Top 20 Whiskies of 2019

#18 • Powers Three Swallow

  • Rank: 18
  • Year: 2019
  • Score: 92
  • Price: $48
  • ABV: 43.2%
  • Style: Single Pot Still
  • Place of Origin: Ireland

The Powers Distillery in Dublin historically used the swallow to signify the age, quality, and purity of its traditional pot still whiskeys. This powerful expression, predominantly matured in bourbon with some sherry casks, has an intriguing nose of candied peel, dried apricot, mango strips, white pepper, herbal notes, almond paste, and sweet grapefruit flesh. Thick and velvety, there’s warm marmalade, sugared almonds, golden barley, citrus, green apple, and acrobatic spices. A superb introduction to this quintessential Irish whiskey style. —Jonny McCormick