Powers Gold Label Review

Mar 18

Powers is one of the most storied names in Irish Whiskey, tracing a lineage back to 1791. It’s also an excellent expression of what a narrow “heart” cut can do for a whiskey.

When distilling, distillers make cuts around where the “good” distillate is. Heads are the first chemicals to evaporate, and you want to get rid of those - it contains, among other things, methanol, which is behind the all-too-true stereotype of moonshine making people go blind. These volatile compounds are almost entirely unusable, and are either discarded or sold off.

On the other side are the tails, heavier compounds that are the last to evaporate - fusel oils, fatty acids, and high-boiling-point chemicals that, while not as dangerous as the heads, can cause off flavors in a final product.

In between those two are the hearts. The hearts of a distillation run are the sweet spot, and vary by distillery and even by distiller within a distillery. If you imagine the entire distillate as a spectrum, let’s say from 1-10, count the heads as 1-2 and the tails as 9-10 (note: this isn’t for scale so don’t go complaining that my imaginary numbers are off).

That leaves 3-8 as the hearts. Within that range, there’s a lot of variation to be had. One distiller will focus on the higher ends while one might focus on the lower. It all depends on what characteristics they’re looking for.

Powers prides themselves on using the very core of these hearts, making progressively more select cuts to the heads and tails on each of the three distillations. What’s left is then aged in 2nd and 3rd fill American oak casks, meaning minimal cask influence - just enough to round out sharp edges and add some body, but not nearly enough to truly change the character of the whiskey within.

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey is all about the heart of the hearts - and they do exactly what they should with them: let them shine.

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Triple Distilled Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Origin: Midleton Distillery

Mashbill: Single Pot Still Whiskey

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Location: Ireland

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey Price: $32

Official Website

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Pale honey.

Nose: Sweet - cereal and grain, not quite fruity. There’s a savory, almost herbal quality (chicken soup comes to mind, which is a bit odd).

Palate: Tip of the tongue burn, but it’s slight. Deeper complexity opens on the palate - honey, dark fruits that grow as you sip. I liked this more and more as I drank it. The mouthfeel is coating and viscous without being overly filling, and the sweet herbal note develops more fully into fruity grain whiskey.

Finish: Medium-length, but very fruity all the way.

Overall: Liked this more and more with every sip. Nose aside, this ends up being incredibly fruity, with complexity building off of that. Much more than I expected from an entry-level blend, even one so clearly aiming for the heart of the whiskey. I’d be happy with a bottle of Powers Gold Label on my shelf.

Final Rating: 7.3

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)