Once a year Talnua Distillery in Arvada releases the Olde Saint’s Keep, a special release for St. Patrick’s Day. A Single Pot Still whiskey of 50% Malted and 50% Unmalted Barley, the Olde Saint’s once again captures the essence of an Irish whiskey to the core, while coming out of the heart of the state I love being able to call home.
Mashbill:
Barley
50% Malted/50% Un-Malted
Age:
At least 3 years old, spending time in former Bourbon and Port Casks then Merged and finished in Pineau des Charantes casks from France.
Proof:
100 Proof (50% Abv)
In the Glass:
Color:
Deep Brown/Golden, almost Bronze but without the red.
Without Water:
Nose:
Dried orange peel, citrus oil, and sweet creamy notes all jump right out immediately. The nose has an almost thick quality to it, like you can smell the full bodied-ness of the sip. There are some notes of sweet, bright, ripe red fruit.
Palate:
Thick and creamy mouthfeel, just like the nose predicted. Sweetness right up, creamy berry pie. Moves into a drier mid palate of pipe tobacco (no smokey notes I could taste) and leather. Very oily and thick, but not chewy and still easy drinking.
Finish:
Dry tannins and leather with more of the tobacco notes that hangs around for a LONG time. There are some spicy pepper notes, cracked black and white pepper. Lots of tannins and wood on the back end of this.
With Water:
Nose:
A more candied citrus nose comes out, still with some of the ripe red berries and even a little bit of cinnamon/all spice. All sweet notes you would expect in a dessert shop that does candies and baked goods.
Palate:
An explosion of candied oranges up front, compared to the sip without water. Somehow maintains all of the oily characteristics and thick mouthfeel. The mid palate is full of dry spices and leather.
Finish:
Much more cracked white pepper on the finish, still very long and tannic. Lot’s of dry wood, tobacco and leather.
Final Thoughts:
Earlier this year, I poured my last pour of the 2020 Olde Saint’s Keep, and it was a sad moment as I knew that was the end of a special bottle. I still have some of the 2021 thankfully, and the 2022 continues the trend. Talnua raises the bar for whiskey production in my opinion, taking the long standing tradition of Irish Whiskey and continuing it here in Colorado. The contrast of the 2022 OSK is almost unbelievable, but it goes together perfectly. Sweet to dry, citrus and candy to spice and leather. This feels like a good spot for a Thanos perfectly balanced meme.
Faugh a ballagh. This is Taluna’s motto meaning Clear the Way. Clear the way for new Single Pot Still whiskies, and I think Talnua’s motto can be the motto for Colorado as the states whiskey continues to burst onto the scene.
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