Drink of the Week: Powers Irish Rye Whiskey

I was facing a bit of a quandary for this week’s Drink of the Week. On the one hand, our March/April issue is fresh out of the gate, with its cover feature about rye whiskey, so how could I not suggest a rye this week? On the other hand, we’re closing in on St. Patrick’s Day, when Irish whiskey frequents many glasses more than usual. Fortunately, a brand-new release just landed that scratches both of these itches: Powers Irish Rye Whiskey.

Made at the Midleton Distillery in Ireland by the team behind the venerable brand Powers (founded in 1791), this whiskey uses a mash bill that’s 100 percent rye, from grain the distillery commissioned to be grown in Wexford, on Ireland’s southeastern coast. Although most Irish whiskey today is made from barley, rye and other grains are an important part of the country’s whiskey heritage.

Triple-distilled and matured in a range of American oak casks, the whiskey delivers the familiar character of rye whiskey with a fresh angle from the Powers approach. Ginger and white pepper mingle with orange peel and banana bread on the nose. On the palate, the whiskey comes through as marmalade and cloves, with candied fruit and vanilla cream underlying the crisp spice notes. $32, caskers.com