Knockeen Hills Poteen 140 Proof
"Farmers Strength"
Legend has it that Poteen , meaning 'little pot', has been produced in Ireland since the time when potatoes were first harvested. Also known as "Irish Moonshine Whiskey" or "Mountain Dew", its taste has been described as distinctive and unique, with dry, grainy kicks. Its aftertaste can have hints of toffee and other flavors and tends to sweeten as it develops.
In 1661, the English, attempting to re-build their post-war treasury, decided to introduce a charge on spirits. In Ireland, this forbade private distillation not licensed by the State. Therefore, to distill Poteen was against the law and led to a substantial section of the nation being deemed "criminals".
The distillation of Poteen became a large underground movement. Christmas proved a successful time for the racketeers when they supplied huge amounts of spirit to both the Republic and Northern Ireland. Most of the time, it was purchased for parties where the hosts wished to provide their guests with something a little different than could be obtained from an off-license.
It is said that a good Poteen should only contain the finest malt yeast, barley, sugar and water. A beer or "baor" was achieved by fermenting the ingredients in wooden barrels, for around three weeks. This was then distilled, usually in a home-made still, to produce a clear spirit with a distinct smell.
Throughout decades of illegal production, doctors have condemned the trade and warned of the dangers of alcohol poisoning. They claimed that Poteen led to more alcoholism within rural areas of Ireland, as well as an increase in mental illness. That said, a doctor did claim in 1730 that drinking Poteen "to the point of intoxication held off old-age, aided digestion, enlightened ye heart and quickened ye mind".
Nose: The nose on the 140 proof "gold strength" is notciably less sweet than on the "farmers strength" with a clear hint at green olive and a crispness of barley.
Taste: This Irish Poteen coats the tongue and slides down the throat. Like many other high proof spirits, it will parch the mouth. While it was quite warm, on ice it's easy to drink, as easy as most vodkas of even lesser strength. The taste was of melon and vanilla followed by a green olive flush that was hinted at in the nose
Finish: The finish on this Poteen is dry and somewhat unrelenting. Even with the melon sweetness in the taste, you can be left a little parched from this poteen, but that is to be expected of even the smoothest drinking 140 proof spirit.
send emails to
greazer@hotmail.com
(email encoded to protect against spam)