A Drop of the Irish

By AMKrouse on March 17, 2016 • ( 1 Comment )

G-LO: So, Mr. Peabody, where we headed this evening? Is the Wayback Machine all fired up?

AK: Fired up, indeed, Seamus. The calendar tells me that it’s the day we’ll be celebrating that grand old Saint of ours, Patrick.

G-LO: Ah yes! Got your green beer on order?

AK: Order is placed with Guinness. The Dominos of Beer. Can you hold on a second?

G-LO: Holding…

AK: I’m back.

G-LO: That’s kinda rude. Having your back to the screen during a tasting. Where are your manners?

AK: It’s an old Irish tradition. Keeps away the evil spirits. But now it’s time for some good Irish spirits!

G-LO: It didn’t work. I’m still here. That being said, good Irish spirits always put me in good spirits.

AK: I love the Irish. This would be so much better if you could hear me, because I have a killer Irish accent.

G-LO: Don’t you mean an Oy-rish accent?

AK: I do, G-LO’Conner. I do. I’ve been to the Emerald Isle. Have you taken the trip?

G-LO: Sadly, I have not. My Father-In-Law has family there. Have met a few of them. Lovely people. Mostly cause they say “Lovely!” ALL THE TIME. And of course the South Philly boy that lurks deep in my soul thinks, “What the f#@$ is so f#@$ing lovely?”

AK: They do indeed. They do indeed. ‘Tis a lovely country, I must say.

G-LO: Is it as green as they say?

AK: Green as the day is long with rolling hills, mountains that reach the heavens and potholes everywhere.

G-LO: I have a soft spot for all things Irish. The beer. The drink. The music. The Beer. One of their novelists. Even their food to a degree. Did I say the Beer?

AK: You did. My dearest and I had a lovely time there a lifetime ago when this poor soul had a head of hair. We spent a week on a pub tour. The wife was in heaven since she loves a pint of the Guinness.

G-LO: I knew I liked your lady for a reason! She has good taste.

AK: She picked me. Duh!

G-LO: Duh is right. Were you a whisky aficionado in those days so long ago?

AK: Not in the least. Now being not fond of beer made me wonder, “What am I going to do in these pubs from Dublin to Galway?” And do you know what I came up with, Laddie?

G-LO: Lots of tea?

AK: Wrong, me boy, wrong. I chose whiskey. Now in those days, I didn’t know Irish whiskey from an Irish setter, but I was determined to have a different whiskey in every pub we went to.

G-LO: Fantastic! Good ole American sticktoitiveness, even if it kills you! That’s how World Wars are won!

AK: Sadly my quest only lasted a few days after I had Bushmills, Jameson, John Powers, et al. Every pub seemed to have the same few choices (shakes head sadly).

G-LO: That was then and this is now! Irish Whiskey has exploded on the scene in a very good way. Many more choices now.

AK: No doubt. The choices are endless. I think we have a good one tonight too. Tell the Kids in the Hall a little something about it.

G-LO: I stumbled upon this whisky (I had a few drinks in me) last June (or should I say Jewn?) during NYC Jewbilee 2015. Our dear friend Raj poured it for us. It’s from Blackadder. They call it “A Drop of the Irish“. It’s a cask strength, single barrel, no caramel colouring added, no chill filtration, 60.4% ABV bottle of Irish goodness. Limpd and I were beguiled by it. So much so that I pestered our dear friend Raj on a monthly basis to see when a new shipment was in.

AK: And I’m a lucky recipient of the McG-LO’Brian graciousness. May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint!

G-LO: Thanks, Carnac the Magnificent! Let’s just say that I owed you a bottle.

AK: I find it interesting that the Blackadder logo has a snake on it. Didn’t our dear St. Patrick rid the land of the serpents, or so the legend goes?

G-LO: That’s the legend. I always thought that snakes like warmer climates. Ireland ain’t known for being warm enough for cold blooded animals. Or maybe St. Patrick didn’t really chase them out at all. Maybe Ireland was more tropical back then and he just happened to show up during Global Climate Change, Phase 1. The Great Serpent Migration perhaps?

AK: Tall tales of the god-fearing folks make for a nice marketing campaign. Did you buy your green plastic hats yet?

G-LO: Of course. Got my hurling gear all ready too.

AK: No hurling! We just cleaned the carpets!

G-LO: Not that kind of hurling! It’s the national sport of Ireland. My favorite Irish author describes it as a cross between hockey and murder. No, not James Joyce. Ken F’in Bruen!

AK: ‘Tis a blood sport, it is. I do remember well that the championships were going on in Dublin when we were there. The painted game faces were everywhere! Joyce is an acquired taste.

G-LO: Never read any Joyce. Bruen is where it’s at. Funny. Heartbreaking. Violent. He’s from Galway. Wrote the Jack Taylor series and the Inspector Brant series. Though oddly enough, I don’t think he drinks.

AK: Never read Bruen. Joyce was a crazy man who didn’t like punctuation. My kind of guy.

G-LO: You like punctuation. Commas, colons (watch it!), semi-colons (I said watch it!), apostrophes, dashes, parentheses, etc. They’re all in your bag of tricks, baby! It’s the period that you have a problem with.

AK: Guilty, Your Honor. I’m going to acquire the smell of this pretty little dram, if you don’t mind.

G-LO: I do mind, but do it anyway. Bastard. FYI, Fifty Shades of Grey is on in the background. The guy playing Grey is Northern Irish. Pity the movie is dreadful. Gonna change the channel!

AK: Change that channel!

G-LO: Done! Entourage, The Movie! In the words of the great Ari Gold, “Let’s hug this dram out. Bitch!”. By the way, this whiskey is mighty pale. Just like a true Irishman! And look at those legs! Long and spindly!

