Blog about 3 new expressions from Irish Hinch Whiskey - Blog post by Jan Autzen Laursen

Post by Jan Autzen Laursen

I do enjoy whiskey from Ireland now and then, where my favourite bottle probably comes from the Connemara distillery, which makes some rather exquisite whiskeys. Otherwise everyone knows the classic Irish names: Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Bushmills, Kilbeggan, and I could keep going. There are an enormous number of Irish distilleries, and I do think they are coming forward more and more with things that can be genuinely interesting to stick your nose into. Here it is 3 different bottlings from Hinch's limited editions that I have the pleasure of tasting.

Hinch Craft & Cask Imperial Stout Finish Batch Two 46.4%
The first one to slide across the palate actually has a rather anonymous nose. You find plenty of whiskeys that reliably deliver the classic vanilla notes on the nose. This Hinch is no exception, and quite anonymously it slowly tries to give a little of itself in the aroma.

The palate is what I am more surprised by. Good citrus notes, dark chocolate, a sweetness that is slightly coffee-like tingling out there on the tongue. I have tasted stout bottlings that felt more powerful than this one, so I am not exactly blown away. The Whistler's Stout is a more powerful whiskey, so here I think Hinch falls a little short on the wow effect. It is extremely pleasant to drink and quite fine and warm afterwards. The 46.4% is well balanced.

Hinch 5 years Madeira Wine Cask Finish 46%
The Madeira bottling is an entirely different matter. It first spent its young years in ex-bourbon barrels before a 6-month finish in Madeira casks. The nose is fruity with plum, vanilla and sweet caramel. The palate itself is rather lovely. Here you taste a sweet bourbon cask with good fruity notes and a lovely milk chocolate that settles at the back of the tongue. The Madeira cask touches everything just right, and whether it should have had longer in Madeira is hard to say, though I think the balance here is well judged. A lovely whiskey that is simply enjoyable and lingers a long time in the finish.

Hinch 15 years Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Batch 1 46%
The oloroso sherry whiskey is one you expect an enormous amount from. Oloroso is probably the most used cask of all, everyone knows it, and I rarely hear anyone say they cannot enjoy a whiskey from it.

If you enjoy oloroso-matured whiskey you know exactly what hits you on the nose here. The nose is full of sweetness and power, dried fruit, nuts, spice. The palate is rather lovely, and this balance between the sherry cask and the ex-bourbon cask, spiced with a 2008 grain whiskey that also comes into play, makes this whiskey lovely and rather special to drink as far as I am concerned. That it has been left to mature for 15 years is simply a bonus, because the complexity in this whiskey is something you just want a great deal more of.

The finish is long and lovely and you can sit chewing on it for a good while before you need to fill the palate again.

Conclusion
Meeting Hinch has been more or less what I expected. A whiskey without an age statement that simply comes across as rather anonymous, through to a 15 year old that practically makes the palate sing. That is probably how it should be with a whiskey brand: something everyone can enjoy plus different expressions from different casks. I am a big fan of the 15 year old, and that is not to be a snob about age, but this bottling is simply lovely, no doubt about it.

It will be interesting to see what else Hinch can come up with. I know they have a peated one that I will be keeping an eye on.
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