A Revival
As much as it’s lovely to see the revival in the fortunes of the Irish whiskey industry, it’s getting hard to differentiate between the new brands. Especially when so many seem to have a similar tale to tell: a long lost name from the glory years, revived to capitalise on the current boom. Still, if nothing else, it’s nice to have a light shone on some of the forgotten chapters of this industry’s long, long story.
Gelston’s is another long-defunct brand that’s recently been revived. It was originally established by Belfast wine and whiskey merchant, Samuel Gelston, in 1830.
When Gelston passed away in 1869, his business was taken over by Harry James Neill. Neill left Ireland for Australia in 1851, at the height of the Gold Rush. However, the wily businessman had no intention of prospecting for gold. Instead he set up a provisions business that sold crucial supplies to the miners and their families. He also encouraged his younger brothers to follow in his wake.
Neill sold his share in the company in1862 and returned home a very wealthy man. When he later acquired Gelston’s Whiskey, he used contacts made in Australia, not least the businesses set up by his own brothers, to help him export the product. Neill & Co, run by his brother Percival, was the largest spirits business in New Zealand at that time. Unsurprisingly, Gelston’s became a big seller down under.
Despite its success, the brand went the way of many Irish whiskies and faded into obscurity. However, it was revived in 2016 by Johnny Neill, great-great grandson of H. J. Neill. Johnny created Whitley Neill gin in 2005 and wanted to expand into other categories. When he uncovered the family’s history in whiskey, he began to develop an idea for a new / old brand of Irish Whiskey.
Gelston’s re-launched in 2016, using whiskey sourced from Cooley Distillery. Neill has since gone on to develop a range of single malt, single pot still and blended Irish Whiskey.
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The Whiskey
*Full disclosure: This sample was included in an advent calendar that I was sent for free. As always I will strive to give an honest opinion on the whiskey and the value for money it represents.
To create this wine-finished single pot still whiskey, Johnny Neill partnered with a famous relative: actor-turned-winemaker Sam Neill. Pinot Noir casks from Sam’s vineyard in New Zealand were used to finish the spirit for up to 21 months. It’s bottled at 40% abv and retails for £26.49.
Smell: Quite a grainy nose. Lots of cereals. Malt and grist. Straw. Vanilla. Honey. Spicy new oak. Apple juice. Pear. Cherry Bakewell. Almond flakes.
Taste: Strawberry jam. Glace cherries. Raspberry. Baking spices.. cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. New oak. Dry red wine finish.
Thoughts: There’s a surprising fullness to both the feel and flavour of this whiskey. Especially given its low bottling strength and affordability. A grainy nose turns into a fruity, winey palate with some pleasant oaky spice. At first that spice was quite intense but a wee bit of water smoothed off the rough edges and brought better balance to the dram.
Value for money: This is my first attempt at trying something from the Gelston’s range and I’m quite impressed. It comes in just over £25 and the whiskey has some interesting elements with a nice balance to it. Good bang for your buck.
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For more on Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey visit: https://samuelgelstons.com/
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