Smoke & Mirrors Irish Single Malt | 48% ABV

Bonus Review: Two Stacks Dram in a Can 43% ABV

two stacks smoke and mirrors and dram in a can — Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*A new Irish distiller doing transparency right. Oh, and the whiskeys are delicious!*

Whiskey--prompted Introspection with a Side of Irish

‘Ole Broddy takes an inner look at himself and the power of uisge beatha.

When my Dramface audition piece was first sent to Chief Wally, I mentioned that a comfortable pace of whisky reviews for me would be one article every two weeks. I thought it would be an ideal balance considering two young kids, two active dogs, and a very demanding work schedule for both my wife and me. Recently, my wife was curious as to how many whiskies I had already reviewed, perhaps wary of the whisky bottles that were seemingly multiplying of their own accord on our bar. After a quick consultation of the internal review tracker we have behind the scenes here, the answer surprised even me! My first review was published on August 19th; fast forward almost exactly three months to when I’m writing this review, and I’ve delivered 18 reviews across 10 articles. Welp, that’s a 300% increase on my intended review pace! Seeing the shock on my wife’s face, and feeling a slight embarrassment for my part, I needed to do some thinking. What was prompting this additional effort on my part, and why?

I would like to think I’m a fairly busy person. I am fortunate to have a very active 4 year old, who is involved in skating lessons, swimming lessons, and gymnastics activities on a weekly basis, on top of the at-home activities of football and just generally running everywhere at an incredible pace. During the past summer months, he looked positively like Usain Bolt when outrunning the other kids on the soccer field and like an NFL receiver when catching my passes while running a route at full speed in our basement. My one-year-old is transitioning from the parent-killing, sleep-depriving marathon-at-a-sprint-pace that is the first several months of life to a sassy, precociously active, rapidly maturing little lady. On top of those two (amazing) hellions comes the constant barrage of colds, flus, viruses, and other general yuck that tends to come ripping through a household with two kids in daycare. The dogs get two walks a day, come rain, blizzard, or the pawsitively (sorry) frigid conditions we get here in Canada.

Adding to things, and making sure the kids are not the locus of my life and that a piece of pre-kids Broddy remains to be rekindled when they leave the nest, I’m restoring and upgrading a 1970s Datsun 280Z (known as the Nissan Fairlady Z in some circles) in my garage, adapting independent throttle bodies from a BMW M3, turning long-tube exhaust headers into a forthcoming titanium exhaust, adding race-track suspension and a roll-cage for safety. As this is being welded and built by yours truly. Pile on a master bedroom and bathroom renovation (again, completed by yours truly) in the past several months and you could say things have been hectic on top the 50–55 hour work weeks that have been the norm for the past couple of years.

Having just written that, I realize that my sense of time has been slipping. I remember working in the maternity ward the day after my son was born, handling some urgent business and deadlines, just over four years ago. Oy vey.

So, coming back to the ‘why’ question. Turns out writing for Dramface has been a mildly cathartic and stress-relieving activity. It’s an unintended bonus, an outlet, a pathway of regeneration rather than the neural degeneration that comes with staring mindlessly at a TV screen in the evenings. Crappy TV has turned into researching phenols, mindless Instagram scrolling has turned into reading the history of distilleries… You get the picture. Going to bed with a sense of accomplishment, accompanied with the corresponding dose of serotonin and dopamine, has led to better sleep, improved patience for the aforementioned children, and a more balanced mood. All of this has led to my increased article writing count, perhaps from the positive feedback loop created from those serotonin and dopamine hormones. It’s a very unintended and an entirely welcomed change.

So, how about some whisky now, eh?

“I mean, who is actually nosing this whiskey from the can?”

— [We are!]

Review 1/2

Two Stacks Smoke and Mirrors, Peated Stout Cask, 48% ABV
£42 (CAD$67), widely available

What happens when three young friends decide to jump into whisky? You get a fun company unshackled from corporate suits which wants to release good whisky in fun ways. Whether it’s interesting casking, selecting good whisky, or being ultra-transparent in their labelling, we get to see the fun upside of a growing global whisky market. Of course, there’s always a downside to rapid growth, but from my experience and others I trust, Two Stacks have yet to release a dud. It should also be mentioned that some of the Two Stacks founders also co-founded the renowned Killowen Distillery with Brendan Carty. That alone should tell you the authenticity and passion for quality and transparency that the Two Stacks team are bringing to the burgeoning Irish whiskey market.

As stated on the back label, this core-release vatting consists of 10% double-distilled unpeated malt and 30% triple-distilled peated malt, both ex-bourbon-matured, with the remaining 60% triple-distilled malt aged in ex-bourbon and ex-imperial stout casks. The imperial stout portion of these barrels are refill casks: ex-bourbon barrels are provided to several local Irish brewers for ageing their stouts before being returned to Two Stacks for the maturation. As stated on the same informative back label, all of the malt for this whiskey is sourced from the Great Northern Distillery founded by John Teeling in 2015. The Two Stacks team have recently expanded their facilities with the purchase of a warehouse and bonding, allowing them to mature new-make spirits on-site for future releases.

