“The storied ‘Irish Brigade’ regiment, one of the oldest and most honored military units in the history of the United States, is proud to present its first Irish whiskey to America.
Founded in 1849 as New York State Irish Militia, the 69th has fought as a US Army Infantry regiment in major engagements from the Civil War to modern day Iraq and Afghanistan. Its motto is, ‘Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked.’”- Fighting 69th Whiskey
In
researching the brand, I learned there were several famous members. One was Thomas
Meager during the Civil War. He initially joined the army, served with the
Confederacy, and then switched sides to fight for the Union. He became a brigadier
general and successfully led the 69th Regiment to battle in
Richmond, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee is the one who referred to it
as “The Fighting 69th.”
Father Francis Patrick
Duffy was the highest-decorated chaplain in
US history and served with The Fighting 69th during World War I. He
worked unarmed but encouraged fellow soldiers and assisted medics in attending
to the wounded. Lt. Colonel “Wild Bill” Donovan was the only soldier to
earn all four of the military’s highest awards: The Medal of Honor, The
Distinguished Service Cross, The Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Security
Medal.
On
June 28, 1963, President John F. Kennedy presented one of the flags from
the Fighting 69th to the people of Ireland during an address to the
Irish Parliament.
It
should come as no surprise that someone decided to honor the Fighting 69th
with a namesake Irish whiskey. It is made from 100% barley, as a blend of both
malted and unmalted grains. It uses three different mashbills, all of which are
triple-distilled in handmade copper pot stills. Those whiskeys are then aged at
least three years in ex-Bourbon barrels. Then, the whiskeys are transferred to various
casks, including single- and double-char, Oloroso sherry, Rum, and Port wine,
for an undisclosed finishing period.
Fighting
69th doesn’t disclose the distiller and is made solely to be
imported to the United States market. $1.00 of each bottle sold goes to support
the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Historical Trust, Inc., and you can expect to
pay around $40.00 for a 40% ABV (90°) 750ml package.
I
want to thank The Espiritus Group for sending me a sample of Fighting 69th
in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and
explore if this whiskey lives up to its namesake.
Appearance: Poured
neat into my Glencairn glass, this Irish whiskey presented as brilliant gold. A
medium rim formed thicker tears that fell into the pool of liquid sunshine.
Nose: Pear,
apple, and citrus peel greeted my olfactory sense. Beneath those were molasses,
stone fruit, and oak. When I pulled the air through my lips, lemon and vanilla
rolled across my tongue.
Palate: The
mouthfeel was initially thin but became creamy as I continued to sip on it. Vanilla
and lemon curd formed the front, while a honey-infused banana pudding flavor rested
in the middle. The back of my palate picked up nutmeg, clove, and dry oak.
Finish:
Medium-short in duration, the finish kept the nutmeg, dry oak, and banana
pudding in my mouth.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I would
have expected more flavor with all of the cooperage used. It may be that insufficient
time was offered in the finishing barrels, and/or it is proofed too low for
those flavors. I tried this whiskey a few times to see if anything had changed,
and it didn’t.
Fighting 69th is
an unremarkable Irish whiskey. If a friend poured me a glass, I’d drink it and
be okay, but at the same time, if I didn’t come across another opportunity down
the road to try it again, it wouldn’t be missed. It isn’t bad, just something that
will get lost amongst other Irish whiskeys, and because of that, it earns my Bar rating. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
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