Monday, December 1, 2008

OK, new rule



New Rule: no running out of Irish whiskey. More to the point, no running out of Powers Gold Label. There are clearly evenings in which nothing else will do, for sipping quietly after dinner, while watching a movie or reading a book, or when battling a nasty cold. Or all of the above.

Rant all you want about Scotch whisky and the superiority of peat monsters over the gentle Irish version, but there are times when a hairy single malt is just too much work to enjoy. Some times, one might crave "red hair and black leather, my favourite colour scheme" (thank you, Richard Thompson) but at others only a soft voice and a cool hand on the brow will do.

Powers is subtle, quiet and smooth. In fact, it perfectly defines "smooth" while studiously avoiding "bland." And they practically give the stuff away. Even in Oregon, land of the State monopoly, it's $21 a bottle. So there is no excuse for running out.

And if someone wants to give me a bottle of the 12 Year Old Reserve, I promise not to complain.

1 comment:

adovelikeboy said...

Hear hear.

It is the best bargain in the liquor store. It bears comparison with pure potstill Irish whiskies Redbreast (expensive) and Greenspot (yer nat gonna find it in an Oregon or Washington liquor store, so don't even try). It shows much more of the spicy Irish potstill character than the heavily marketed Jameson - which I find increasingly insipid.

Powers is quite distinct from the Bushmills whiskies, which, no matter how good (and some are very good indeed) contain no 'green'-barley potstill liquor, and thus seem more like un-peated Scotches than Irish whiskey.

Powers is a wonderful, utterly world class drink, that showcases the distinctive flavors of Irish whiskey; it's also cheap and easy to get. What more could one ask for?