Talnua Distillery Quarter Cask (Carrowdair)

Whiskey has a long history in Ireland. Irish whiskey has been distilled since 1608, and with over 400 years of practice, the country has it down pat. A style that has been exclusive to Ireland, and limited production even there, is the Single Pot Still whiskey. Made with 50% Malted and 50% unmalted Barley, this style has a distinctive flavor that is known as pot still character.

Real quick, the reason that this style came to be was actually to avoid paying taxes on 100% malted barley that the English were imposing. In true Irish fashion, distillers just stopped malting all of their barley, and therefore didn’t have to pay the higher tax on the whiskey imported to England. (This is obviously a very simplified explanation.)

Single Pot still whiskies are not common even in Ireland, with Teeling Distillery, Red Breast (out of Middelton Distillery), and Green Spot (Also out of Middleton) being some of the few names.(Thank you to Padraig in the comments below for correcting that!) As of St. Patrick’s Day 2019 however, Single Pot Still Whiskey has expanded outside of Ireland and directly into Colorado. In the city of Arvada, Talnua opened up their doors and has brought a completely new style of whiskey into the folds of the whiskey scene of Colorado. With a former brewer at Stranahan’s at the helm distilling, and a whiskey enthusiast who had a copper pot still to offer, a partnership was created and the first Single Pot Still outside Ireland was born.

The Carrowdair, now the quarter cask with the new label, is their own juice, made and aged in their facility.

Color: Copper/Amber. Clear

Nose: Sweet, lots of grain, and bits of oak. Not a lot of that malt smell that a single malt would typically have. There are some spice notes to it as well.

Palate: Vanilla, spices, and cereal notes. It has a good sweetness but there is a spice flavor that is definitely from the unmalted portion of the barley, and it compliments the rest of the flavors really well. It is coating and full bodied, but not overly heavy.

Finish: Spicy grain notes come out, and it really lingers a long time.

With Water:

Nose: A bit of molasses, vanilla, and grassy notes come out more with a couple drops of water.

Palate: The oak really has more influence with the water, but the spices really pop a bit as well. It does lose a little of the coating effect but not terribly.

Finish: It shortens a little, but really holds on to its staying power with the water. More malty and vanilla as well.

Ratings:
Angela: 90
Zach: 92
Overall: 91

Talnua has brought an old style of whiskey into a modern environment and has done an excellent job creating a new-to-Colorado style whiskey. They are beginning to distribute, so as you find this bottle on your local store’s shelves, you absolutely need to pick one up.

Sláinte!