Powers Gold Label (40%)
Don’t forget that there is still time to get tickets to join me for a journey through Irish whiskey at Toronto’s Bar Hop on Thursday and have a chance to sample the Powers John’s Lane, a 12 year old single pot still whiskey no longer available in Canada!
In the 19th century heyday of Irish whiskey, there were four Dublin-based distillers of note: John Jameson & Son, George Roe & Company, John Power & Son, and William Jameson & Company. Of the four, John Jameson & Son had the greatest success, the distillery being the origin of the most famous Irish whiskey today, while William Jameson fared the worst, his business withering in the early 20th century before closing in the 1923.
While the Roe name faded from public consciousness after the distillery closed a few years after that of William Jameson – until its recent revival by Diageo; watch this space for more on that – Powers thrived during the late 19th century, becoming one of the first bottling distilleries in the world in 1886, and continued to do well through the first half of the 20th. Eventually, however, the downturn that affected all Irish distillers forced a merger with John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries to form Irish Distillers, and the Powers name became increasingly marginalized.
Particularly after the purchase of Irish Distillers by Pernod Ricard in 1988, Powers suffered in the shadow of Jameson, which the French drinks powerhouse elected to promote over Powers, thus rendering the historic name little known or seen outside of Ireland. Over the past several years, however, a rebranding and renewal has brought new life to not just Powers Gold Label, but also label-mates like Three Swallow, a single pot still whiskey introduced in 2015, and the new, 12 year old single pot still John’s Lane.
Gold Label is the classic Powers blend, which the distillery website claims is the result of a deeper ‘cut’ off the still, meaning less of the foreshots and feints, or heads and tails, and more of the heart of the distillate. Deep gold in colour, it has apple and Japanese pear on the nose, alongside hints of cinnamon and clove, while the taste moves evenly from a honey-ish palate entry to creamy flavours of milk chocolate, sultana raisin, and steadily growing white pepper and cinnamon, finishing with off-dry toffee notes.
Once upon a time, Powers was considered the definitive Dublin whiskey, and it is heartening to see it receiving new life and attention, particularly so given that it is arguably the boldest Irish available in this price range.
87 ($39 - $41)