powdered ginger, with a hint of clove and cassia. Time brings more grain forward and a feeling of old copper coins or tin box before it's back to fruit salad with emphasis on apples, and bananas.
Palate: Pleasantly sharp, waxy apple peel, a pleasant bitterness, a little tobacco, apricot, rustic bread with marmalade, there's a lovely slightly industrial note that keeps popping to tamp down all the sweet stuff.
Finish: A little bitterness like one would find in dark chocolate, boiled honey and then that yeasty/mineral/fruity/leather feeling left by sherry.
Blab: What a great balance, there's power and edge to remind you this aint' Redbreast but it's not harsh. There's again this fresh, nervous side here that is definitely in other Power's products like Signature or the Gold blend. I really instantly loved this, it hit all the right points, I wish this was available in Canada, hell I think it's barely available in the US. I suppose that Pernod doesn't want to cannibalise it's own sales since it flogs Redbreast and Spot products pretty hard in this market, or perhaps they're still holding the grudge of the Jamesons.
Although this was a sample I agree much like bourbon, the Irish pot still seems to do really well with after the fill level has dropped a bit...despite what the science naysayers have to say about that kind of theory.
Thanks it'll be another 2 weeks before I'm medically allowed to get in "a saddle" but I suppose for reviews it's ok.
I largely preferred this Power's over Redbreast 12 or even Yellow Spot (which I enjoyed quite a bit). I felt like the rustic touch along with a nice clean creamy sherry was a winning combo.
It is indeed a shame that this isn't more widely available in the Great White North, eh?! Your review gives me some serious Pot Still envy. I've soured a bit on Redbreast in the last year or two. Their 12 Year CS has been completely unavailable for awhile and the last time it was around the LCBO botched the release in the most spectacular way, even by LCBO's very low standards. I've tasted the standard RB 12 from a few bottles that weren't mine in the last year and I've found it a bit more "alcohol nippy" than before. This Powers release sounds like it's got a bit better quality control happening. Thanks for the review.