Fercullen 14yo Single Malt
Part of the first three releases under the Fercullen brand. This 14 year Single Malt has been matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon barrels by Master Distiller at Powerscourt Distillery, Noel Sweeney. Bottled at 46% ABV and RRP of €90.
Omar Fitzell Notes
Immediately apparently that this is a very interesting nose with loads going on. Fruity, nutty, sweet and a slight perfume all in one. Apples, stone fruit, honey and vanilla. Slight note of pencil shavings too!
Palate:
An abundance of malt and oak to the fore. Very easy-going pepper spice. Water brought out some more intense orchard fruit notes.
Finish:
Medium length that leaves a pleasant spice dancing in the mouth. Some oak tannins right up to the very end.
Overall:
A very pleasant easy drinking whiskey that is fresh and crisp throughout. My only reservation is the price point is a tad bit higher in scale of what it should be.
Al Higgins notes
Nose:
A curious mix of custard, old milk, honey, yoghurt, white grapes, old books and green apples. This reminds me of some Bladnoch whiskies from the Scottish Lowlands with hints of sour milk.
Palate:
Better! Far more palatable than I feared. It’s actually quite nice. Very Bladnoch-like. Can you have a flavour of old paper? If so, this has it. There are some nice fruit elements – pears, apples, pineapple and then a good dollop of custard to boot.
Finish:
A nice prickly spice flourish, more vanilla custard which is perhaps this whiskey’s signature flavour.
Overall:
I’m afraid I found it a bit hard to enjoy. The butyric note lingers a bit on the palate. However if you shift your focus there are some enjoyable flavours in there.
Omar Fitzell
Omar has been lurking in the background of the Irish Whiskey Industry since 2010 when he started his journey through tasting, enjoying and collecting whiskey. In January 2018 he launched the online blog “That’s Dram Good” which, in those few short months, has become one of the most popular whiskey blogs in Ireland.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @thatsdramgood
• Facebook – ThatsDramGood
Al Higgins
Over 20 years of experience in drinks retail and a member of the team at the Celtic Whiskey Shop since 2003. Alastair is chief tester and taster at the shop and is also coordinator for the Irish Whiskey Awards. When he is not working he is either training for ultra-marathons, parenting or drumming with his band Le Galaxie.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @mostlydrinking