Powers Gold Label – A measure of history and excellence.
POWERS GOLD LABEL is one of my favourite whiskeys, you’ll find it most good Irish pubs and it’s great value. Cut from the heart of the distillate it’s a blend of 70% Single Post Still Irish Whiskey and sweet Grain Whiskey. A tight cut means more top and tail gets thrown away than any other Irish whiskey. Powers Gold label Whiskey is then left to mature in selected American oak casks, this is where the spicy, bold character takes hold.
The Powers Gold & Red “P” has always been a symbol of quality. When Alfred Barnard, took a stroll around the Island visiting a vast array of distillery’s, he decided to visit John’s Lane. He marveled at the size, scale and industrial prowess. He noted the elegance and cleanliness of the buildings, and the modernity of the distillery, describing it as “about as complete a work as it is possible to find anywhere”. The distillery was home to five pot stills at the time of his visit in the late 1880s. Two of these Pot Stills had the capacities of 25,000 gallons and were the largest ever built. One of these copper Pot Stills can still be seen on display at the gates of the Midleton Distillery, Co Cork, Ireland.
The old make, which we drank with our luncheon, was delicious, and finer than anything we had hitherto tasted. It was as perfect in flavour, and as pronounced in the ancient aroma of Irish Whisky so dear to the hearts of connoisseurs, as one could possibly desire, and we found a small flask of it very useful afterwards on our travels.
Alfred Barnard
The History of Powers Whiskey
In 1791 James Power, an innkeeper from Dublin, established a small distillery at his public house at 109 Thomas St., Dublin. The distillery, which had an output of about 6,000 gallons in its first year of operation, initially traded as James Power and Son, but by 1822 had become John Power & Son, and had moved to a new premises at John’s Lane, a side street off Thomas Street. At the time the distillery had three pot stills, though only one, a 500-gallon still is thought to have been in use.
Following reform of the distilling laws in 1823, the Powers John’s Lane distillery expanded becoming one of the biggest in the country. In 1827, production was reported to be over 160,270 gallons of Irish Whiskey. and by 1833 had grown to 300,000 gallons per annum. As the distillery grew, so too did the stature of the family. In 1841, John Power, grandson of the founder was awarded a baronet, a hereditary title. In 1855, his son Sir James Power, laid the foundation stone for the O’Connell Monument, and in 1859 became High Sheriff of Dublin.
During this period, when the Dublin whiskey distilleries were amongst the largest in the world, the family-run firms of John Powers, along with John Jameson, William Jameson, and George Roe, (collectively known as the “Big Four”) came to dominate the Irish distilling landscape, introducing several innovations. In 1886, John Power & Son began bottling their own whiskey, rather than following the practice customary at the time, of selling whiskey directly to merchants and bonders who would bottle it themselves. They were the first Dublin distillery to do so, and one of the first in the world. A gold label adorned each bottle and it was from these that the whiskey got the name Powers Gold Label.
As I said you Powers Gold label is in every pub in Ireland, so your favourite pub from Mizen to Malin tip of the south to top of the north.
Tasting notes: Powers Gold label
The Glass: Powers Gold Label Tumbler find out more..
Nose
On the nose Initially you get hit with Honey, then Lemon, and a hint Hazelnuts. This whiskey almost screams out “Put me in an Irish Coffee or Hot Whiskey (Hot Toddy)”
Taste
The “Gap” between the Nose and Palate is fairly short,in that what you smell is what you get. Honey straight away, then as in the nose Lemon,followed by Butterscotch, Clove with an underlying taste of Bubblegum.Length, medium. Mouthfeel, Light
Finish
A great whiskey at the entry level of Irish Whiskey. If you want an introduction to the Irish Whiskey and to Irish Pub culture then this classic is your starting point. Beautifully crafted whiskey and available in every pub most homes in Ireland.It is Dublin’s whiskey and is ingrained in the capital city. Ubiquitous. When the L.V.A. (the Publicans Guild) celebrated their 200 anniversary in 2017, they selected a single cask of Powers to celebrate.
Where to drink: Powers Gold label
Where to imbibe, I enjoyed my Gold Label in Fallons , The Capstan Bar in the Coombe, almost the social club of the distillery back in the day when Powers was distilled around the corner. One of the many great Pubs in Dublin. Fallons was damaged by the Great Fire of Dublin 1875 and the wall behind the counter was rebuilt by the workers from the Powers Distillery. You can join us for a Powers Quarter tour to experience all the stories with our local whiskey experts.
Every Whiskey Tells a Story, What Will Yours Be?
Sláinte from The Whiskey Trail
#EatDrinkExplore – by Michael Lawlor
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