A moment with jay bradley
I was honoured to chat with Luxuriate Life Magazine recently. As a luxury lifestyle magazine with a focus on providing ‘unbiased and unique coverage of the finer things the world has to offer’, it was a pleasure to answer their questions about our whiskeys and the innovative methods we use to craft them. They were also keen to find out which cigars and dishes I’d pair with our whiskeys, and what makes a great whiskey.
How our inaugural whiskey became Ireland’s Best Single Malt
We chatted first about what led me to create The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. I’ve spoken before about how I don’t come from a whiskey dynasty but I do intend to build one, and looking back through my past career with Luxuriate is a reminder of how all of those past roles came together to give me the knowledge and experience for this one. It’s those 21+ years that allowed me to craft an inaugural whiskey, The Devil’s Keep, worthy of the Best Irish Single Malt award at the World Whiskies Awards.
Available to order by the glass for the very first time
The release of our fourth whiskey, The Taoscan, into bars and restaurants has also got people talking. This is the first time our whiskeys have been available by the glass, and it’s created a bit of a buzz. Previously you’d only have been able to taste the whiskeys by buying a bottle, but now that they’re available in establishments such as The Ned, The Hand & Flowers, and Frog by Adam Handling, it’s opened them up to a wider audience.
What makes a great whiskey?
Luxuriate were keen to get my thoughts on what makes a great whiskey and of course, this is a tricky question to answer because there are so many factors at play. But essentially, it boils down to the skill of the person crafting that whiskey. It’s their taste buds, their knowledge of whiskey and wood, and their ability to know what that whiskey needs and when it needs it. Constant tasting by that person means the whiskey can go on a tailored journey, and crucially, can be pulled from the barrel at the peak of perfection.
Going beyond ‘great’ to ‘perfection’
That’s how I crafted The Taoscán, a world-first. So many would have taken that distillate and put it into a standard 200l barrel for a decade or two before bottling. But after its time in American Oak Bourbon casks and Sherry Oloroso butts, I decided it needed a finishing barrel. But we experimented here - we split it across a wide variety of barrels, from Sauternes to Amarone, Cherry to Mulberry. Two of the barrels reached their peak before the rest (the others are still soaking in the rich notes of their casks so watch this space - you may be seeing them in the future!). Those whiskeys separately would be great whiskeys. But as I said to Luxuriate, we don’t aim for ‘great’, we aim for perfection. So I experimented - I blended together the whiskey that had been finished in virgin French Chestnut and the one from the casks that had previously held Tawny Port. It took some experimentation to find the perfect balance, but that care and attention has delivered the world’s first and only Tawny Port and French Chestnut whiskey, and one I’m exceptionally proud of.
Breaking with convention to achieve perfection
At the end of the day, it’s that willingness to break with convention and step away from the norm in our pursuit of perfection that has allowed us to craft whiskeys that have really taken the world by storm. We don’t do things by halves, we don’t compromise on quality, and we don’t cut corners. From the methods we use to the accessories that create the perfect whiskey experience, every element of our process balances a respect for tradition with a willingness to disrupt and reinvent.
Chatting about the dishes and cigars I’d choose to pair with The Taoscán was a pleasure, particularly after our recent partnership with Adam Handling who created an incredible pairing dish, Celtic Cousins. Seeing my whiskeys paired with dishes of such culinary prowess, and being able to order a glass of my own whiskey at the bar, was a defining moment in my career so far, and I’m excited for the future of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.
Read on to find out what cigar I recommend pairing with Ireland’s Best Single Malt, The Devil’s Keep, which dishes pair best with The Taoscán, and find out why I’m so excited for the future of the company.