Review #935 - Fercullen Single Malt
Here we have the inaugural release of the Fercullen Single Malt - that is, the first release that they distilled themselves, at Powerscourt Distillery. Previously, the brand had several older single malt bottlings, but these were made with sourced distillate.
There's no age statement on this single malt which arrived in 2023, but based on information from tastings we attended, we know that it's roughly 4.5 years old. It was fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels, and the brand gives us a bottling strength of 46% ABV. A total of 6,000 bottles came from this first batch.
Fercullen Single Malt
Ireland - Single Malt
Price: USD 55 (2026)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks
Details: Bottled 2023; 6,000 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 14 months; bottles at 70% 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: Creamy grain, bright sweet notes like honey, lemon curd, and pear; it's a bit sugary, but we also get hay, sawdust, and a hint of sharp dry oak. Bubblegum, jalapeno, and lemon jam are interesting accents.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Soft barley notes combine with refined sugar, vanilla, and light orchard fruits like pear and lemon. Honey, a bit of youthful spirit, and coriander come next; despite the youth, there are some tannins or wood spice. Cinnamon, jalapeno heat... it drinks a bit like a hot toddy at times.
Finish: Warming, a little prickly, but we get more of that bready malt character and baking notes of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon tart pastry. The texture becomes velvety, and the aftertaste has flavors of wood spice, apple skins, watered down lemonade, and sawdust; it's a medium length finish.
Final Note: This is a tasty young single malt - pretty solid for an inaugural release with their own malt distillate. It definitely showcases the ex-bourbon profile with the honey, lemon, pear, and vanilla notes; there is a bit of a spirity side with it, but that's to be expected from a whisky that's just 4 to 5 years old.
Value for this bottle is pretty good in our area - it goes for $50 or so, and while it won't blow you away, it's a decent young single malt for that sort of price.
Our Rating: 6.5 / 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: 6.87
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.
