Review #934 - Fercullen Falls
Powerscourt Distillery, the owner of the Fercullen brand, has had an up-and-down year. Back in mid-2025, they declared bankruptcy, and the distillery was subsequently acquired from receivership by Altiva Management Inc., an American company. Their whiskies continue to win awards in the meantime - their 15 year single grain was named best grain whisky at the World Whisky Awards in both 2025 and 2026. Only time will tell what the fate of this relatively new distillery (established in 2018) will be.
The brand has offered a range of whiskies in their short history. Here's their entry-level bottling: Fercullen Falls, a blended Irish whisky, which is sourced from Great Northern distillery. This is a 50/50 blend of malt whisky and grain (wheat-dominant) whisky; the malt component is aged in first fill ex-bourbon casks. The grain piece, on the other hand, is predominantly (95%) aged in ex-bourbon, but also uses a small amount (5%) of heavily charred new oak casks to add a bit of character.
There's no age statement on the bottle, but based on information from a couple of tastings we've attended, we believe the age of this liquid averages around 4 years old. This is bottled at a strength of 43%, and it comes with an entry-level price: around $30 to $40 here in the US.
Fercullen Falls
Ireland - Blend
Price: USD 35 (2026)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 43% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon casks and heavy char new oak casks
Details: Bottled 2022
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 14 months; bottles at 50% and 50% fill levels at times of review, and tasted once (blind) from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Very bready, a little bit grainy - then we get some malt, white pepper, and soft floral notes. Fruit comes next: apple, pear drops, orange zest, maybe a hint of guava. There's a bit of white wine and sugar, and in the end, we get a very subtle savory note.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; cinnamon, pears, oats, and brown sugar start the flavors. There's a bit of a grain note, and we get more sweetness from simple syrup, vanilla, honey, and tinned fruit like pineapple or orange. Lemon, white bread, white wine, and autumn leaves are accents; it's a bit creamy at times, too.
Finish: Mellow with a soft kick - tart lemon, cinnamon spice, then soft vanilla and more white wine. The casks are adding a soft oaky side, and we get fizzy floral notes as accents. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: This entry-level blend from Fercullen is pleasant enough, and it leans into those ex-bourbon flavors of light fruit and baking spices. It isn't the most complex, and the profile shows a bit of youth, but there's nice sweetness to round it all out.
Value is pretty good here due to the relatively low price of about $35 - if you're looking for an Irish whisky in that sort of price range, this is a solid purchase.
Our Rating: 5.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.01
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Fercullen reviews:
Review #553 - Fercullen 21 Year (2022 Release)
Review #474 - Fercullen 4 Year Marsala Single Cask - SNUG First Anniversary Pick
