Powers Irish Whiskey is a blend of triple distilled pot still & grain whiskeys produced at the Midleton Distillery in Cork County. The pot still portion of the whiskey is produced from malted barley which is dried in enclosed kilns. This prevents the barley from accumulating any smokey flavour during the drying process. This malted barley is then ground together with unmalted barley. The milled grain is mixed with water and cultivated brewing yeast, creating a mash indigenous to Irish Whiskey. During fermentation the starches of the combined barleys are converted to alcohol. The ‘wash’ that is produced is then triple distilled and carefully maturated to ultimately become pot still whiskey. This pot still whiskey is blended with grain whiskeys to produce Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey.
My bottle of Powers Gold Label was a gift from a friend who visited Ireland last summer. Apparently the domestic bottling in the UK has a slightly lower proof (40 % ABV) than the bottling which is exported to the USA (43.2 %).
Here is a link to my review of this popular Irish Whiskey Brand:
Review: Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey
Please enjoy my review!
Chimo!
The Centenary Blend (now replaced by the younger Gold Label Reserve) was reputed to contain 15 separate single malt whiskies each aged a minimum of 18 years. Of these single malts four in particular have been noted as being key to the distinctive taste of Johnnie Walker Gold: Talisker generates the general character of the blend; Clynish generates the brine and seaside ambiance; Royal Lochnagar imparts the luxurious palate; and Cardhu lingers in the throat and provides the finish. I have read some claims that grain whiskies are in the blend as well, but whether that is true I have no confirmation. Grain Whiskies if present would certainly add vibrancy and character to the overall blend as well.
A few years ago Johnnie Walker Gold Label carried an age statement of 18 years. Back then it was called The Centenary Blend. The newest bottles of the Gold Label no longer carry that age statement. Coinciding with that particular change is a bit of a name change as well. Instead of Johnnie Walker Gold Label – The Centenary Blend, the newest version is now called Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. Based upon what I can glean from the Johnnie Walker website (and the back of my bottle) it may not be only the ages of the individual whiskies in the blend which have changed, the actual constituents of the blend appear to have changed as well.
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