Brian Nation reveals 21YO Keeper’s Heart whiskey

Master distiller Brian Nation has a lot more in store for Keeper’s Heart, with a 21-year-old Irish single malt being his latest offering.

In 2020, Nation left Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers arm for O'Shaughnessy Distilling, going from managing the largest portfolio of Irish whiskey in the world to a craft operation in Minnesota. "People thought I was having a midlife crisis,” Nation said. But instead, he was drawn to the prospect of building something from the ground up, serving as the master distiller for Keeper’s Heart, the skilled hand behind its blends of American and Irish whiskies. Over the past three years, Nation has had to raise awareness for the brand and education for what they’re trying to achieve – to bridge the gap between styles and create something new. “It's always a hard job when you're trying to start a new brand, and when it's a different style of whiskey, then you have to make sure that there's an education piece to everything that you do,” Nation explained. But he believes that the whiskey stands up on its own, and that the blending of American and Irish whiskies and ideas can result in extra dimension and complexity. “The story hasn't become hasn't become old yet. If the story is still about that new style of whiskey,” he said. “It's kind of laying the platform for what's coming next. And what's coming next is going to be the release of our self distilled whiskeys.” While the world waits for those whiskeys, what Nation says will be an American single pot still style, a 100% rye, and a Bourbon, Keeper's Heart is releasing a 21-year-old Irish single malt that’s been finished in Tokaji barrels for months. The whiskey is limited to just one cask, bottled at 48.5% ABV and priced at US$999. It shows notes of toffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, and ripe peaches. Keeper's Heart 21-year-old Tokaji finish is the first in a series of advanced aged expressions from the brand, with Nation saying that they purchased a lot of barrels produced at Cooley Distillery and will continue to age and finish them, releasing new limited expressions every year or two. For Nation, it is a trip down memory lane to be working with mature Irish whiskey again. “What it brings back is memories of walking through those warehouses and just smelling that old maturing stock,” he recalled. “And it's been a while since I've done that, so to be able to do something like this is great, because it does bring back those memories.” Brand benchmarks One key indicator for Nation was bringing Keeper’s Heart to Ireland in March 2023. “Those worrying moments where you go back to your home country, and you say, ‘What are people going to feel like?’" Nation said. He notes that the whiskey is able to stay competitive at a €50 (US$60) price point compared to US$35-40 domestically, “It's not going to be the wind makings or the breaking or making of Keeper’s Heart,” Nation said. “But it's lovely to be able to be in Ireland and see that people appreciate what we're doing and get what we're doing as well.” Elsewhere, Keeper’s Heart is currently available in 21 states, with a focus on New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Minnesota, and Florida. Nation believes the brand resonates with bartenders, who see the appeal of the blended whiskey, especially in classic cocktails. He expects the own make American single pot still whiskey to be released in the fourth quarter of 2025, noting it will have aged in new charred American oak for four years at that point. The rye meanwhile is made from 90% rye, 7% malted rye, and 3% cararye. He expects that to be released in the fourth quarter of 2026. “The distillate quality is so good,” Nation said. “You want to see it before the American oak influence, and then after. It's part of what we will do as we roll out the education around what we're doing. We'll showcase the new make, and then we'll show the mature spirit at the end as well.”