Slane Irish Whiskey Review

Mar 16

As whiskey around the world has exploded, so has the Irish Whiskey scene. Unlike most whiskies that surround it, though, Slane is no servant to its past. In fact, they seem to love pointing out how new and ‘innovative’ they are. Their major differentiator is the use of multiple casks to age their malt and grain whiskies, and under the umbrella of Brown-Forman one can’t be surprised at that.

Born from the Conyngham family of Slane Castle, Slane Irish Whiskey is a pretty new entrant to the category. With a striking black bottle and cream-and-red labeling, it’s eye-catching and sets itself apart from the ubiquitous green of the Irish Whiskey aisle.

But, as I’ve said before, opaque bottles rankle my inner skeptic. Especially at this price point, it’s not a special bottling or something that requires extra packaging efforts. A clear bottle works for a reason.

In this case, though, I can’t argue against Slane’s choice: by not being another green label on the shelf, it will stand out to a consumer interested in trying something new. Best of all, it’s not just the looks, but what’s inside: something delicious and, most importantly, different.

Irish Whiskey can tend to be, well, pretty uniform. There used to be dozens, if not hundreds, of Irish distilleries. Like the rest of the world’s whiskey industry, Ireland was hit hard by US Prohibition and didn’t recover well. Nearly all of the distilleries in Ireland went out of business between the start of Prohibition and the 60s/70s, at which point only three remained: Bushmills in Northern Ireland, and Cooley and Midleton Distilleries in the Republic of Ireland.

While brand diversity continued - Jameson, Midleton, Powers, Tullamore D.E.W., Redbreast, Red Spot, and more remained in production - they were all produced at one place: the Midleton distillery. For decades, all manner of Irish Whiskey, no matter how diverse, came from just these three places (Cooley produced Tyrconnell, Connemara, and Kilbeggan). Not until 2007, when Kilbeggan re-opened their doors at their own distillery, did the de-consolidation of Irish Whiskey begin.

When Slane began producing in 2015, numerous brands - new and revived - had either been launched or had branched out from what existed only a decade prior. Being under the Brown-Forman aegis, Slane had an advantage: casks. Brown-Forman is one of the few “big-boys” of whiskey with their own cooperages, and Slane uses them to full effect.

By blending malt and grain whiskies aged in virgin oak, seasoned Tennessee oak (read: ex-Jack Daniels), and Oloroso Sherry casks, Slane’s signature triple-cask method brings a wide array of both traditional and innovative flavors to Irish Whiskey, and sometimes that’s all it takes. Slane Irish Whiskey doesn’t need to be the most expensive - it just needs to be different, and it is.

Slane Irish Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Triple Distilled Irish Blended Whiskey

Origin: Slane Distillery

Mashbill: Blend of Malt Whiskey, Grain Whiskey, and Pot Still Whiskey

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Location: Ireland

Slane Irish Whiskey Price: $32

Official Website

Slane Irish Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Coppered gold, thin rims and thin-to-moderate legs.

Nose: Definite sherry backbone, raisiny sweetness. Sherried Scotch, particularly Speyside-style, comes to mind. Vanilla opens from the virgin oak.

Palate: Dark spice hits the tip of my tongue followed by a full mouthfeel of vanilla, oak, malt, and honey. Some dark fruit on the back end. Really quite delicious, if atypical for Irish Whiskey flavor-wise. Mouthfeel also manages to be coating without being heavy.

Finish: Medium-length, sherry richness and nuttiness linger.

Overall: Definitely an intriguing bottle. Slane Irish Whiskey is identifiably Irish, but also different enough to set itself apart. For around $30, I think this is a steal.

Final Rating: 7.6

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)