Whiskey of The Month #3: Michael Collins, Single Malt

We're taking a dip into the pond that is Irish Whiskey this month with a dram of the Michael Collins single malt, which was a gift for Father Cigar some months ago. The Irish Single Malt/Single Pot brands are increasing in quantity and quality- you're seeing more and more of them in the market and there's a reason for that: they're actually pretty tasty.

Once you get outside the old standbys like Jameson, there's not quite the fertile territory out there to explore. While Scotland has 90 distilleries, Ireland only has four- though each produce multiple whiskies: New Middleton, Old Bushmills, Cooley and Kilbeggan.

So what makes an Irish whiskey an Irish whiskey? Well, part of the joy of the world of whiskeys and bourbons, ryes and sour mashes is that every country tends to have their own definition on what qualifies and what doesn't. In this case, Ireland keeps it simple with four main rules (courtesy of Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge):

Irish whiskey must be distilled and aged in the island of Ireland

The contained spirits must be distilled to an alcohol by volume level of less than 94.8% from a yeast-fermented mash of cereal grains (saccharified by the diastase of malt contained therein, with or without other natural diastases) in such a way that the distillate has an aroma and flavour derived from the materials used.

The product must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks.

If the spirits comprise a blend of two or more such distillates, the product is referred to as a "blended" Irish whiskey.

Manufactured by the Cooley Distillery in County Louth, Michael Collins is, of course, named after this guy- one of the most compelling and interesting figures of the 20th Century. (If you want to get your knowledge on, check this out.)

But enough of that... on to business:

Color: Amber

Body: Light- smooth but not in a syrupy kind of way- it's light enough that I'd almost say it was watery but not at all in a bad way.

Palate: Notes of honey with just a tingle of vanillia or possibly caramel/toffee that hides the underlying smokiness of it very well.

Finish: Pleasantly warming- the smokiness doesn't burn going down.

Overall: Whiskey Review scores this one at a 91 and I'd agree with that assessment wholeheartedly. The smoke in this is light and delicate and is actually enjoyable going down and the flavor is excellent. The notes of honey combined with what I'd say to be vanilla and caramel/toffee (the review mentions butterscotch- which I'd agree with) for a very pleasant experience. My first Irish Single Malt was an excellent one... I'd say **** out of ****.