POWERS LAUNCHES WORLD'S FIRST 100% IRISH RYE WHISKEY

Irish Distillers, has today announced the launch of the world’s first 100% Irish rye whiskey, from its Powers brand.

Powers Irish Rye (43.2% ABV) has been produced using 100% Irish rye and matured in a combination of American virgin oak, first fill and refill casks.

Powers Irish Rye

The result of trials at the Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland, Powers Irish Rye is said to be grounded in the heritage of the whiskey brand, as Carol Quinn, Archivist at Irish Distillers, uncovered.

Old mash bills and recipes reveal that Powers experimented with rye over their history, while as the scientific knowledge of distilling expanded throughout the 19th century, they continually strove to innovate with new techniques and processes. 

Carol explains further: “Throughout the history of the famous Powers John’s Lane Distillery there was a willingness to challenge the old ways of doing things and experiment with new ideas, from urban farming on the distillery roof in the 1940s, to bottling in-house and the introduction of the world’s first miniature Irish whiskey, the ‘baby Power’. This has fed very much into the DNA of Powers Irish Rye today, both in the use of rye and in the method of distillation.”

Due to rye farming having all but disappeared in Ireland, Powers commissioned the planting of rye crops exclusively for this latest release. With a commitment to sustainable farming, the Cooney Furlong Farm in Co. Wexford supply 100% of the rye used in Powers Irish Rye. Located just a short distance from Edermine House, the ancestral home of the Powers family.

Powers Irish Rye, is said to deliver notes of burnt orange, maraschino cherries, toffee banana, freshly baked rye bread, buttered croissants, charred oak, clove, white pepper, ginger, vanilla and earthy sugar cane aromas on the nose. Followed by notes of candied ginger, orange peel, clove, peppermint, caramelized apples, brown sugar, red liquorice, vanilla and charred oak notes on the palate.

Commenting on the launch, Eric Ryan, Powers Distiller, said: “We attribute the success of this whiskey firstly to the extended team at Midleton Distillery, yet also to the generations of Powers distillers who considered rye grain to be a unique component of their craft. From our commitment to farming a difficult crop, to reduced brewhouse throughput, to longer fermentation times, and considering the exceptional cask profile; if it was only about efficiency, we would never have used rye! But it proved a worthy endeavour. In an interview conducted by Royal Commission on whiskey back in 1908, the Powers ethos was best described by James Talbot Power, ‘At Powers, we are producers of flavours, not of spirits`, and we are proud to continue this Powers legacy in 2023.”

Powers Irish Rye, will be available from the end of February from specialist retailers, for a RRP of £32.00.

Posted by Steve Rush