The first whiskey to be finished in seaweed charred casks, the Currach. Originially matured in ex-Bourbon casks before being finished in seaweed charred virgin oak casks has resulted in a multi-layered flavour profile with a delicate umami character.
The name ‘Currach’ comes from a traditional Irish boat made of wicker, animal skins and tar going back to the Neolithic times. It would have been used to gather religious artefacts, transport whiskey to Scotland and today is still used to harvest seaweed in Ireland.
For these notes, I delved back into the tasting that @stillsurreal and I had on Twitter. We were also joined by Stephen Randles of Origin Sprits Ireland.
Follow @Randles92“To create Currach Single Malt Irish Whiskey we use brown Kombu Kelp seaweed which is sustainably hand harvested off the wild Atlantic coast of Co. Clare. Our seaweed is 100 % naturally grown and is organically certified. Kombu is located in the extreme lower part of the shore. It can be sustainably harvested during low spring tides throughout the year. Fourth generation seaweed harvesters, the Talty family ensure only the finest seaweeds are selected for Currach. Mildly salty and subtly sweet, Kombu is rich in umami, the fifth human taste. It has been used as a stable food source and ingredient in European and Asian cuisine for over 2000 years.”
Currach Whiskey
@CurrachWhiskey Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a charred seaweed whiskey. Not flavoured with seaweed, but aged in casks that have been charred using kombu seaweed from Co Clare #kombuwhiskey
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) April 16, 2020
Appearance: Amber, good legs, coats the glass well.
Nose: The first thing that strikes me is the uniqueness on the nose! I’ve not experienced anything like it before, and I like it, a lot!
The herbal salinity is very evident, and there’s a nice woody note too, like the smell of walking in a harbour at low tide. Reminds me of Padstow!
There is a slight smokiness for me. Like a distant smoke, not in your face. There’s a spicy dryness to balance the toffee sweetness, as well as a chocolate butter on the nose. Slightly catches the back of your throat.
I get the salinity more than the smoke and cereal notes.
A very complex, yet well-balanced nose on this. You could probably go on for hours discovering new flavours as the whiskey opens up. An early evening walk by the harbour. The salinity is the definite leader for me on the nose. The sweetness is there to balance, as is the dark fruit and cereal. Lovely so far!
The smell of the actual seaweed is like liquorice but I'm not getting the same note from the whiskey. I contemplated chewing the seaweed but thought better of it.#KombuWhiskey pic.twitter.com/SdHviE9ixK
— Still Triple Distilled (@StillTripleDist) April 16, 2020
Palate: On the palate, the first thing I get is the luxuriously oily and thick mouthfeel. Buttery but with a whole mix of other flavours going on too! The salinity is less prominent now. The chocolate and herbal notes come through, with the spices and dark fruit following, there’s also a dustiness. This is good stuff.
Still so unique on the palate. The gloriously thick mouthfeel is a real winner.
The initial salinity and smoke turn into a lovely sweet and buttery dram on the palate.
Your correct, no colouring added. The beautiful amber gold colour you see is predominantly from the brown kombu seaweed charred cask finish. Nice and oily too given the fact it's not chill filtered. #KombuWhiskey
— Stephen Randles (@Randles92) April 16, 2020
Finish: The finish is quite short for me, which I don’t mind at all. This is where the herbs take centre stage, with seetness providing backup!
Overall: If you want a truly unique whiskey, then look no further! It’s not a gimmick at all, the whiskey is luxurious, beautifully balanced and a really great drop.
Follow @CurrachWhiskeyThis is our first release. I can confirm we have tested and still are testing some more seaweed varieties and have been impressed by all of them. Each one brings a completely different flavour profile. Watch this space for a potential second release in 2020 #KombuWhiskey
— Stephen Randles (@Randles92) April 16, 2020
