‘Twas one score and two years ago that three friends did convene an informal council to throw a party in the next year. It was here that the 3 Drunken Celts were born and in that birth did give us two exceptional decades of friendships grown through the connection of whiskies. With only one small variance in year 5, we have been steadfastly committed to spreading the wonderful gospel of whiskies the world over. Originally focusing on Single Malt Scotch, we quickly learned (and were rightly schooled by some of the best in the business) that there is much more to the world of whiskies than such a confining view of a single region would lend you to see. As we branched out our vision our palates followed.
At every party thrown yearly after, Scotch has had a main-stage presence, with Irish a respectable secondary. And while American and Japanese whiskies have begun taking over our tables in the past years, our hearts often harken back to the oft overlooked Irish table. So, it was an obvious choice for us (as the misfit tasting party tied to medieval recreation events) to celebrate our twentieth anniversary with our own selected cask bottling of one of our favourite Irish Whiskies we’ve discovered. In contacting Jennifer Nickerson at Tipperary, the 3DC charmed and delighted her with our over-the-top admiration and purchases of nearly all of Tipperary’s line. Jennifer was quick to join in on our crazy and begin discussions of sourcing a single cask for our own private label bottling. And such as it was, a wonderful collaboration officially began way back in January 2019.
A sizable group of 3DC brain-trust were able to come together and sample during the 2019 Great Western War. The trusted crew sampled through 5 potentials and over an afternoon of delicious and difficult decisions, the choice was made… we’d go with the (at the time) 17 year bourbon cask Irish Single Malt. This was October 2019, so I’m sure you can see how this story evolves and delays through the pandemic that hit us all in 2020. From label delays and skyrocketing shipping costs, making our deadline for October 2020 delivery simply wasn’t going to happen. With our larger event being canceled, we were less pressed to deliver and opted to embrace the delay which would result in getting us a now 18 year Irish Single Malt.
To our delight, the cask was bottled and labeled in April of 2021 and soon on a ship bound for the US. With delivery to the 3DC in August 2021, we were on track for our grand tasting and second-try 20th anniversary tasting at Great Western War in October 2021 where it was met with great anticipation and joy.
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The bottling and tasting notes as provided by Stuart Nickerson of Tipperary Boutique Distillery:
Cask Number |
2304 |
Cask fill date | May 22, 2002 |
Original cask type | Bourbon |
ABV | 49.50% |
Nosing date | May 23, 2021 |
Bottling Date | April 10, 2021 |
Age | 18 years |
Nose | Apples, plums, sponge pudding and a hint of liquorice. With water there is much more toffee on the nose with sweet plums. |
Palate | Apple sponge cake with white pepper and a toffee sauce. With water the pepper reduces and the toffee comes to the fore with the apple cake still very much in evidence. |
Finish | Lovely medium length finish with the toffee and sweet apples lingering. |
Rumour has it that Stuart “…really liked this cask and was sorry we’d sold it…”. But, like all good whiskies, you have to let these casks out into the world to bring joy to all who experience them! Whiskies, after all, are meant to be shared. It’s that attitude that has kept the 3DC alive for over 20 years, and hopefully for more decades to come. Here’s to toasting our 40th in the future!
If you’re of the lucky few to have received one of these 20th Anniversary bottles: we hope you take the opportunity to open it with friends and know it is the camaraderie and friendship, brought together by the whiskies, that is the core of who we are and what we do.
Slainte’ Mhath
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