Saint Patrick’s Day always conjures up images of 4 Leaf Clovers, Pints of Dark beer, Leprechauns, and Corned beef. However, over the last few years, the Irish Holiday has become synonymous for me with the release of Talnua Distillery’s Olde Saint’s Keep.
Every year, over the St. Patrick’s weekend, Talnua hosts a party complete with live music, food, plenty of cocktails, and of course the newest release of their Olde Saint’s Keep. While we were not able to make the party this year, this is a bottle that I absolutely refuse to miss out on. I was able to pick it up after I got back into town, and opened it up almost immediately. As expected, this bottle did not disappoint at all.
What was not expected was the flavor difference from the 2023 release. The 2024 release spent time in White Oak, Sherry, Port, and Amburana wood. This made a very unique flavor profile, as well as an amazing nose.
There were less than 1000 bottles produced of this years batch, and it is only available at the distillery while supplies last.
In the Bottle:
Mashbill:
50% Malted and 50% Un Malted Barley
Age:
A minimum of 3 years in a mix of White Oak, Sherry, Port, and Amburana barrels.
Proof:
100 Proof (50% ABV)
In the Glass:
Color:
A darker and deeper bronze and golden color, just a bit of a red tint. Clear – no cloudiness – some oily streaks left behind as the liquid swirls in the glass.
Without Water:
Nose:
The roasty, malty notes jump out right away, but there is a nuttiness that is very apparent as well, like walnuts. Bits of sweet brown sugar and even a little bit of dark chocolate notes all come through. I’d like to really highlight the nuttiness as it is very apparent, and kept jumping to the front of mind each time I brought the glass up for a sip.
Palate:
A soft sweetness up front, some sweet brown sugar and I instantly noticed the oily mouthfeel right off the beginning of the sip. Moved into a mid palate of baking spices, bits of allspice and cinnamon paired with some sweet brown sugar and dry nuttiness and more dark chocolate. Well balanced, and very oily.
Finish:
Some tannic, dry, oaky notes that hang around for a long time. It is still sweet, but definitely heavier on the woody, spicey flavors. Some hints of dried red fruit in there as well. Balanced is still a great word to describe it, even though the finish does have less of the sweetness.
With Water:
Nose:
I thought the nutty notes were jumping out before, with a few drops of water it explodes, definitely a walnut like smell that still shows the malty roasted notes and just enough drier dark chocolate.
Palate:
A little sweeter up front, showcasing some brown sugar and even a little butterscotch. The mid palate still is full of baking spices, but a little more chocolate and dry red fruits come through. Overall still very thick, oily mouthfeel and very nicely balanced.
Finish:
Does not lose any length, hanging around for a long time. Remains full of oaky tannins, dried red fruit and some sweet brown sugar and baking spices.
Final Thoughts:
Every single year I look forward to this bottle to see what Talnua has continued to improve on. This is especially impressive as I have thoroughly enjoyed their whiskey since I first tried it back in 2020. This year, adding in the Amburana wood I think added some depth and interesting flavors, but the fact that this whiskey made another gigantic leap forward really seems to point that to the overall distilling process, the care, time, and love that they pour into every drop they bottle. This is a medley of flavors, and a lot of them. I am sure I missed some flavors that others have gotten, and I picked up some that others have not. That is the best part of tasting whiskey, so let me know what you tasted if you’ve had the chance to try this bottle. If you haven’t, then I suggest making sure you do before they are all gone.
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