Powers & Sons 12 year old "John's Lane" Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (750ml)

Wow! Could this be the greatest comeback since Rocky climbed back in the ring and showed the young upstarts who was the boss? It's taken Irish Distillers a long time to respond to the pounding it's taken from Cooley but it's back in the ring with two wonderful pot still whiskeys. This is the better of the two, a whopping oily, woody package of classic pot still Irishness. The green fruits tumble over tannin and spice like frisky puppies. (Vol. 20, #3)

A dark, moody, almost Scotch-like take on Irish whiskey. The concentrated aroma suggests caramel and vanilla. Meanwhile, the velvety palate starts at caramel but quickly deepens to dark chocolate, molasses and coconut, teased at the edges by campfire smoke and mint, finishing with anise and black pepper heat. Think of s'mores held a little too long at the fire and you get the idea. (KN) (3/2017)

This is now the third single pot still whiskey in the U.S. from Midleton, following the Redbreast portfolio and the Midleton Barry Crockett. This is basically an all-pot still version of the normal Powers 12 (normally Irish whiskies are blends), but it's entirely different in flavor profile. Where the normal 12 is round, fruity, and soft, this John's Lane is earthier with leather and tobacco underneath the round vanilla. There's toasted oak and dark chocolate as well on the finish. Quite delicious. 92 points Beverage Testing Institute: "Golden amber color. Fruity aromas of ripe peach, pastry crust, and saffron with a round, lively, fruity medium body and a warming, layered, medium-long glazed apple fritter, shortbread, tangerine marmalade, butter, black tea, leather, and melon finish. A vibrant Single Pot Still Whiskey with a joyful vibe and rich, concentrated layers of fruity flavors; serious but never stuffy. *Gold Medal, Exceptional*" (07/2019)