The Busker was named the top Irish Whiskey Blend in a blind, independent tasting of industry experts. The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth was blind-tasted against four leading Irish Whiskeys in similar price points, including Proper No. Twelve, Jameson, Bushmills, and Tullamore D.E.W. The panel consisted of five renowned industry experts, including Andy Seymour, Julie Reiner, Anu Apte, Sean Kenyon and Jackie Summers. The panel judged each spirit on appearance, nose, aroma and finish. Awarded the highest aggregate score, The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth was recognized as a standout among the judges for its distinctive taste in a world of similar-tasting Irish whiskeys.
“The Busker is unique, unlike any other of the whiskies we tasted,” said Andy Seymour, owner of Liquid Productions and partner in BAR. “All the others were going in the same direction, and this stood out right away. The Busker has a bolder and richer taste that we all immediately picked up on.”
“The Busker is an apple among oranges,” said New York-based Julie Reiner, known for her award-winning beverage programs at Clover Club and Leyenda. “This is a whiskey that bartenders will embrace because it will perform excellently in craft cocktails.” The panel noted that the bold flavors of the Co Carlow-based brand’s Whiskey make it suitable for sipping as well as for cocktails.
The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth combines the Busker Single Grain with a high percentage of The Busker’s Single Malt and Single Pot Whiskeys. Matured and finished in three different casks (Bourbon, Sherry, Marsala), it brings richness and smoothness to the Irish Whiskey landscape.
“Our team at The Royal Oak Distillery set out to make an Irish whiskey that would appeal not only to Irish whiskey drinkers, but also to bourbon lovers,” said Ignacio Llaneza, Vice President of Brand & Trade Marketing for Disaronno International in the U.S. “We’re able to achieve a fuller, rounder whiskey with a higher malt content in the recipe, and triple cask finishing in Bourbon, Sherry and Marsala casks. Ultimately, we want to provide a journey into Irish whiskey at an affordable price point. Based on the tremendous feedback from our esteemed judging panel, quite frankly we believe The Busker has the potential to become the preferred Irish whiskey in the United States.”
Jackie Summers, creator of Sorel Liqueur, noted that, “The Busker was the outlier, and the only bottle I would drink and buy again.” Denver-based Sean Kenyon, the person behind award-winning bars Williams & Graham, Occidental and American Bonded, agreed, calling The Busker blend “a real stand out, something interesting in the Irish whiskey world where the others go in the same direction.” Anu Apte, behind a number of award-winning Seattle bars including Rob Roy, No Anchor, Navy Strength, Vinnie’s Wine Shop and The Bar Bazaar enjoyed The Busker’s round, soft and integrated notes. “The Busker brings an exciting and very different new distillate to market,” she said.
The blind tasting established The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth as one of the finest Irish Whiskey blends available.
Disaronno International, the American arm of the famed Italian liqueur, brought The Busker Irish Whiskey to America for the first time last year.
