The toast of Ireland : Slane Irish Whiskey
Tucked away in the Boyne Valley of County Meath in Ireland, you’ll find an oh so casual castle from the 18th century. Slane Castle was built by the Conyngham’s – a noble family originally from Scotland – and spent most of the last 300 years as a private estate. However, in the last few decades the castle has become known as a music venue for acts like Queen, David Bowie, Guns ‘N Roses, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Madonna. Just to name a few. And while the castle might be a tough act to follow, a new distillery down the road has been stealing the spotlight.
The Slane Distillery was founded by Brown-Forman back in 2015. This marked a big moment for Brown-Forman who is certainly no stranger to whiskey. The company has nailed down Tennessee whiskey, Bourbon, Rye whiskey, and Scotch with brands like Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Coopers’ Craft, Benriach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh, but had yet to plant a flag on the Emerald Isle. Enter: Slane Distillery.
The Irish whiskey industry itself had long been stagnated with only four distilleries holding down the whiskey fort. Although, in the last few years the category has undergone an “Irish Whiskey Renaissance” with the number of distilleries exploding to 45 – Slane included. For some, the influx of cash and resources into the industry from giants like Brown-Forman is a great thing. For others, the invasion from non-Irish companies is not as welcomed. Either way, the Slane Distillery is certainly here to stay with its flagship Slane Irish Whiskey Triple Casked.
Slane Triple Casked is a blended Irish whiskey that, as the name clearly implies, is aged in three separate casks. The first is a virgin oak cask (similar to the requirement for bourbon) and then followed by a seasoned cask, which was previously used for Tennessee whiskey or bourbon. Now considering that Slane is owned by Brown-Forman, we’re guessing those casks are left over from Jack Daniel’s, Woodford, Old Forester, or Coopers’ Craft, specifically. The final round is in casks that were used for oloroso sherry – a fortified wine from Spain that’s known for giving whiskey a sweet, fruity, and dry spicy flavor boost. The only missing detail from that triple cask process is how long exactly the whiskey spends in each or any for that matter.
All together, the three casks create a pretty interesting whiskey. The nose is stuffed with stone fruits, caramel, butterscotch, and baking spices like allspice and ginger. The taste itself is smooth and light with more intense caramel and sugar flavors that gives way to a subtle, spicy, smokey finish that’s reminiscent of Scotch with a touch of candied fruit flavors. Slane is a very approachable and easy to drink whiskey that carries the signature “light and sweet” profile of Irish whiskey. However, Slane has a bit more punch than ultra-light competitors like Roe & Co. Plus the incredibly affordable $35 price tag ain’t too shabby either.
Slane Triple Casked Irish Whiskey is a nice introduction to Irish whiskey and a solid Irish debut for Brown-Forman. Grab a glass and say, “Sláinte” to Slane.
STATS: Slane Irish Whiskey
- Price for us: $35 for 750 mL
- Proof: 80
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: Slane Distillery, owned by Brown-Forman
- Recommendation: Neat