If you want to get to know the Two Stacks team of Shane, Liam, and Donal, I recommend listening to the tongue-in-cheek episode of the Lost in Dramslation podcast they released on March 9, 2022 — wherever you get your podcasts.

smoke and mirrors two stacks peated stout cask bottle — Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Smoky dark chocolate over fruit*

Nose

Fresh, ripe light-fleshed fruit (peaches and apples). Rich dark chocolate ganache and a touch of fresh ground coffee. Tiniest whiff of clean earthy smoke from a faraway fire. There’s a savoury note hidden under the prominent fruit, chocolate, and smoke notes. My brain is struggling to pick a descriptor: it seems to bounce between a burnt end of brisket and a savoury honey soy sauce… Given the syrup-like sweetness, I’m picking a honey soy sauce aspect to this lovely gem.

Palate

Gentle. Full. Viscous. The mouthfeel belies the age and ABV of this whisky, yum! The smoke is more present, now playing at even strength with the chocolate notes, which have morphed into a dark chocolate cake. Dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg provide some nice spiciness on the latter half of your sip, perfectly harmonising with the rich, round, and decadent smoked chocolate notes. Just as you might be reaching for another sip, the peaches and apple fruit notes appear out of nowhere a minute or two after your last sip!

Score: 7/10

Review 2/2

Two Stacks, Dram in a Can, 43% ABV
£16 (CAD$26) per four-pack, some availability

A combination of 5 styles of whiskey and 4 types of distillate, matured in 3 different casks. Not a bottom shelf whiskey, but something that would intrigue even the snootiest of enthusiasts! The green can is a malt, Irish pot still, and grain blend, and the blue can is a single malt matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks.

“A daft idea, really, putting it into a 100 ml can”

— Two Stacks

Now here’s the kicker with these lovely little gems. How should ‘ole Broddy provide some notes for review? Dallas has provided the most thorough and detailed comparison of the effect of glassware on the smell and taste of whisky that I have encountered. It was enlightening to see how the whisky itself influenced the experience. So, I’ve provided my thoughts on consuming this whiskey as intended (from the can) and then from one of my trusty Glencairns, should you choose to decant it and spoil the fun.

Nose (from the can)

I mean, who is actually nosing this whisky from the can? But if you do, in the spirit of Dramface science, you’ll get some raisins and vanilla. That’s it. You can stick a nostril to the opening and you don’t get a tingle after a big huff — perfect for the application.

Palate (from the can)

Clean, crisp, fizzy, zesty. Raisins, vanilla, slight nuttiness, and just the barest, perfect touch of clean smoke at the tail end. The finish is clean and short, begging you for another sip.

Nose (from the Glencairn)

Supposing you’ve poured this into a sipping glass, you will be greeted with a wider variety of smells. Apricot pith, vanilla, brown sugar, walnuts, raisins, and the tiniest touch of smoke buried at the very back. It smells quite good.

Palate (from the Glencairn)

Slightly oily and viscous. Raisins, baking spices, nuttiness, and cinnamon/nutmeg. Small touch of saltiness and smoke at the end. Overall, this whisky reminds me of the Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair.

Score: 5/10

The Dregs

With the Smoke & Mirrors, I enjoyed the nose more than the palate, even though the taste of the whiskey is awesome. I could smell this whiskey and not drink it and be just as happy. The expression provides an amazing depth and breadth of delicious smells that are well integrated with each other. The palate is silky smooth, balanced, refined, and very unique. One could get moderately silly with a bottle of this in hand. Have a couple mates over and this bottle will be finished faster than you can say Guinness.

On top of that, it’s one of the few whisk(e)ys I’ve come across that is cloudy in the bottle at room temperature. I’m sure that this is one of the primary reasons for the supple, gentle and viscous mouthfeel at even such a young age (it can’t be older than 7 years!).

And the Dram in a Can is just stellar, offering just enough of everything for everyone.

two stacks peated stout cask smoke and mirrors close up bottle — *Cloudy non-chill-filtered deliciousness at 48% ABV*

According to Two Stacks website, their corporate values appear to be Transparency, Creativity, and Innovation. Well, I think they nailed all three! The Dram in a Can is an awesome exercise in out-of-the-box thinking while ensuring the juice inside is also up to par with the packaging and labelling (Hey big guys, are you taking notes? Because the rookies just took you to school!).

The use of various spirits, barrels, and peated/unpeated grains, all expertly integrated with each other, gives them a leg up on everyone else. And the fact that their labels are ultra-transparent, clearly stating the mash bill, barrel bill, and the source of the whiskey, is amazing! Even the Dram in a Can, measuring a diminutive 7 cm in height and 5 cm in diameter, or 2.8 x 2 inches for the metrology troglodytes, has managed to fit natural colour, non-chill-filtered, and the grain and wood bill on the circumference of this itty-bitty but oh-so-mighty can, slapping Big Whisk(e)y across the face with their own insolence, ingratitude, and stupor.

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB

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