- Powers (whiskey)
Infobox Beverage
name = Powers Gold Label
type =Irish whiskey
proof = 80
manufacturer =Irish Distillers
origin =Ireland
introduced = 1791
variants = Powers 12 year old reserve
discontinued =
related = Paddy, JamesonPowers Gold Label is a brand of
Irish whiskey . Originally apure pot still whiskey , it is now produced from a blend of pot still andgrain whiskey . It is the most popular Irish whiskey sold inIreland , selling over 6 million measures per annum [cite web | url = http://www.premiumwhiskeys.com/products/product.asp?product_id=14 | title = Premium Whiskeys: Powers Gold Label | accessdate = 2007-02-21 ] .History
In 1791 James Power, an innkeeper from
Dublin established the John's Lane Distillery at Thomas St.,Dublin . Initially trading as James Power, at the turn of the 19th century James' son John joined the business, and the company became known as John Power & Son.Under John Power's management the company prospered. By 1823, with the help of a 500 gallon
still , the annual output had grown to 33,000 gallons. A decade later, this had increased tenfold to approximately 330,000 gallons per annum.As the distillery grew, so too did the stature of the family. John Power was knighted and later made
High Sheriff ofDublin .In 1866, John Power & Son began bottling their own whiskey, becoming one of the first distilleries in the world to do so. Until then, distilleries usually sold whiskey by the cask. A gold label adorned each bottle and it was from these that the whiskey got the name "Powers Gold Label".
In 1871 now occupying convert|7|acre|m2, the distillery was rebuilt in Victorian style and was one of the most impressive sights in Dublin.
The last member of the board with a family connection was Sir Thomas Talbot Power who died in 1936. Ownership remained in the family until 1966, when Powers joined with the only other remaining distillers in Republic, the
Cork Distillers Company and their Dublin rivals John Jameson & Son, to form the Irish Distillers Group.The newly formed Irish Distillers Group decided, in a bold move, to close all of their existing distilleries and build a modern plant in
Midleton ,County Cork beside the existingOld Midleton Distillery . One evening in 1975, distillery workers finished the day in the old distillery and began work the next day in the new one.In 1972, Irish Distillers acquired the Bushmills Distillery in
Northern Ireland , bringing all distilleries on the island (at the time) under their control.In 1989,
Pernod-Ricard successfully bid for ownership of the Irish Distillers.Current Day Production
Powers Gold label is a blend of approximately 70% pot still and 30%
grain whiskey [cite web | url = http://www.barmedia.com/amo/1418bp.htm | title = Bar Media | accessdate = 2007-02-21 ] . It currently has sales of over 2.5 million bottles per year [cite web | url = http://www.irishdistillers.ie/brands/powers.shtml | title = Irish Distillers: Powers Gold Label | accessdate = 2007-02-21 ] .Variants
Powers 12 Year Old Reserve is a premium edition. It contains a blend of whiskeys aged from 12 to 24 years in oak casks. It also has a high pot still content. [cite web | url = http://www.premiumwhiskeys.com/products/product.asp?product_id=15 | title = Premium Whiskeys: Powers Reserve | accessdate = 2007-02-18 ] .
See also
*
Irish Whiskey
*Irish whiskey brands
*Jameson Irish Whiskey References
External links
* [http://www.premiumwhiskeys.com The Premium Irish Whiskey Club] - part of Irish Distillers
* [http://www.irishdistillers.ie Irish Distillers]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
