New kid on the block. A lot of action, little talk.

As you might have guessed, the Quiet Man is a new actor on the international Whiskey stage. The Whiskey is a product of a partnership between the St. Louis based Luxco Company and Niche Drinks in Derry, Northern Ireland. This is the first Irish Whiskey bottled in Derry in well over a 100 years. They’re getting their spirit elsewhere for now, but a new distillery is in the works as well. That’s great news for them and for Irish Whiskey in general, which is running low on supply as it is.

The Quiet Man brand was born when Ciaran Mulgrew, the founder of Niche Drinks, decided to create a Whiskey to honor his father. The latter was a Belfast bartender for 50 years and was, like any good bartender, true to the code and told no tales — he was indeed The Quiet Man or as they say in Ireland, "An Fear Ciuin." Their handcrafted Whiskey is distilled in traditional Irish Whiskey pot stills, matured in oak barrels and recasked in first-fill bourbon casks. The fact that finishing takes place in barrels that previously held only Bourbon, gives this dram a bit of a special twist and originality.

Their flagship is currently the Quiet Man 8 YO, single malt bottled at 40% ABV and aged for 8 years. Although we’re dealing with a relatively young dram (and a young brand!), we can safely vouch it can spar with the big boys when it comes to flavor and complexity, while retaining that classic smooth finish synonymous with Irish Whiskey. If you’re looking for a gateway into the world of Irish Whiskey, this is a good place to start. If you know your way around them already, you’ve got a new friend on the other side of the bar. The Quiet Man.