Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey

Mar 20

An Irish Whiskey from America? That’s not allowed, is it?

Well, it’s not from America and no, it’s not. Fighting 69th imports their whiskey from Ireland (source undisclosed, but probably Midleton if I had to guess) and comes with an undisclosed mashbill clearly including malted barley…but of what percentage is anyone’s guess.

In this case, as in so many others, the story comes before the whiskey. The Fighting 69th is a regiment originally formed in 1849 as an Irish militia in New York. If you want to think about how Irish this militia really was, turns out it wasn’t an official military unit at all until the Civil War - it was meant to train young Irishmen for an eventual return to Ireland and subsequent fight against the British.

When war broke out, though, those men were ready to serve on the Union side, and serve they did. It was Robert E. Lee who christened them the “Fighting 69th” after they helped rout Lee’s army near Malvern Hill (close to Richmond, VA, the Confederate capital). They were fierce enough to turn back the Louisiana Tigers. The 69th continued earning accolade after accolade from both sides, fighting in nearly every major conflict of the war - Antietam, Fredericksburg (where they lost literally half their men), Gettysburg (after which only 60 remained), and Appomattox.

I’ll give the short version of the rest here: the Fighting 69th continued to distinguish themselves in every major war (5) and campaign (23!) America has been in since the Civil War. Their website has a first-class history page that is worth a read for anyone interested in military history, whiskey history, or both.

Fast forward to 2016: Col. James Tierney, Honorary Colonel of the Regiment and Trustee of the Sixty-Ninth Infantry Regiment Historical Trust, finally found a whiskey worthy of the Fighting 69th. From their site:

Today, one dollar of every bottle sold goes to support the Sixty-Ninth Infantry Regiment Historical Trust, a 501-c-3 not-for-profit foundation created to preserve the history and traditions of the Regiment, and provide financial and other assistance to unit members, veterans, and/or their families.

This is a whiskey with a story and a story with a whiskey. Fun fact: the regimental staffs of the regiment are authorized to be a full foot longer than regulation to accommodate recognition of every campaign of which they’ve been a part.

Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Origin: Undisclosed

Mashbill: Malted Barley and Barley, Percentages Undisclosed

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 3+ Years, plus finishing in varied casks (all aging done in Ireland)

Location: Ireland

Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey Price: $38

Official Website

Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Pale yellow. No rims, droplets all over the glass.

Nose: Tight, grainy at first. Opens up to apples and apricots. White grapes, white wine tartness, no proof heat.

Palate: First thing I notice is how smooth it is. Grain-forward, fruity like a typical Irish. Fruit builds towards the end of each sip. Textured mouthfeel, with lemon sherbet notes building on a creamy base of grain and oak. Moderately filling.

Finish: Short, but lots of stone fruit and lemon sherbet candies.

Overall: An interesting and new Irish Whiskey. Is it the best you’ll ever have? No, but there is a sense while drinking it that the dram means more than just another pour. The lemony, grainy palate is delicious, and even at a relatively young age it’s already showing promise. Can’t wait to see if they end up putting this out at a higher proof or a higher age someday.

Final Rating: 7.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)