The Liberator Irish Malt Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port
The Liberator Irish Whiskey celebrates two cornerstones of Ireland: Daniel O’Connell, known as “The Liberator,” and whiskey blending.
Daniel O’Connell is a legendary figure on the Emerald Isle, with possibly more streets, areas, parks, and such named for him than any other single figure. Central to the Catholic Emancipation, he was also an abolitionist and friend of Frederick Douglass and an aristocratic champion of the poor, particularly those in Ireland made more destitute due to draconian English law.
His descendent, Sir Maurice O’Connell, still lives on the same land Daniel did, as did the O’Connells and McCarthys (Maurice’s other family lineage) for nearly 900 years. The land is some of the most stunning in Ireland, sitting in the Ring of Killarney and the Hills of Kerry, with four seasons an hour. The family - alternatively rebellious and representative - had dabbled in importing fortified wine from Portugal and running whiskey across the borders and around the shoreline for hundreds of years before going legitimate in 1820.
Maurice is, of his own admission, fairly new to whiskey. He enjoyed Redbreast 27 (when one could find it) and Bushmill’s Steamship. Despite the vast history of both of his families and the unparalleled continuous land ownership, no recent family members had had anything to do with whiskey. As was the case with nearly all Irish whiskey, the consolidation to Irish Distillers at Midleton and Bushmill’s in Northern Ireland wiped out any extant whiskey-making in and around the area.
For Maurice, it was Dingle Distillery that proved small-scale distilling was possible in Ireland once again (and within a short drive’s distance, no less). Dingle, though, was a distillery as well as a blending house. Wayward Irish Spirits - named for the epithet Prime Minister Robert Peel threw at Daniel O’Connell, that “wayward Irishman” - has plans to be a distillery one day, but not quite yet.
For now, they are content to make some of the best new Irish whiskey I’ve tried in recent years.
Irish whiskey is, traditionally, defined by its style. Single Pot Still is the most famous, requiring a minimum of 30% malted barley and 30% unmalted barley, with up to 5% other grains allowed. Triple distillation is common, leading to a lighter spirit (think Jameson). In designing the whiskey he wanted to produce, Maurice casted a wider net. He knew he’d have to source to start, and so set out to many of the newer distilleries of all sizes, from Dingle to Cooley to Great Northern, eventually finding seven distilleries which would allow him to use their spirit.
This product, an Irish Malt Whiskey, is all malt. The mouthfeel is the first giveaway, much heavier than a “typical” Irish whiskey and closer to a Waterford-style single malt whiskey. For Maurice, the whiskey itself wasn’t enough - he wanted to add something that fit his family’s history. Enter Port. The O’Connell’s had, since the 1400s, imported large amounts of Port wine from Portugal for the local gentry. In an interesting coincidence, Maurice’s wife’s family came from the other side of that transaction, and family connections remain in the Port-producing areas.
The Port casks, once emptied, are brought to Wayward in less than three week’s time. They are thus a significantly wet fill, leading to increased color transference and quick impartation of flavor. Port casks are used three times at Wayward, at increasingly long periods commensurate with declining influence after each fill. The result is a port influence that is anything but fleeting. The whiskey is set in a bed of red berries and cooked jam, with both flavors complementing the other.
Depending on the batch (batch 5 is the one destined for the US), The Liberator can contain between 3-7 distilleries’ spirit and include whiskey from Cooley up to 16 years old. The final product is slow-proofed, preserving an incredible mouthfeel with elements of port and malt whiskey melding together.
Want a TL;DR of this? The Liberator is one of the best new Irish whiskies I’ve had this year and in several years. The balance of port and whiskey is near perfect and the price is nothing to sneeze at. I look forward to trying more Wayward Irish Spirits products - this one is an immediate candidate for Best First Release and for Best Irish Whiskey in 2023.
Thank you to Wayward Irish Spirits for providing this bottle free of charge. All opinions and notes are my own.
The Liberator Irish Malt Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port: Specs
Classification: Irish Malt Whiskey
Producer: Wayward Irish Spirits
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: 5+ Years Old
Location: Ireland
The Liberator Irish Malt Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port Price: $94.99
The Liberator Irish Malt Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port: Tasting Notes
Eye: Fossilized amber. Thin rims and tiny droplets.
Nose: Plenty of port on the nose, sweetness approaching a PX with fresher red fruits and berries, raspberry and strawberry in particular. The malt underneath is pleasantly strong and never lost under the port. Intriguing notes of preserved lemons, dark chocolate, and pomegranate.
Palate: Whiskey and port hit at once, dark chocolate and red berries (think those Brookside chocolates with pomegranate or goji berries). Moderately oaky palate adds body without drying out the tongue. Creamy and malty, a heavier-than-usual Irish blend that leans into the cocoa and the oilier profile. Coating, medium-bodied with a light oak burn on the front half of my tongue. Candy lemon slices you get around Easter/Passover that have no lemon in them but are still delicious.
Finish: Rolls to the back of my tongue as I chew, the hot cocoa gaining some bitterness and creaminess like you mixed the whipped cream into it. Medium length, malt prevailing eventually over the port but without vanquishing it from the palate.
Overall: Fantastic. I love the strength of the malt and the matching port. Finished for just the right amount of time and with the care taken to use multiple port barrelings to get the ideal profile. Heavier style of Irish whiskey is one that I love.
Final Rating: 8.0
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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