The quality of Irish whiskey keeps getting more promising and now there is a whole series to add to our repertoire. Powerscourt Distillery has just released the first in their 'Estate Series'.
The 'Mill House' limited edition Single Grain Amarone finish launches the series, paying homage to their brand home - the nearly 300-year-old mill house built from Wicklow granite and the distillery buildings' historical anchor.
The Single Grain Irish whiskey was initially matured in bourbon barrels, before finishing in premium Italian Amarone casks for 18 months.
Using clear spring water emanating from the nearby waterfall, this has led to an impressive finish - spicy on the nose with hints of vanilla and a twist of lemon. The overriding word to describe the taste has to be smooth. It has a silky-soft texture with a sweetness derived from warming honey and cinnamon and a velvety finish with great length. The whiskey retails at €75.
For more information, check out www.powerscourtdistillery.com.
It's nice to see things back to a bit of normal for students, especially seeing them getting creative in cookery competitions again. The Kenwood Young Baker 2021 competition, run in association with the Association of Teachers of Home Economics (ATHE), is back in schools, challenging students to create a cake that wows.
Running until 18 October with the winners announced in November, the challenge put to secondary students is to create a single tier cake around the theme of 'Dreams', whatever that means to them. The competition is tough, as last year saw 850 entries, but it really gives young people the chance to showcase their talents.
The competition is being judged by some of the best pastry chefs in the country - Shane Smith and Aoife Noonan, along with president of the ATHE, Michelle McCabe, and Kenwood recipe development chef, Sophie Meechan.
And for those budding young bakers that dream of a Kenwood Chef, the winner gets their own stand mixer, while their school gets a full appliance kit for the home economics classroom, as well as a cookery course via Zoom with Shane Smith.
For more information, visit kenwoodyoungbaker.com.