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Gelston’s Old Irish Whiskey Showcases Old Side With 25 Year Old

Gelston's Old Irish Whiskey, tied to an old Irish whiskey label, brings to the United States a rare 25 year old bottling.
  • Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, founder of The Whiskey Wash, is an award-winning whiskey journalist, expert, and judge
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The Gelston’s Old Irish Whiskey label is one said to be steeped somewhat in Irish spirits lore. Founded in 1830 by one Samuel Gelston, a Irish whiskey merchant from Belfast, the brand mostly stood the test of time until the late 1940s. It was more recently brought back to life by Johnny Neill, great-great grandson of Harry Neill, who had purchased Gelston’s after its original founder’s death in 1869. The current Neill has released several aged Irish whiskey expressions in the last year or so, with the latest being a quarter century old bottling.
Gelston’s Old Irish Whiskey 25 Year Old, according to those behind it, is sourced from an unnamed Irish distillery on the Irish coast (see below for one possibility), where it lay in ex-bourbon casks for 25 years before being brought to market. It is non-chill filtered, triple distilled and, most interestingly, bottled at two different cask strengths – 50.1% ABV and 52.4% ABV – to reflect the fact the liquid was bought in separate, single casks.

The man who originally laid it down, Frank McHardy, is a former master distiller of some note who spent time at Bushmills, making it quite likely this is the original source of this expression as was rumored to be the case with a related 26 year old.

It is said just 3,000 bottles of this 25 year old Irish whiskey have been released globally, with just 900 coming to the US. Though no specific price as been mentioned, it has been popping up in domestic retail for a minimum of around $400. You’ll find official tasting notes below for your consideration for this light gold colored spirit.

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  • Nose: Very tropical, passion fruit, mango and red berries with hints of vanilla ice cream
  • Palate: The palate gives more tropical fruit, hints of spice, fruit salad and custard creams
  • Finish: Very fruity with toffee notes, superb balance

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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