Fercullen Tasting Kit
By Pete
We're proud to unveil something very special indeed – the first in a series of exclusive whiskey tasting kits, containing a selection of exclusive samples, optionally paired with a cigar selected by our team. For this inaugural edition, in cooperation with our friends at The Powerscourt Distillery, we're thrilled to present the Fercullen Tasting Kit.
Read on to find out more or, if you want to order right away, click here.
What's in the kit?
Inside the box, you'll find four whiskey samples (30ml each) with some of the rarest and most exclusive bottlings to bear the Fercullen label.
Fercullen 13 Year Old Single Grain – James J. Fox Single Cask (57.1% ABV)
This single cask release is exclusive to our store, with only 246 bottles produced from one cask, hand-selected by Master Distiller Noel Sweeney. It's also the first ever commercial single cask release to come out of Powerscourt. The whiskey was distilled in 2006 and matured for 13+ years entirely in ex-bourbon barrels. Bottled at cask strength, it's a force to be reckoned with!
Tasting notes
Nose: Notes of honey, complimented by zesty citrus fruit and sweet melon, rounded up by subtle hints of oak.
Palate: Sweet and rich vanilla, oak undertones, balanced by layers of orange peels and apricot.
Finish: Long and lively, lingering on the tongue with plum and oak spice.
Fercullen 18 Year Old Single Malt (46% ABV)
Fercullen's premium malt expression, aged for 18+ years in bourbon barrels.
Tasting notes
Nose: Honey, vanilla, sweet malty, spice, almonds, cinnamon, ripe fruits, rich cherries, plums and oak wood.
Palate: Smooth. Layer upon layer of sweet, creamy malt, vanilla, ripe fruits, syrupy caramel, cacao sweet spice and crisp oak.
Finish: Malty to start with a long lasting sweet spice of nutmeg and malt with a fruity finish.
Fercullen 18 Year Old Five Elements (46% ABV)
A special edition, limited to 1,500 bottles. The Five Elements in its name refer to:
- A Single Malt, A Single Distillery, A Single Distiller.
- Two types of oak maturation; American White Oak and European Oak.
- Three different finishing casks; Red Wine, Ruby Port and Rum.
- Four styles; Bourbon, Red Wine, Ruby Port and Rum.
- The globally recognised touch and blending expertise of Master Distiller Noel Sweeney.
Tasting notes
Nose: Boiled sweets, vanilla and honey, twist of lemon and sweet orchard ripe fruits, complimented by tropical fruits, layered over a duo of oak wood notes.
Palate: Burst of tangy fruit cocktail sweetness, with layers of smooth silky sweet malt, chocolate and Christmas cake.
Finish: Long lasting sweetness from ripe fruits and velvety texture.
Fercullen 16 Year Old Single Malt (54.8% ABV)
Limited to 1,306 bottles and previously available only as Powerscourt's distillery exclusive, we're excited to be able to include this expression in our kit. Matured in fresh bourbon barrels for over 16 years and married with Malt whiskey finished in a Sicilian Marsala Wine Cask to absorb tropical fruit and nut tones. This is a truly amazing whiskey, a pleasure to drink.
Tasting notes
Nose: Sweet vanilla and honey with a twist of lemon, malty, nutty walnuts and almonds, cinnamon, tropical fruits, pineapple, mango and banana.
Palate: Layer upon layer smooth silky sweet malty fruit and nut complexity delivers balanced taste.
Finish: Long lasting sweetness from ripe fruits and a slight nuttiness to finish.
Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 (optional)
At the time of ordering, you can also opt to include our recommended Cuban cigar as a pairing with the whiskey samples. For this kit, we've chosen Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 – one of our favourite robustos.
Its floral and fruity profile with hints of spice complement the Fercullen whiskey very well. As it's quite mild, you can easily enjoy it, even if you're not a seasoned cigar smoker.
Each box also contains a card with the tasting notes which you can use as reference during your sampling session.
Our friends in Powerscourt were also kind enough to drop off a few Fercullen hip flasks – they'll be included with the kits while stocks last, so don't wait or we may run out!
EDIT: The flasks are now all gone, and they'll no longer be included with the kits.
How can I get this kit?
The Fercullen Tasting Kit is our limited offer for March 2021 – you can order it on this page (€45 for the whiskey-only version, or €70 when paired with the cigar). Don't miss this exclusive selection of amazing whiskey!
How to sample whiskey?
Although whiskey tasting may seem like a straight-forward idea, the devil's in the details. There's a number of little things you can do to make your experience better, so – if you haven't already – check our post about Nosing and Tasting Whiskey!