A.D. Rattray Irish Single Malt 13 Year Old 2001 for Jurgen's Whiskyhuis

The stream of independent bottlings of Irish single malt seems to be endless. Last year Jurgen’s Whiskyhuis released this 13 Year Old Irish malt in the ‘Uisge Beatha Taigh’ series (after a grand Ardbeg 1993 the year before). When I look at the label, I see the Cooley distillery depicted. This youngling has an ABV of 60%! Did you know, by the way, that uisge beatha taigh simply means ‘house of whisky’? Good choice by Jurgen, obviously.

The nose bursts with white fruit: juicy apples and pears. Then some exotic notes like pineapple and peach too. Soft spices. Somewhat waxy. A twig of eucalyptus and some vanilla. Hint of marzipan. This is very inviting. Water changes little, but does emphasize the freshness of this malt, bringing the eucalyptus to the fore.

The ABV implies that it is smart to sip carefully. And yet. It does not burn, while it does arrive with quite the punch. Again a handful of apples and pears, but some citrus joins the fray. Agrum. Liquorice, ginger and again something fresh like eucalyptus. Nice continuation of the nose. Not overly complex, but very good. With water it becomes eminently quaffable.

The finish is quite short, despite the high ABV. But it remains fruity until the death.

This whiskey shows how fruity Irish malt can be. A Kilbeggan in disguise? Or a Tyrconnel? Who cares: it is pure enjoyment, with or without water. Around 80 EUR.