Origin: Carlow (Ireland)
Type: Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Strength: 43%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon first fill
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Flying Tumbler
Average price: € 45.00
Official website: flyingtumbler.com
Vote: 84/100
We add another bottler to what is becoming a growing list in the new wave of Irish whiskey.
Born in 2020, Flying Tumbler takes its name from a local breed of pigeons, known to stray ‘in search of adventure’ from their place of origin, only to always return, in a rather obvious metaphor for the history of the Irish and the company’s founders, the Walsh family.
Patrick, Eric and Thomas Walsh, together with Jen McGinnell, have in fact gathered various work experiences around the world, only to find themselves back on the family farm in County Carlow to begin this new adventure as independent bottlers of Irish whiskey.
And the name Walsh should not sound new to some.
Three bottlings have been part of their portfolio so far: The Bird (a blended of single grain and single malt), The Tippler (another blended of grain and malt from two distilleries, with a declared ageing of 12 years) and this The Roller, a single grain from Great Northern Distillery with a minimum ageing of 5 years released at the end of 2021 in 360 bottles.
Maturation, blending and bottling takes place at the nearby Carlow Brewing Company.
Tasting notes
The nose presents a rather classic profile, composed of cereals, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, hint of ginger), custard, nuts, cooked pear, candied orange peel. All well integrated and harmonious, also thanks to a slight vegetal note that lightens the aromas, with that simplicity that, in reality, is all but simple.
The mouthfeel is lively and spicy, where pepper and ginger lift the tones and the nature of the distillate is more noticeable, with a vein of acetone that is present but not invasive. The olfactory impressions return, integrated in a good texture, even tropical fruit combined with the creaminess of vanilla and honey, with nuts and touches of aniseed. It all glides along pleasantly and non-trivially.
The finish is not very long with spicy touches, in which the sweet and bitter tones fade, leaving even a faint saline note.
A pleasant dram without great complexity, an excellent opportunity to approach single grain without finding its edges and excesses, with the taste of an easy-drinking whiskey without selling out to mediocrity.