Michael Collins 10 Year Old Single Malt

Fitting the rebel fervor of their namesake, Michael Collins proudly states that it is made by the Cooley distillery: the last independent distillery in the Republic of Ireland.

Michael Collins’ Irish Whiskey Revolution Party

After having been teased with an initial taste one morning at the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail, we were recently able to enjoy the new Michael Collins 10 Year Old Single Malt, as well as the newly (and now reasonably) packaged Michael Collins Blended Whiskey on their own, and in several very fine cocktails.

Slab Town Limited

This cocktail is a variant of the Red Hook, and rather than Slab Hook or Red Slab, which first occurred to me as names, Ms. Boozenik smartly chimed in that since this was a limited release, and also hits like a train (since it’s slightly higher in whiskey than a Red Hook would be) we should name it as if one. Hence, the Slab Town Limited.

Slab Town Whiskey

House Spirits has unveiled their Slab Town Whiskey, after 4 years of maturation. It’s a light straw-color and soft in the mouth, especially for such a young whiskey.

Vieux Carré

In my purse, I keep our swizzle sticks from the original Vieux Carré cocktails we had at the Hotel Monteleone Carousel Bar. When our Vieux Carrés arrive, I discretely slip them in when the bartender isn’t looking and we reminisce about our time at the historic hotel.

Brooklyn 46

We tried this take on a classic Brooklyn during the Maker’s 46 release party held at one of our favorite bars, Beaker & Flask in Portland, Oregon. Of all the cocktails stirred and shaken that evening, this one best preserved the true essence of the spirit.

Maker’s 46

The initial taste is that of slight caramel, but more of oak and sourdough bread with some traces of sour cherry also coming out. It’s toasty and slightly nutty, with a trace of leather on the aftertaste.

Tales of the Cocktail Small Batch Roundup

While big names like Diageo, Bacardi and Pernod seem to dominate Tales of the Cocktail, there are some small batch producers in the mix, too. Some nice stand-out spirits we tasted included the following.

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Pot Distilled Whiskey

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt has a moderate nose of smoke, along with iodine and some earthiness, all obviously from the peating of the Scottish barley. There’s also the typical alcohol nose of a whiskey. But once you blow away some of the alcohol, or let it evaporate away on its own, swirling for a while, you also get some scent of cut grass and a tiny hint of caramel. It’s quite pleasing to the nose.

Balcones Baby Blue Hopi Corn Whisky

I used a snifter for this one, since I drink my Scotch and other whiskeys that way, but after getting an initial whiff it seems pretty clear that this one is better served in a shot glass. It has a heavy alcohol nose with a little earthiness. Buried in the nostril burn is some earthiness and some sweetness from the blue corn used to create this spirit.

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