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As with most spirits, whiskey (spelt by the Irish with an ‘e’) began as a vile tasting medicine aimed at treating various ailments from indigestion to colds and fevers. Thankfully today, we enjoy a versatile and delicately balanced whiskey that is triple distilled with a nose that ranges from roasted almonds, dark chocolate, spice, and malt and hints of sweetness mingled with citrus, spice, cracked pepper, and dark fruit on the palette.
‘The Water of Life’ as it was first known has developed into a global phenomenon with over 25 nations producing their own version and doing a pretty good job at it. The global whiskey industry is said to be worth a whopping USD 83.28 billion with the Irish whiskey market valued at US$ 4.7 Billion in 2022. Irish whiskey is still considered one of the best alcoholic beverages in the world and is one of the world’s top five whisky-producing countries along with Scotland, The US, Canada, and Japan.
Despite its popularity, Irish whiskey is actually a very small category with a few distilleries in the country, but thanks to the craft boom that is beginning to change. There are more small Irish whiskey producers cropping up across the island, disrupting the centuries-old boys club and introducing some much-needed modern creativity.
The Pogues Irish Whiskey is one of these disruptors aimed at a younger audience of 25–35-year-olds that first launched onto the scene in 2015. A collaboration between Irish punk rock band The Pogues and legend whiskey distillers, Barry Walsh and Frank McHardy, the whiskey is a blend of 70%grain and 30% single malt.
Crafted in small batches and handmade in copper stills its produced by West Cork Distillers, one of only three independent whiskey distilleries in Ireland. It’s lauded as the only premium Irish spirit that celebrates the poetic rebelliousness of the Irish.
So invested are the band members, that they weighed in and approved everything, from the grain and cask selection to the blend and maturation time: the blended golden liquid is left to mature in an oak barrel for exactly three years and one day.
The final product is a versatile and delicately balanced whiskey with a nose of roasted almonds, dark chocolate, spice, and malt and hints of sweetness which mingles with citrus, spice, cracked pepper, and dark fruit on the palette.
The Pogues was first released in South Africa in 2016 and is distributed by Halewood South Africa. It was named the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Winner in 2018, 2019, and 2021 and and Irish Whiskey Masters Gold Winner in 2021.
Celebrate this World Whiskey Day with a glass or two of The Pogues on the rocks with a splash of ginger ale or as Frank McHardy enjoys it, neat with no ice so as not to dilute the flavour.
The Pogues Irish Whiskey is available at most leading liquor retailers and online at Takealot and Liquor Drop (www.liquordrop.co.za).
To find out more please go to Halewood South Africa https://halewood.co.za/the-pogues-irish-whiskey/