Powers Gold Crest Label (John’s Lane, 1970s)
While today I’ll again review a very old bottling of Irish whiskey, this is not a single pot still distilled whiskey. The Powers Gold Crest Label is a blend, made from single pot still whiskey and from grain whiskey distilled at John’s Lane (read this post for a little more background on the distillery).
In the early 1960s John’s Lane was outfitted with a column still, although they used for making gin and wodka. The whiskey distilled for this bottle was produced during the last period of John’s Lane, before all whiskey production moved to Midleton in Cork.
Powers Gold Crest Label (40%, John’s Lane Distillery, 1970s)
Nose: Mouldy and metallic, not a good start. Flat and closed, but gets a little more aromatic with some time. Light notes of glue, as well as some grainy aromas, plus a very faint note of peach.
Taste: The mouthfeel is pretty oily (big plus), spicy (cinnamon, cracked black pepper) and has light notes of menthol. A whiff of milk chocolate and honey too.
Finish: Continues down a spicy path, with some menthol added. Medium to long.
Rating: 82
Decent stuff, especially the palate is quite enjoyable, but the nose is a bit too simple and subdued to warrant a higher score.
Photo: whisky-onlineauctions.com
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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