AK: ‘Tis a pleasant soft aroma to go with its pale look. I love that! Oozing down the Cliffs of Moher. I’ve been slimed!

G-LO: Who ya gonna call?

AK: Raj!

G-LO: It is soft on the nose for sure. Definitely get those cereal grain notes people talk about. A touch grassy and herbally too.

AK: Lots of sheep on the Emerald Isle. They like grass.

G-LO: Ireland. Where the men are men, and the sheep are scared. I think I used that line before. They say the same about Scotland and New Zealand. Australia too. Know what I mean, Bruce? Would you quench a sheep’s thirst with a dram of this whiskey?

AK: More sheep than people in most of those places. Quenching shall commence!

G-LO: No more nosing? Put the beak away so the mouth can play?

AK: Oh, alright! The beak is going back in… Lemon, grass, but no lemongrass. Cinnamon, fresh orange zest, bit of petrol too.

G-LO: Green apple. Licorice. Got that lemon zest too! Boom! Done! Proceed to imbibing…

AK: Speaking of petrol! I love that oiliness.

G-LO: YES! That’s what sold me on this. The mouthfeel is tremendous!

AK: One of those you like to not swallow for a long time.

G-LO: The oiliness is like Calle Mayor right after the first few drops of rain.

Calle Mayor

AK: My newly licensed son will be drifting around the Calle bend on the way to 1st period Monday morning post-rainstorm.

G-LO: Think we can avoid a Speed Racer reference this time?

AK: It’s early. We’ll see. This is one of those Blackadders that I have to check the ABV on because it doesn’t taste as hot as the number.

G-LO: Did I mention that I LOVE the mouthfeel on this one? And speaking of heat, it definitely has some, but not of the 60.4% ABV variety.

AK: You’re repeating yourself, Pete, or is it Peat?

G-LO: Once again, I blame the whiskey.

AK: One of those sneaky whiskies that is too easy to drink. The sweetness on the back of my tongue is delectable.

G-LO: I find that this gets pretty hot if you let it rest on your tongue for awhile.

AK: Testing your theory, Professor.

G-LO: Oops! I drained my glass. Bad bad G-LO! Time for a refill. Glug glug glug…

AK: I got to eight “Killarneys” before I could take no more! Bad G-LO is my favorite St. Patrick’s Day movie.

G-LO: It’s a holiday classic. Not kid friendly though. Couldn’t get Billy Bob Thornton to play me. Claims that he didn’t want to be typecast.

AK: And he wanted points on the back end. No way, Slingblob.

G-LO: Ian Gomez did a good job of playing me.

AK: I have no idea what to say to that!

G-LO: You? Speechless? That’s a first! Yahtzee for me! I poured this for the Crafty Day Boys back in December. For whatever reason, they didn’t like it.

AK: Blasphemy!!! How can you not like this? May the devil cut their heads off and make a day’s work of their necks! Not harsh enough? Damn them. Me? I just love that clean sweet taste like a clean close shave.

G-LO: I concur 100%! Creamed corn with a kick?

AK: Great note! Buttery and creamy.

G-LO: Ever have that Irish moonshine?

AK: Poitin.

G-LO: Yes! Poitin.

AK: I had it a fine pub in Galway.

G-LO: Any good?

AK: I don’t recall it at all. It had just become legal again to bottle and sell or something about that time. I remember the pub well though. The interior all came from a church in Scotland.

G-LO: Fascinating! I bet it was quite the pub. By the way, I’m with ya on the finish with this one. If ever there was a crisp and clean finish on a whiskey, this is it!

AK: Beautiful place. Kind of modern with all the lighting. The wood fixtures from the church were beautiful. The Quays.

G-LO: Sounds familiar. Quays is pronounced keys? Am I right?

AK: Heck if I know. You’re confusing me with Colin Farrell and/or Maureen O’Hara.

G-LO: Badabing! Here’s how you say it…

AK: They have good pictures of the place on their website.

G-LO: When you get a chance, pick up a copy of The Guards by my boy Ken Bruen. He mentions The Quays. Takes place in Galway.

AK: I’ll check it out!

G-LO: I think it’s pretty obvious that we both enjoy A Drop of the Irish every now and again. Mostly now. I’m empty again. So I guess I’ll pour some more. AGAIN!

AK: Tá sé ina fuisce iontach, Padraig.

G-LO: Especially when it’s something that’s again-worthy.

AK: The finish is really nice too. Caramel or something.

G-LO: Nougat! That’s what I’m getting. Sugary. Vanilla.

AK: I remember being so comfortable in the pubs there. The three girls from Colorado that set the trip up gave us this list of things to know before going. One part was on bar talk. “Don’t talk about religion, politics or the Troubles.”

G-LO: Good move! And I don’t think you’re supposed to order a Black and Tan either.

AK: Don’t recall that. Watching the Guinness being poured on draft was amazing. Like a barista’s coffee art.

G-LO: The cascade of a Guinness is a site to behold! It’s the nitro that makes it so special. Like that Root Beer at Absolution Brewing.

AK: Yep. It’s amazing even from a non-beer guy.

G-LO: Final thoughts on this lovely Drop of the Irish?

AK: I love it. Really special. So clean and sweet. Perfect Irish whiskey to me.

G-LO: Totally agree. Not quite a Redbreast Cask Strength, but pretty darn close! Gonna be sad when this bottle is no more.

AK: Yep. Redbreast is totally different with all the sherry.

G-LO: Sherry, Baby! Love that too. Worth every penny!

AK: The Irish make fine whiskey. First to do it too!

G-LO: That’s the legend. Right up there with Leprechauns, Rainbows, and Pots of Gold at the end of them.

AK: What?! Now you’re gonna tell me the little guy on the box of Lucky Charms isn’t real. I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Wake me from this nightmare, Finnegan!