The Sexton single malt Irish whiskey
Talk about a strange bottle
Almost every aspect of this bottle is, in a way, a bit strange.
First of all: The shape of this bottle. The hexagonal shape immediately catches your attention when you see it next to other bottles. Never mind the logo of a skeleton with a top hat.
Secondly: The name. I checked the dictionary:
Sexton /ˈsɛkst(ə)n/, noun:
a person who looks after a church and churchyard, typically acting as bell-ringer and gravedigger.
And third: I got it from someone who is not even allowed to buy alcohol yet!
(Special thanks for this bottle goes to Sep, who went viral with a TikTok movie about model trains.)
But there are more things that are a bit off. The Sexton is being produced by Proximo Spirits but, and I'm not getting this really confirmed, distilled at the Bushmills distillery. However, it is not in the Bushmills range. So, basically the Sexton "borrowed" the stills of Bushmills?
It has been developed by master blender Alex Thomas, who is the master blender at the Bushmills distillery since november 2021.
It is a triple distilled whiskey in copper pot stills. The triple distillation is typical for Irish whiskey. What is special, is that the Sexton is made with 100% Irish malted barley. First of all, Irish barley is being used. I guess this goes a little towards local barley? Secondly, Irish pot still whiskey only needs a minimum of 30% malted barley as ingredient to be called that.
This whiskey is aged on oloroso sherry butts. I suspect 3-4 years, since it is a NAS whiskey. It is bottled at 40% Vol.
While pouring it, I disliked the shape of the bottle. I just could not pour a dram without spilling some drops.
The color is a warm copper, but created with pigment.
Turning it around in the glass, it leaves a thick teary line.
On the nose: Spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, nuts and dried fruits
Taste: A bit too smooth for me. Very short hints of dried fruits, fresh citrus, honeycomb and some oak.
Finish: Short sweet finish, honey and oak.