Powers 12 John’s Lane Release

This past year (2018) I had lots and lots of plans. Finish my accounting schooling, find a new job in a new career space, move forward the timeline upon which the universe is unmade by Azathoth awakening, and review enough Irish Whiskey to finally hit 100 total reviews.

I’m happy to say I got most of that done, and my mind has ascended from this body out into the boundless cosmos. As for posting the reviews, I may have gotten behind what with learning derivatives and staring at the cosmos to find answers. So I’m posting them now! Yay!

Powers 12 John’s Lane Release is a single pot still whiskey aged at least 12 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, with more ex-bourbon casks used in the vatting. The name “John’s Lane” doesn’t have to do with a guy named that, it’s named after the original location of the distillery where it was made, which is now shut down. However, the whiskey still exists! So that’s good!

So this is a triple distilled single pot still whiskey. Some people I’ve read have said it’s one of the best value Irish whiskies out there. But how do I feel? Let’s see, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Ireland

Casks Used: Ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-bourbon casks

Abv: 46%

Colour: 10YR 8/10

Nose: Dough, orange Madeleine, caramel, cinnamon cream

Initial dough from Irish. Start program: Irish Whiskey review, now.

Joking aside, that yeast note start, but there’s more orange, cookie, and some caramel to the nose. Even some creamy/cinnamon notes. This has a great nose to it. If you are ready for that Irish/yeast note. If not… well you’re gonna get ready eventually, right?

Taste: Orange, butter, clove, ginger cookie

Nice buttery orange mixture going on here. I think I don’t like orange when it’s with chocolate because that’s basically Satan’s asscrack flavour combo, but by itself or with butter and spices it works out.

This builds up to a complex dram with time/water.

Finish: Coffee, cardamon, cinnamon buns, dry apple

Lovely finish. All of it works together. Like having a coffee on a great day. It’s not going to blow your socks off, and mine was still on (which was odd as I’m out and about and I need ways to get people away from me). I’m kidding, my general demeanour gets rid of people pretty well.

Where was I? Oh yeah, more orange, more spice, and more butter. Again nothing over the top, but quite nice to sip on.

Conclusion: I like orange desserts, I like cinnamon, therefore I like this. Your mileage may vary. There are people, whiskey reviewers, who are blown away by Powers 12 John’s Lane Release. I was not, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad whiskey. On the other hand, I think it’s a very nice sippable whiskey. It does great things with orange and butter.

If you have a friend who may not love Irish whiskey or hasn’t had the actual good releases (of which there are many) from Ireland, then this is what you pour for them. As someone who personally drank some of the amazing releases that stay in Ireland, this is just a taste of what could be out there. The kind of dram that starts and finishes well and is different than anything else on the market.

79/100

World Whiskey review #349, Ireland review #96, Whiskey review #1661