Egan’s Centenary release marks 100 years since the passing of founder Henry Egan - a spirit merchant, bonder, bottler, and passionate Irishman who made his mark on Irish history.
Centenary is a blend of meticulously selected single malt and single grain Irish whiskey. The elegantly complex single malt whiskey character is balanced with lighter notes of vanilla sweetness from the grain whiskey. Together they are married in XO Cognac Casks of French Limousin Oak to add more layers of flavor.
Tasting it is a delicious and luxurious experience - a nose with floral notes and accents of honey and apricot turns into a complex taste of light wafers, almond, ginger, and zesty fruits when it hits your palate. The finish is long and gentle, with the ginger notes giving way to lemon zest and licorice.
A multi-generational brand known for its single malt and single grain whiskeys, the legacy of Egan’s reaches back to 1852, when spirit merchants, bonders and bottlers P. & H. Egan Limited was established in Tullamore, County Offaly.
While his brother Patrick Egan was the commercial brains behind P. & H. Egan Ltd., Henry was the company’s public face, as well as a political Irishman of conviction. As secretary of the Tullamore Land League, Henry aligned his views with fellow Irish nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell and was even imprisoned for five weeks in 1881 under the Coercion Act.
In 1887, Henry was involved in the ‘Tullamore Tweed’ incident, when Land League leaders William O’Brien, M.P. and John Mandeville were imprisoned at Tullamore Gaol. The men refused to wear official prison garments, protesting their non-criminal status and declaring themselves as political prisoners. Henry managed to smuggle in a suit of Irish Blarney Tweed, a soft hat, and an emerald green tie for O’Brien to wear in defiance of the authorities.
In a nod to the Tullamore Tweed incident, each bottle of Egan’s Centenary comes with an Irish tweed coaster, produced in partnership with Magee of Donegal.
Centenary is available in limited quantities world-wide starting this month, October 2019. US buyers can find out where to purchase Centenary here. And whiskey fans in Ireland can buy Centenary here.
“Centenary is an homage to my family’s tradition of bonding and bottling whiskeys of the highest quality since 1852,” said Jonathan Egan. “It is an ongoing testament to Henry and Patrick Egan, whose commitment to excellence has made the Egan’s name synonymous with some of the best Irish whiskeys in the world, and a special mark of respect to Henry and his passionate dedication to his country.”
Egan’s award-winning repertoire of superior Irish whiskeys includes the Legacy Reserve series, Legacy Reserve II, a 16-year-old single malt, and the original limited-edition 15-year-old Legacy Reserve alongside Fortitude, Vintage Grain and the brand’s 10-year-old Single Malt.
“In keeping with the Egan’s brand heritage of crafting ground-breaking, innovative expressions, we are delighted to bring this unique expression to market” John Ralph, CEO of Intrepid Spirits, the brand’s distribution partner, said. “Centenary is limited to only 6,000 bottles worldwide, offering a unique opportunity for connoisseurs to add to their collection.”
For more information, check out www.eganswhiskey.com or connect with them on Instagram @egansirishwhiskey.
