“No
Need To Hyde This Whiskey”
Country: Ireland
Type: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 46%
Sample provided by: Hibernia Distillers, Ireland. Many Thanks!
Sample provided by: Hibernia Distillers, Ireland. Many Thanks!
Colour: Golden Amber
Nose: Please give this Hyde 10 Years sufficient air contact before Nosing to enable it to release its Aromas. It doesn't smell as clean as your average Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey but also not quite as complex and balanced as your average 10-12 Year old Standard Scottish Highland Single Malt. The First Fill American Oak is quite noticeable and remind me a bit of some German, Dutch and Swiss Whiskies I have nosed over the years. The Sherry Cask influence is there but it certainly does not dominate the Spirit. On the Nose, the Hyde 10 Years is mostly Sweet and Fruity but I detect some Sour accents as well. I find assorted Fruit Candies (Peach, Nectarine, Orange, Grapes, Banana, Orchard Fruit), Heather-Honey, Floral Perfume, Grass, Yeast, Buttered Croissant, Vanilla, Wood Shavings, Varnish, light Barley, Ginger Ale and hints of Dairy, Dusty Road and Fresh Mint.
Palate: Sweet at first but a little Edgy and Bitter later on. Again, the First Fill American Oak shows its presence. The Alcohol is a bit on the Strong side as well. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Butter Biscuits, Nectarine, Apricot, Orange, Banana, Grapes, Floral (Honey) notes, Pepper, Ginger and Nutmeg.
Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet and a little Hot at first. In the end a light Dry Bitterness pops up. I find Toasted New Oak, Toasted Grain, Ginger-Bread, Toffee, Vanilla, Orange, Nectarine, light Menthol, Licorice, Pepper, Salt and a hint of Dark Chocolate.
I added a bit of Water and on the Nose the Fruity notes are reinforced. I find some additional Sweet Red Apple. The Barley is more noticeable as well. Palate and Finish do not benefit from the added Water however.
Rating: 81.5
Rating: 81.5
Nose: 20.5 – Taste: 20 – Finish: 20.5 – Overall: 20.5
General Remarks: Hibernia Distillers Ltd was founded in March 2014 by the current managers Conor and Alan Hyde. The Head Office is located in Cork. In early 2015 they released the Hyde 10 Years Presidential Cask, paying homage to Ireland's first president Douglas Hyde (1938-1945).This Irish Single Malt was double-distilled in Copper Pot Stills, using 100% Malted Irish Barley. It matured for around 10 Years in Flame-Charred First Fill Ex-Bourbon casks before being finished for around 6 months in First Fill Ex-Oloroso casks from Southern Spain. It's a limited edition with 5000 bottles only. In the meantime Batch # 2 has been released as well. It's also a 10 Year old Single Malt Whiskey, this time with an Ex-Dark Caribbean Rum cask Finish. Both expressions are not Chill-Filtered.
As Hibernia Distillers was only founded in early 2014, they will only be able to present their own Whiskey in 3-5 years. The Spirit used for the Hyde Batch # 1 and 2 was purchased from the Cooley Distillery. The Sherry Finishing was done by Hibernia. The Hyde 10 Years Sherry Finish is not cheap at an average 60 US Dollars (January 2016).
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: The Hyde 10 Years is an interesting Whisky without any doubt. It's certainly not as Irish as many of the Irish Whiskies I have tasted so far and it's also different from Scottish and West European Whiskies. It is a combination of all of those really. It's not a very complicated Single Malt though and Sweet Fruit Candies, Virgin Oak and Floral - and Pastry notes are the main drivers. As such I find the price a bit stiff. Still, it's a good enough first effort from a brand new company. "No Need to Hyde this Whiskey". I wish Hibernia Distillers all the best for the future and look forward to their first "own" expressions in the years to come. It's good to see Ireland exploring new Whiskey roads!
Jan van den Ende January 21, 2016
