The Irish whiskey market is a crowded field. From its venerable heavyweights to young upstarts punching up, it takes a lot to stand out. For The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey, it’s the combination of a smooth spirit and a beautiful bottle led by Master Blender Alex Thomas.
One of the world’s few women in her role, Thomas has spent 13 years honing her craft. The result is a “modern malt” that is made from 100% Irish malted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills and aged for four years in Oloroso Sherry casks to achieve a balance between rich, dried fruits and toasted oak notes.
I spoke with Thomas about what goes into the blend, the brand’s unique bottle and common misconceptions about Irish whiskey.
The Whiskey Lifestyle: What led you to blending and distilling?
Alex Thomas: My career began as a timber merchant in my hometown where I spent eleven years studying and learning about the many different types of wood. In 2004, I had the opportunity to join the team at The Old Bushmills Distillery where I worked alongside Colum Egan, the Master Distiller of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. I quickly became fascinated with the wood seasoning and aging process, which is the most exciting time in the whiskey making process, and the rest is history.
TWLS: What inspired The Sexton?
AT: The Sexton was inspired by my travels to Spain where I spent time with a church warden and became fond of the sweet Sherry taste of communion wine, which is where The Sexton is now aged in expertly curated first, second and third-fill Oloroso sherry casks, after being pot-distilled three times.
TWLS: Why is the whiskey described as a “modern day” Irish Single Malt?
AT: It is described as a modern day Irish Single Malt because as opposed to many other single malts on the market, this single malt is approachable in flavor, bold in character, can be enjoyed at any time, and appeals to a broad range of ages.
TWLS: How did the bottle’s design come to be?
AT: The hexagonal bottle is inspired by the Giant’s Causeway, located in County Antrim on the North Coast of Ireland. The bottle features the word “DUBH” meaning ‘black’ in Irish – across the front referencing its color and how it disguises the rich Sherry-colored liquid that lies deep within. The skull and top hat featured on the front of the bottle is a nod to the Sextons of County Antrim, the custodians of precious things.
TWLS: What is the hardest part about being a Master Blender?
AT: The hardest part of being a Master Blender for me is to have patience. Each cask is as unique as you and I and they all mature at different rates. They each need to be given time to develop into their own characteristics. It’s only when they meet The Sexton profile will I release them for disgorging. As they say good things are worth waiting on and for me The Sexton is well worth the time spent being the caretaker of its casks.
TWLS: Blending and distilling are still very male-dominated professions. How has that influenced how you do what you do? Does being a woman give you a different perspective?
AT: I have been blessed to be welcomed into an amazing industry. It operates more as a family than a business and opens its doors for everyone.
It was a traditionally male dominated area within the industry in the past due to the amount of manual labor required to work with casks weighing over half a ton and the fact that once in the industry no one left until retirement.
When I started, I was taken under the wing of a team of gentlemen who had thirty- and forty-years’ experience and boundless knowledge that they couldn’t wait to pass on to me. They taught me all about maturing the casks and the techniques needed to move them with minimal effort so that even I can move the largest ones. This is just one of the reasons I chose the large butt casks for The Sexton.
I still feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to learn from these amazing men all about the history of the whiskey making process alongside the modern way of working.
During this explosive rise of the Irish Whiskey category I hope more women and men will follow me into a career that I can only describe as rewarding and more of a passion than a job.
TWLS: What’s the biggest misconception that people have about Irish whiskey?
AT: I believe the biggest misconception that people have about Irish whiskey is reserved for connoisseurs and whiskey. In the past this may have been true but today we all want to be able to try new things and are increasingly seeking quality but fun spirits to explore and enjoy.
I’m also seeing consumers going back to basics when it comes to serving and opting for classic cocktails, such as an Old Fashioned or a Whiskey Sours, as drinkers seek to educate themselves about the drinks that have stood the test of time. I believe consumers are starting to step away from the complex and elaborate mixes, and instead increasingly choose more traditional cocktails which allow the spirits to shine.
Irish whiskey is triple distilled which gives a spirit that is delicate, fruity and one of the sweetest-tasting types of whiskey, which appeals to the broader palate — especially Millennials and those who are already whiskey drinkers and non-whiskey drinkers who are looking to expand their taste buds.
The Sexton is a smooth – easy drinking – whiskey. It is created from 100% Irish single malt, triple distillation in copper pot stills and matured in European oak casks that were the previous season with the most amazing Oloroso sherry from Jerez in Spain. The Sexton is a versatile single malt that can be enjoyed neat, with water, with ice, with a mixer and in a cocktail.
TWLS: What’s your favorite city to drink in?
AT: My favorite city to drink in would be Dublin. Dublin captures everything wonderful about Ireland. The bars are renowned for being some of the best in the world. Everyone you meet is friendly and loves nothing more than enjoying the unique Irish craic.
Dublin’s culinary and cocktail culture has grown by leaps and bounds, thanks to a new generation of restaurateurs, mixologists, makers and purveyors who are doing things their own way. The Sexton Irish Single Malt is right at home in this environment. The Sexton appeals to drinkers in the modern craft movement as it can be enjoyed neat, with ice, a mixer or even used to create a delicious cocktail. A characteristic that breaks from tradition on how you should enjoy a single malt whiskey. The Sexton dares to be different and offers the freedom to follow your own path on how it can be enjoyed.
If you could drink whiskey with one person, dead or alive, who would it be? And why?
AT: That would be my grandfather. He was the inspiration for The Sexton. He loved nothing more than to enjoy an Irish Single Malt and I remember him telling me how it was crafted using pure Irish water and golden home-grown barley from the field in Ireland.
Growing up I remember my father and grandfather having a special bottle of single malt that would have been opened to celebrate when one of us passed exams or got married. But more often it was opened when someone in our family had passed away. I remember our family all coming together, some of whom we hadn’t seen for a long time and celebrating the life of the loved one that had passed. I remember hearing the amazing stories of the things they had done in their life’s and the house was filled with laughter and love.
I would love to sit down with my grandfather and let him taste The Sexton to see what he thought. He was a traditional whiskey drinker so he enjoyed his neat or with a little water but always told me whiskey was a very personal thing and you should always drink it how you wanted to. When creating The Sexton this was always at the forefront of my mind. My dream was to create a whiskey that everyone would enjoy and that paid homage to those who came before us. I wanted it to be approachable for those who thought whiskey was not for them and memorable enough for the whiskey connoisseur to enjoy the experience. Most importantly, as the Irish Whiskey category continues to rise, I wanted to introduce a liquid that could represent the changing face of Ireland – capturing the heritage and provenance of the past and the optimism and creativity of the future.
I believe my grandfather would be very proud of how The Sexton has turned out.
