Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 10 minutes.
Distillery: Sourced from Great Northern Distillery, Co. Louth, Ireland. Cedar Ridge Distillery, Swisher, IA. Produced and Bottled in Ireland by Four Walls. Master Blender, Rupert Egan.
Proof: 80.
Age: NAS, but at least 4 years according to Four Walls. Irish whiskey maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon char#4 casks. Rye Whiskey maturation in new charred American oak casks.
Mash bill:
95% Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey: 76% Grain whiskey (85% Maize/15% Malt), 19% Irish single malt (100 % malted barley).
5% Rye Whiskey: 51% Malted Rye/34% Rye/12% Corn/3% Malted Barley.
Retail Price: $29.99.
Appearance: Light caramel.
Nose
Upfront, there’s a nice mix of sweet caramel, butterscotch, and malt, followed by subtle apples and pears, with herbal notes of green tea, vanilla, a very nice floral note, lemon citrus brightness, toasted oak, and allspice. This profile leans on the caramel sweet side but has a good balance of malt and fruit, with underlying herbal notes and brightness, and a modest amount of toasted oak and allspice hanging underneath.
Palate
There’s a hint of smoke, malt, and caramel with apples, green tea, toasted oak, and a gentle amount of allspice. The mouthfeel is very good, and much more viscous than expected from an 80-proof whiskey. There’s less complexity here than on the nose, but there’s still a tasty mix of flavors in this very easy drinking profile.
Finish
A moderate amount of allspice continues with toasted oak, apples, while lemon citrus, vanilla, and floral return as the spice settles. The finish is on the short side as the spice fades away, leaving subtle tannins of lingering pipe tobacco
Conclusion
Four Walls has a flavor profile that’s more interesting than I expected. For the most part, the profile is what you’d expect, being 95% Irish whiskey. The 5% Rye whiskey contribution is subtle, yet noticeable. I’m not familiar with Cedar Ridge Rye’s profile, but Four Wall has some signature, tell-tale rye flavors. Particularly, the herbal and rye spice. I’m also picking up barrel characteristics, with more butterscotch and tannins that are typical of whiskey aged in new American oak. Because I’m too curious for my own good, I compared Four Walls with the original versions of Jameson, Bushmills, and Tullamore D.E.W.. I also compared Four Walls to Keeper’s Heart Irish + American, which I’ll discuss later.
Compared to Jameson, Bushmills, and Tullamore D.E.W., the 5% Rye whiskey in Four Walls had more of an influence than I originally thought, but still a very dominant Irish whiskey blend. Another takeaway was that Four Walls has a more flavor-intensive profile and a significantly better mouthfeel. I’m aware that everyone has their own palate, but I preferred Four Walls to the other three. The whiskey that came closest was Tullamore D.E.W. for its fruitier, brighter profile, which offered a good contrast. I’ve tried the original Bushmills before, but I didn’t recall it having such a strong lavender floral note that just wasn’t my jam. Jameson was the least complex and my least favorite.
Keeper’s Heart is an Irish-American whiskey brand from the Minnesota-based O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co., which launched its first release in 2021. Until their own distillate is ready, they’re sourcing their Irish whiskey from GND (same as Four Walls) and their rye and bourbon whiskeys from MGP, in Indiana. I compared Four Walls with Keeper’s Heart Irish + American whiskey (86 proof, $34.99). Keeper’s Heart doesn’t disclose its blend ratio of Irish to American whiskey, but it tastes like a 50-50 split, or close to it. MGP’s signature herbal rye notes are up front and center, compared to Four Walls’ dominant Irish whiskey profile. I also expected the higher ABV in Keeper’s Heart to give it an advantage, but the 6% increase in ABV didn’t make a difference. What the Keeper’s Heart had in herbaceous rye flavors, Four Walls made up for it in malt, caramel, and stone fruit. Because I’m a big rye fan, I liked Keeper’s Heart as much as Four Walls, but if American rye whiskey isn’t your thing, or you’re looking for more of an Irish whiskey profile, Keeper’s Heart may not be your best choice.
Four Walls is off to a good start. I would like to see them expand their lineup while continuing to offer high-quality and value-driven releases, including higher-proof and older-aged options, as well as wine or sherry cask finishes. If you already enjoy Irish whiskey in this price and proof range, Four Walls is a very good option that I’d recommend trying.
Rating: 5.5/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
