Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review

Keeper’s Heart
Single Malt
Aged 10 Years
Irish Whiskey Finished in Malaga Wine Casks
86 Proof
MSRP: $74.99
O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co
Review

Please enjoy our Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review!

From the distillery: Our first aged statement [whiskey] is made from a mash of malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills and aged for 10 years in ex bourbon barrels. We then finish it in Malaga wine casks which adds notes of stone fruits and marzipan that marry wonderfully with the malty character.

The Team Behind Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey

O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. (the maker of Keeper’s Heart whiskeys) in Minneapolis, MN, was founded by cousins Patrick & Michael O’Shaughnessy. The O’Shaughnessys are joined by Master Distiller, Brian Nation, and Liquid Collaborator & Advisor, David Perkins, co-founder of High West Distillery. Furthermore, Brian Nation was formerly Master Distiller for Irish Distillers. If you aren’t familiar with Irish Distillers (now part of Pernod Ricard), they make some of the best known Irish whiskeys in the world. Their brands include Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, the Spot range and Powers Irish Whiskey. Therefore, O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. has the pedigree to make some excellent whiskeys.

Irish Whiskey From Minnesota?

Irish Whiskey from Minnesota? Well, yes. Sort of. Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey was distilled and aged in Ireland. It has to be, in order to be an Irish Whiskey. In fact, Irish Whiskey can only be exported in bottles or inert containers, such that no further aging takes place outside of Ireland. It can, however, be bottled in other countries. However, the proofing water must be demineralized such as not to alter the whiskey’s flavor. Coincidentally, if you want to learn all about the rules and types of Irish Whiskey, I’ve written an article entitled “What is Irish Whiskey“. It will teach you all you need to know.

Tasting Notes – Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Sweet pears, tangerines, grapefruit, mild lighter malt, hints of floral notes and dark plums; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof
👉🏻Taste: Quite sweet, with syrupy simple syrup; subtle red wine notes, mild maltiness, mild tart citrus & black pepper
👉🏻Finish: Pears, black pepper, mild barrel char and subtle red wine notes; increasingly dry; black pepper and char grow at the end; lingering mild smoke and pepper; fairly long

The nose of Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey starts off quite sweet, yet also with some cirrus tartness. There is quite a bit of fruit, too, with sweet pears being dominant. Additionally, there are tangerines and grapefruits, as well. In the background is a mild maltiness with hints of dark plums and floral notes. Which floral notes? I can’t say; I’m no botanist, but they’re there. The alcohol vapor is fairly mild, and appropriate for the proof.

The taste also begins quite sweet, with syrupy simple syrup. There are subtle dark red wine notes, as well, with a mild maltiness, mild tart, citrus, and black pepper. In the finish, the sweet pears are back, and are most noticeable early on. There is also black pepper and mild barrel char, which grow into the long and increasingly dry finish. Along the way are also subtle red wine notes. However, in the end I am left with lingering mild spice and smoke.

Sweet Pears Are Dominant

For me, sweet pears are the dominant note in Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey. That is particularly true in the nose, less so in the taste, but true again, in the finish, early on. In addition, there is also so much more. Contradictory, yet complementary, tartness from the citrus, light maltiness, and increasing dryness, spice and char in the finish round out the flavor profile. Furthermore, the spice and smoke never become at all overpowering, remaining fairly mild.

Red Wine Notes & Malaga Wine

Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey has some red wine notes present throughout. However, they remain mainly in the background, or blend with the other fruit, so are not the dominant flavor. I assume these notes are coming from the Malaga wines, although those wines are often made with white grapes. However, the Malaga flavors do change as they age. In fact, according to the distillery, the Malaga wine is adding stone fruits and marzipan. The stone fruits I believe, and those may be contributing to the red wine notes; marzipan, not so much. I would also suspect that some of the sweetness, and maybe some of the other fruits, are also coming from the fortified wine, as well.

Conclusion

Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey is quite an enjoyable pour! It has the types of fruit flavors that I really enjoy in an Irish Whiskey. In addition, I do like the added complexity provided by the other flavors, as well. If you are a fan of a fairly sweet and fruity Irish Whiskey, but also like a little added citrus, spice and smoke, then Keepers Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey is definitely one you’ll want to try. Have you had it? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

Personalized Keeper’s Heart Labels For The Holidays

For the 2024 holiday season, Keeper’s Heart will mail a personalized label to you, at no additional cost. It’s easy to complete the steps to design the label on their website. Each label can be tailored with names, special dates, or heartfelt messages, making each bottle a unique and personalized gift.

We hope you have enjoyed our Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review! If you would like to read about some of their other whiskeys, then check out our Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon Review and our Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon Cask Strength Review.

This bottle was graciously provided to me for my review by the brand.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!