Grace O’Malley Hits US As Latest Imported Blended Irish Whiskey

Grace O’Malley is a rather famous figure in Irish history, being a legendary pirate queen in the 16th century. She was born into Irish nobility in Co Mayo in 1530, rising to become a natural leader and fearless mariner throughout her life. An Irish spirits company known as Grace O’Malley Spirits has arisen in this day and age to share her story, and as one of its offerings has a premium blended whiskey it is looking to now import to the United States.

The relatively new Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey, according to those behind it, is said to have one of the highest malt contents in the blended whiskey category at 46%. Grace O’Malley’s Master Blender, Paul Caris, works with the distilling team at Ireland’s The Great Northern Distillery, where the whiskey is distilled, to move the spirit along through the distilling, blending and cask management processes.

Specific to this blended Irish whiskey what one has here is a combination of whiskeys with age statements that range from three to ten years old. Each batch of whiskey is then matured in a range of barrels, including French oak, ex-bourbon, and ex-rum casks, hand-selected by Caris. The final product is then bottled at 40% ABV.

“We are very excited to share the story of Grace O’Malley with the U.S. market through our premium whiskeys,” said Stephen Cope, Founder and Managing Director of Grace O’Malley Spirits, in a prepared statement. “Far from ordinary like the whiskey itself, Grace O’Malley was a fearless seafarer who broke with the conventions of her time.”

Plans call for Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey to price around $37 per 750 ml bottle. You’ll find some official tasting notes below from the brand.

• Nose: Caramel, bourbon vanilla, malty notes, dry almond, orange peel, honey
• Palate: Smooth front palate with round tannin, well balanced with fruit overtones
• Finish: Oriental pastry, sweet spice and toasted notes