A new name in Irish whiskey – Outwalker – was officially launched at an event in Belfast, Northern Ireland recently with nearly 200 people from business and industry gathered to hear about the venture and the unmistakable bold offering, with its distinctive taste and brand as ‘The Restless Spirit’.
Outwalker is a unique blend of Single Malt aged in white burgundy casks, Pot Still aged in ex-Oloroso Sherry, with Grain aged in Virgin American Oak and Grain aged in Rye Casks.
It was developed by one of the world’s foremost drinks authorities Jillian Vose, formerly Beverage Director of New York’s famous Dead Rabbit and now co-owner of the eagerly anticipated Hazel & Apple opening soon in Charleston, South Carolina.
The idea for Outwalker – which was forged many years ago in Belfast’s luxury hotel The Merchant – combines Jillian’s expertise with that of leading Irish hospitality guru Sean Muldoon, co-founder of Dead Rabbit, named twice as the world’s best bar, and co-owner with Jillian of Hazel & Apple; award-winning hotelier and entrepreneur Adrian McLaughlin and hospitality business expert, and ex-international rugby player Darren Cave.
Together they have created this new golden honey-coloured premium spirit to be enjoyed whenever, however, and wherever by those with a sense of adventure.
Wholly distilled, blended, aged, and bottled in Ireland, Outwalker is rooted in tradition while reflecting the world of today. With over 40 distilleries now in Ireland producing around 110m LPA of whiskey a year, the Irish whiskey market is booming. In 2021, 14 million cases were sold globally, a 21 per cent increase on 2020, contributing over €700 million to the Irish economy.
Irish whiskey expressions are also increasing in prominence, and in the last 10 years alone the premium market grew a staggering 1,053 per cent, with super premium growing 2,769 per cent according to DISCUS.
Whiskey is now increasingly enjoyed across generations. With the explosion of craft cocktails with whiskey as a prime ingredient, there is undoubtedly a fast-growing appreciation for the spirit, particularly among women and younger drinkers.
The launch of Outwalker is perfectly timed to take advantage of this growing interest in Irish Whiskey, as Sean Muldoon explained: “Outwalker was born to meet the need for a genuinely unique blend of component whiskeys, something that was both a cocktail staple and also good enough to sip on its own.”
“Through the creation process I researched a lot of grain whiskeys and found two that stood out: one aged in Virgin American oak and another in Rye casks. These combined very well with each other, making a great backbone for the whiskeys.” Jillian Vose
Jillian stated also that “the Pot Still aged in ex-Oloroso sherry casks brought richness and body, while the Virgin American oak pulls out a lot of fruit notes from the white burgundy cask single malt – which brought everything together and gave the spirit a lovely minerality, pulling so much from the other components.”
On the nose, Outwalker has aromas of butterscotch, apricot and cinnamon. The new spirit has a complex, fruity, and assertive taste with a toffee sweetness and notes of mango and hints of pineapple, and a lingering finish with the characteristic Irish whiskey maltiness and spice.
Notable on the captivating bottle is a nod to Ireland’s mythical past in the headless figure of the dullahan – a wandering spirit gathering and sharing stories.
Outwalker co-founder Adrian McLaughlin said: “Joining forces with Sean, Jillian and Darren, we know we have created something really special for cocktail fans and whiskey connoisseurs alike.
“We are confident, like our spirit, that this will be one of the most talked-about Irish whiskeys for many years to come.”
Fellow co-founder Darren Cave added: “Outwalker is by nature, adventurous and open. It will be savoured by many, enjoying the quality of the blend and sharing a good time – in the great Irish tradition.”
A 70cl 44.5% ABV bottle of the new Outwalker is available from £40/€50 RRP and stockists can be found at www.outwalkerwhiskey.com/find
Further information available here: www.outwalkerwhiskey.com
If you would like to import, distribute or simply to stock the Outwalker Irish whiskey – please get in touch.
Disclaimer: I have been involved in bringing the Outwalker Irish whiskey project to life through my consultancy business (Inside the Cask Ltd).
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