Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey
Fans of Irish whiskey will no doubt have heard of Brian Nation. Formerly of Irish Distillers - maker’s of 90% of Irish whiskey, including Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton, Powers, and more - Brian is already a legend in the Irish whiskey world with seven years as Master Distiller under his belt.
David Perkins, Brian’s Liquid Collaborator and Advisor, will also be well known to American whiskey drinkers. David founded High West Whiskey in Utah and led their growth all the way to 2016 when Constellation bought the brand. During this time, David gained a well-earned reputation for experimenting with blending, finishing, and sourcing to find the best combinations.
David and High West was particularly known for their rye, which I was surprised to learn was inspired by a conversation with Jim Rutledge. Rutledge, then at Four Roses, was the one to suggest David look into rye as High West’s primary focus, odd considering Four Roses (still) hasn’t produced a rye since the 1940s. You can hear more about that story in my Whiskey Ring Podcast episode with David about Keeper’s Heart.
Keeper’s Heart, though, was the brainchild of the O’Shaughnessey family (which, if you couldn’t tell, has Irish ancestry). In fact, they approached David as long as a decade ago about the idea, but at the time he politely declined because of High West’s ascendance. Eight years after that, with Brian on board, David was ready to take the leap.
And thus, a blend of Irish pot still, Irish grain, and American rye whiskey was born.
According to Brian, the team went through between 120-140 blends before arriving at the desired profile. David, for his part, came on a little later and says he tasted through around 40 of those.
The givens were Irish pot still from Great Northern Distillery - courtesy of Brian’s connections - and Rye from MGP via David’s long-standing connections sourcing from there. The blends being made were good, but apparently there was something missing. In the meantime, Brian had been convinced to move to Minneapolis from his beloved Emerald Isle, and David was brought on.
So, how to identify what was missing? It took a 30,000 foot view to find out, and the answer was a canvas. The Irish pot still and the MGP rye were like bright-colored paints, beautiful flavors in their own right; sometimes, though, bright colors need something neutral to truly shine.
That canvas was a 95% corn, 5% malted barley Irish grain whiskey. Now, Keeper’s Heart is completely open about their sources, and that grain whiskey also comes from Great Northern in Ireland. The only thing kept secret is the exact ratios. The grain whiskey wasn’t overly flavorful on its own, at least compared to its two compatriots, but it was oily and gave a great, corny mouthfeel to carry the Irish pot still and MGP rye to a new level.
For me, it also allows an 86 proof whiskey to unlock another achievement: it has American whiskey in it and stands up well even at a lower proof. The classic Irish notes of orchard fruits, lemon zest, and a bit of pot still spice play wonderfully with the American rye’s herbaceous spice with dark chocolate entering the picture late. The entire palate coalesces into a lemon custard with some candied herb dusting, and I found myself not missing the proof at all.
Perhaps it took 140 blends to get there, plus adding in David Perkins’ skills and a corn/grain whiskey, but the wait was worth it. This is an excellent whiskey that I highly recommend…and, at the price point, is simply unbeatable.
Thank you to Keeper’s Heart and Curich|Weiss for providing this bottle for review purposes without restriction.
Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Blend of Irish Pot Still, Irish Grain, and American Rye Whiskey
Origin: Great Northern Distillery and MGP
Mashbill: Undisclosed Proportions of Irish Pot Still (100% Barley, Undisclosed Proportions of Malted/Unmalted), Irish Grain (95% Corn, 5% Malted Barley), and 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley from MGP
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: 4+ Years
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey Price: $34.99
Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Pale apple juice. Thick, sloughing rims and large but quick drops.
Nose: Strong golden apple and orchard scents. Thick nose. Bright candied lemon zest and classic Irish whiskey notes. Soda bread with raisins and salted butter. Pears join the apples, both with their skins on.
Palate: The pear moves forward, fresh off the tree with a textured brown skin. The rye is warm behind the Irish whiskey, not at all too spicy and adding more tangy soda bread flavors. Mouthfeel gets into the corners of my mouth and the roof, too. Heft above its proof. Oily, lightly peppered, ex-bourbon cask coming out in spades with pears still the star.
Finish: Medium-length, dark chocolate emerging around the pear and golden apples. Beautiful lemon custard in a slightly savory, herbed dessert.
Overall: Wow - that’s new and delicious. It’s fresh and orchard fruit-forward, with warm rye spice and a beautiful lemon custard developing throughout the pour. Irish and rye together are a win in my book. And I don’t miss the proof at all.
Final Rating: 7.7
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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