Learning about whiskey is one of the few things in the world that can be simultaneously considered “homework” and “fun.” One class in the subject that can’t be rushed is Irish whiskey. When first entering this classroom, you’re likely tasting through many affordable blends from the likes of Jameson, Bushmills, and Teeling. But there are affordable options that fall into the category of single malt that should not be overlooked. A notable one on our list of the best Irish whiskeys for beginners is The Sexton Single Malt — an unintimidating Irish whiskey for around $30.
學習威士忌是世界上少數同時可以被視為「功課」與「樂趣」的事物之一。在這個課堂中，無法匆促的課就是愛爾蘭威士忌。當你首次走入這個課堂時，你可能會嘗試到許多由 Jameson、Bushmills、Teeling 等品牌所提供的實惠混合威士忌。但也有屬於單一麥芽類型且價格實惠的選擇不該被忽視。我們在初學者最佳愛爾蘭威士忌名單中，一個值得注意的就是 The Sexton Single Malt——以大約 30 美元的價格，這是一款不會讓人畏懼的愛爾蘭威士忌。
Unintimidating doesn’t mean boring, but it does mean approachable. As an Irish single malt, the whiskey is distilled in copper pot stills inside a single distillery from 100% malted barley. But the minimum three years of aging in wooden casks is surpassed by an extra year, and the whiskey is triple-distilled to become smoother. What’s more, rather than any old oak casks, the whiskey was aged in ex-oloroso sherry casks, giving it deeper dried-fruit complexity. The nose exhibits spiced, honeyed, and roasted notes with nutty almond and dark chocolate complexity.
不嚇人的風格不等於無聊，而是易於接近。作為愛爾蘭單一麥芽威士忌，這款酒在同一座釀酒廠內，使用 100% 麥芽大麥，於銅鍋蒸餾。雖然最少陳放三年於木桶中，但再加上一年的時間，並且採用三次蒸餾以提高順滑度。更重要的是，這款酒並非使用普通橡木桶，而是在前置過歐洛洛索雪莉酒桶的桶中熟成，賦予更深層的乾果複雜度。鼻香呈現香料、蜂蜜、烘烤感，並帶有堅果杏仁與黑巧克力的層次。
Flavor-wise, there are similar notes throughout a mellow, slightly sweet sip with a hint of citrus for levity. What makes The Sexton Single Malt such a worthwhile single malt Irish whisky for beginners is how it exemplifies the smoothness of triple-copper pot distillation and the richness and complexity of sherry cask aging.
在口味方面，整體有著溫和、略帶甜味的風味，伴隨一絲柑橘的提亮。The Sexton Single Malt 成為初學者值得一試的愛爾蘭單一麥芽威士忌，原因在於它完美詮釋了三次銅鍋蒸餾的順滑感，以及雪莉桶熟成帶來的豐富與複雜性。
The brand is a whole vibe
From a quality perspective, can this whiskey compete with other well-known Irish single malts that cost twice the price? Well, no, but this is a beginner single malt with an appropriate price tag that’s enjoyable and intriguing. As much as a single malt is usually tested for its sipping ability, The Sexton is certainly poised as a great whiskey for cocktails. The levity of its fruitier notes and perceived sweetness make it suitable for frothy whiskey sours and highballs. Meanwhile, the richer sherry, spice, and nutty characters make it a good choice for heavier, boozier libations like the classic Boulevardier cocktail.
從品質角度來看，這款威士忌能否與其他知名的愛爾蘭單麥芽威士忌（價格是它的兩倍）一較高下？嗯，不能完全如此，但這是一款價格合理、適合初學者的單麥芽，既好喝又吸引人。儘管單麥芽通常是以品嚐能力為測試，但 The Sexton 明顯適合作為雞尾酒的好酒。它較清新的果香與明顯的甜感，使其適合製作蓬鬆的威士忌酸與高球。與此同時，更豐富的雪莉、香料與堅果風味，使其成為較濃烈、含酒量較高的雞尾酒，如經典 Boulevardier 的不錯選擇。
The distinctively vintage-style hexagonal bottle has a dark and gothic vibe, with an image of a top hat-clad skeleton. This seems to be the ghostly Sexton himself, the church custodian whom the brand describes as “Keeper of graves. Ringer of Bells. A navigator between those who are here and those who are gone.” Spooky… yet delicious. Aside from the standard Single Malt, there is also a newer 11-year-old version. This was initially released solely for travel retail, but has popped up occasionally for around $56 from other retailers.
這款獨特的六角形瓶身以復古風格呈現，帶有黑暗哥德系的氛圍，瓶身上有戴高帽的骷髏影像。這似乎就是幽靈般的 Sexton 本人——教堂的看守者，品牌描述他為「墳墓的看護、鐘聲的敲響者、活著與逝者之間的導航者」。 陰森……卻美味。除了標準的單一麥芽之外，還有較新的 11 年版本。最初僅為旅遊零售渠道發布，但後來偶爾也會在其他零售商以約 56 美元出現。
The brand is owned by Proximo Spirits and is the sister company of Jose Cuervo. The spirit is distilled in the copper pots at the Old Bushmills Distillery and curated by master blender Alex Thomas, who is also the master blender for Bushmills Irish Whiskey, also owned by Proximo Spirits. Thomas put her stamp on the whiskey backbar with The Sexton, which quickly became extremely popular as an Irish single malt in the U.S. shortly after its release in 2017.
該品牌由 Proximo Spirits 所擁有，是 Jose Cuervo 的姊妹公司。這款烈酒於 Old Bushmills Distillery 的銅鍋中蒸餾，並由首席混香師 Alex Thomas 調製；她同時也是 Proximo Spirits 旗下 Bushmills 愛爾蘭威士忌的首席混香師。Thomas 在酒吧的前檯以 The Sexton 留下了她的印記，該酒在 2017 年上市後不久便在美國成為極受歡迎的愛爾蘭單麥芽威士忌。
