Something a little different today from Talking Bourbon. We are tasting Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon Whiskey. That’s right, a blend of Irish pot still whiskey, grain whiskey, and Bourbon. While a big fan of Irish whiskey, and of course Bourbon, not sure how this sounds.
We didn’t even realize it was a mixture when we ordered it. We were in a private club in downtown Indianapolis when we noticed the bottle. Neither one noticed the small + sign so we just saw Irish Bourbon and thought we would give it a try.
Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon Whiskey sells for around $35 for the 750ml, is bottled at 92 proof, comes in a cool, elegant, corked bottle, and is available at most nicer liquor stores. They state on their website that it is aged for over 4 years. The Irish whiskey is malted and unmalted barley, the grain whiskey is maize and malt and the Bourbon is 75% corn, and 21% rye.
Interestingly, the whole thing, including the Irish whiskey, is made in Minnesota. We always thought to be called Irish whiskey it had to be made in Ireland. In fact, we found this on the web :
These regulations are provided for by the Irish Whiskey Association, Drinks Ireland, and are guided by the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980. These strict regulations are:
“LOCATION The whiskey must be produced and reach maturity in a distillery located within the island of Ireland, consisting of both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
Oh well, let’s get drinking, erm, we mean tasting.
NOSE
Todd: The stronger aromas include honey, malt, toast, and brown sugar. Lighter scents are oak, leather, and caramel. Very bourbon-like if not for the strong malt which makes one think of the Irish whiskey.
Matt: Oh yeah, definitely smell the malt, along with rye and toffee. Coming in behind those are peat, cedar, and some kind of nut. I like it.
TASTE
Todd: Taste a lot like Irish whiskey, getting the malt and peat upfront. Also, get a pretty strong rye and date taste. A little less prominent are clove, grain, and a general sweetness.
Matt: I also get the malt/peat thing with an earthiness that I am into. Also, a strong taste of wood and toast. Lesser flavors include oak, cherries, butterscotch, and a very slight floral taste.
FINISH
Todd: Long with more of the sweetness and grain.
Matt: Medium long with a slight mustiness.
OVERALL
Todd: While not bad, it isn’t really my thing. If I am in the mood for Bourbon, I don’t want to taste Irish whiskey and vice versa.
Matt: I enjoyed it, I like earthy, so it had a good flavor to me. The nose was very complex, the taste not quite as much. Also, very smooth.
Nose 4.75 out of 5
Taste 7.5 out of 10
Finish 4 out of 5
Total score 16.25 out of 20 barrels
While we disagreed a little on this bottle, if you are a fan of Bourbon and a fan of Irish whiskey, we recommend giving it a try. You might enjoy the mingling of the two. It was smooth and had a unique taste.
While we always taste things neat, and then with a little ice, in this case, the ice didn’t have a lot of effect. Since we are also cocktail drinkers, go figure, we had a hard time thinking of a drink that this would be good in. Maybe you can, let us know.