Egan’s Irish Whiskey has announced a Centenary release, marking 100 years since the death of founder Henry Egan.
This expression is “a blend of meticulously selected single malt and single grain Irish whiskey,” according to those behind it. “The elegantly complex single malt whiskey character is balanced with lighter notes of vanilla sweetness from the grain whiskey. Together they are married in XO Cognac Casks of French Limousin Oak to add more layers of flavor.”
Egan’s dates back to 1852, when P. & H. Egan Limited, a spirit bonding and bottling company, was established by Henry and Patrick Egan in Tullamore. “While his brother Patrick Egan was the commercial brains behind P. & H. Egan Ltd., Henry was the company’s public face,” noted the brand. He was also politically active as an Irish nationalist, and was imprisoned several times for his views.
In 1887, he was involved in the so-called Tullamore Tweed incident, when he and several other Irishmen were imprisoned in Tullamore. “The men refused to wear official prison garments, protesting their non-criminal status and declaring themselves as political prisoners. Henry managed to smuggle in a suit of Irish Blarney Tweed, a soft hat, and an emerald green tie for O’Brien to wear in defiance of the authorities.”
In reference to that history, each bottle of Egan’s Centenary is sold with an Irish tweed coaster.
After shuttering in the mid-20th century due to competition from multinationals, the modern-day company was resurrected in 2015 by Maurice and Jonathan Egan, sixth-generation descendants of the original Egan brothers.
“Centenary is an homage to my family’s tradition of bonding and bottling whiskeys of the highest quality since 1852,” said Jonathan Egan in a prepared statement. “It is an ongoing testament to Henry and Patrick Egan, whose commitment to excellence has made the Egan’s name synonymous with some of the best Irish whiskeys in the world, and a special mark of respect to Henry and his passionate dedication to his country.”
Some tasting notes from the company are below:
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Tasting it is a delicious and luxurious experience – a nose with floral notes and accents of honey and apricot turns into a complex taste of light wafers, almond, ginger, and zesty fruits when it hits your palate. The finish is long and gentle, with the ginger notes giving way to lemon zest and licorice.
This limited-edition release is on shelves now; you can track down a retailer on the Egan’s website. Online, it’s retailing between $110 and $120.
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