We all know that making a great Irish Whiskey isn’t just
about the right ingredients so we’ve decided to let a few
secrets out so you can enjoy our whiskey knowing…

Distillation

The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes Collection is produced using an Extended Double
Distillation, so making for a much smoother product with much more character,
as can be seen from the very high accolades our whiskey receives.

Liquor Stock

The key to our super premium whiskey lies in the blending: mixing the liquor stock of
malted and non-malted grains to achieve the right balance between the malt (robust and
fiery) and the grain (lighter and smoother).
Of course, The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes Collection also includes a superb Single Malt.

Barrelage

The whiskey we use is matured in single use white oak barrels that have previously
been used to make bourbon – but only once. These are some of the most expensive
barrels that can be used to mature whiskey.
Barrels impart flavour to whiskey during the maturation process and the more times
a barrel has previously been used the less flavour, complexity and character will come
through in the whiskey.

Age

Ageing is a marketing mistake gone seriously wrong. It was a mistake when the first
whisky was introduced with an age statement by Glenfiddich (in 1963), despite whisky
having been made and sold for four hundred years prior to that year.
The quality of whiskey is not determined by its age but by the quality of all the ingredients
and processes used. For this reason, super premium whiskies now no longer carry an age statement.

Maturation

Maturation is really a function of climate (temperature) and the quality of barrels used.
It is a process that below a temperature of 6 degrees centigrade stops and above a certain
temperature becomes volatile.
In Ireland the climate is very temperate and rarely falls below freezing point, whereas in
Scotland it can drop to even twenty to twenty five below zero.
The result is a stable maturation process in Ireland. As the daytime temperature rises
(gently) the whiskey expands and is forced into the wood, which is why the quality of
the barrels is so important.
As it cools in the night, again gently, the maturation process forces the whiskey out of
the wood – slowly not harshly – bringing with it the colour and flavour of the wood.

Tasting

Is subjective and the way whiskey is drunk is personal. No one is right or wrong in how
they enjoy whiskey but the 3 senses that will always come into play are:

Sight

The colour, the clarity and whether there are any visible impurities. When water is added
to whiskey the liquor might seem to ‘cloud up’ but this a completely normal process.

Nose

Let the aromas linger in the nostril and try to appreciate the subtle higher notes.
By adding a little water to your whiskey, the nose of the whiskey opens up.

Taste

Let the whiskey flow in and around the mouth so that it reaches all parts of the tongue.
Taste the whiskey by ‘chewing’ it for 4-5 seconds. Pay close attention to the after-taste.