Irish whiskey with an independent spirit
In the 1880s, there were hundreds of distilleries in Ireland, but they did not bottle their own spirit. Local grocers, who were legally bonded whiskey wholesalers, would arrive at the gates, fill their own casks with spirit, age it, blend it and sell it. J.J. Corry of the port town of Kilrush, County Clare, was a particularly enterprising bonder who experimented with finishes in the barrels he could acquire at the harbour - Bordeaux casks, port pipes and many more.
In the 20th century, Irish whiskey declined, until by 1975, when there were only two distilleries left on the island, and no whiskey bonders at all.
Reviving the lost art of whiskey bonding
Louise McGuane is the first licensed bonder in Ireland in living memory. She ages new-make spirit in the rackhouse on the family farm in Clare, located just six miles from the wild Atlantic ocean. Unusually for Irish whiskey, the casks live the old-fashioned way, as they are supposed to, on their sides, raised off a dunnage floor and breathing an air rich from the sea, lush green grazing grass and the surrounding peat bogs. The barrels are selected and cared for by one of Ireland's last master coopers. And the whiskey is named after McGuane's predecessor as a whiskey bonder in the area, J.J. Corry.
The Gael represents the revival of Irish Whiskey Bonding. An international award-winning Irish Whiskey, The Gael is blended from a curated selection of aged Irish single malt and grain whiskeys from the J.J. Corry library of whiskey flavours.
To create The Gael, J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey first sourced excellent quality and very rare matured Irish Whiskey and then set about classifying each cask into a particular flavour block. Finally, the Whiskey Bonders blended each component to create a classic Irish Whiskey, one bursting with juicy fruit flavours and complexity. Bottled at 46% ABV, The Gael is non chill filtered and retains it's natural golden colour.
The Gael takes its name from a bicycle invented by the namesake and Whiskey Bonder J.J. Corry in the 1890s. J.J. was a keen cyclist and social secretary of the local club and this is a nod to his inventive spirit.
The latest addition to the J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey portfolio, The Hanson Batch 2 is a blended grain Irish Whiskey. It is a meticulous blend of Irish grain whiskey sourced from different distilleries around Ireland. Four, nine and ten years old and all ex-bourbon barrel aged, each cask was selected to build complexity upon the sweet and fruity qualities of the grain whiskey. The result is a classically bright and fruit-forward Irish Whiskey which is mellowed with deep oak, warm vanilla and toasted notes. Rich and surprisingly complex, this sip finishes with a touch of spice and a hint of oiliness on the finish. The Hanson, bottled at 46% abv and without any artificial colouring or chill-filtration, is perfect enjoyed by itself or in a refreshing highball.
THE BLEND
47% 4-Year-Old Single Grain
11% 9-Year-Old Single Grain
17% 10-Year-Old Single Grain
To create The Flintlock Batch No. 3, six single malt ex-bourbon casks were handpicked, each from the same distillery, from this library of Irish Whiskey flavours. Aged fifteen and nineteen years, each single malt was chosen based on its unique flavour profile and attributes. Initially, these casks were blended to develop a vatting which perfectly represents J.J. Corry's juicy fruit house style, before the flavours were married in a Moscatel Sherry Butt, to harmonize and impart complexity, giving the Whiskey a rich, grapelike, and floral character. The result is a bright, fruit-forward Single Malt Irish Whiskey bursting with white stone fruit flavours, mellowed with rich toasted vanilla and almond notes. The Flintlock No. 3 is bottled at 46% ABV without any artificial colouring or chill-filtration.
The Flintlock series is named after a pistol found concealed in the rafters of J.J. Corry's 17th-century Tasting Barn on the McGuane family farm. The pistol dates to the 1790s, a time of freedom fighting in Ireland showing that independent thinking has always been important around here.
