Kinahan’s Tasting Notes

Kinahan’s Small Batch Blended Irish Whiskey 46%

Matured for at least 6 years.

37.5% Grain aged in 1^st Fill Bourbon, 37.5% Grain aged in 2^nd Fill Bourbon and 25% Malt aged in 1^st and 2^nd Fill Bourbon casks.

Tasted: Feb 2018

The nose displays plenty of toasty vanilla oak with hints of pepper, orange, apricot and barley. There is a crisp, hard-ish grain note in the background but the oak is quite dominant.

The palate is slightly oily with like the nose suggests, plenty of toasty oak. A touch of sweet spice, barley and apricot follows. The oak is fairly dominant but the grain comes through well on the finish, as does a little bitter, almost chocolaty spice.

Niche Drinks Company Tasting Notes

The Quiet Man “An Fear Ciuin” Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey 40%

Tasted: June 2016

Nose : Initially honeyed and luscious with white fruit and crisp, but sweet grain notes. Lightly herbal with developing sweet fruit and hints of oak and light smoke.

Palate: A little leaner than the nose would suggest and showing more of the dried fruit grain notes. However it has some pleasant barley, apricot and subtle oak moments.

Finish: Long and lightly smoky with crisp, gippy, lightly herbal grain and spices.

Conclusion: A delightful blend. The grain component feels like it has some age and more than makes up for the lessened malt character on the palate.

The Quiet Man “An Fear Ciuin” Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey 40%

Re-Tasted: Nov 2016

Full and bananary with oodles of sweet barley and hints of crunchy grain. Pleasantly estery with pineapple, apricot and some soft vanilla oak.

The palate is quite cereally to begin with but show a pleasant softness when the sugar coated banana, apricot and oak arrive. A little straightforward but deep with sweet and light spiced grain notes. Good length with a little bittering spice and creamy coffee. It doesn’t feel as lean as the last time I tasted it.

The Quiet Man “An Fear Ciuin” Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey 40%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Punchy, honey drizzled banana, apricot, lime, mango, pineapple with a crunchy sherbet note. Vibrant and full, with late barley and vanilla notes.

Palate: Full, barley’d and bananary with hints of apricot, cereal, toffee, coffee and grainy spice.

Finish: Long and grainy with a wonderfully vibrant spicy finale.

Conclusion: A classic Irish blend with a lovely progression and spicy finish

 

 

Jameson Tasting Notes

Jameson 40%

Tasted: Nov 2011

Quite a dense nose, with that boiled sweet/ confected sherry character. Actually quite well balanced with some oily Pot Still malt and pleasantly integrated floral grain balancing. With time a touch of spice appears.

Softly sherried with a slightly more homogenous palate, but the oily Pot Still malt is still present and the floral grain notes come through on the finish.

Jameson Original 40%

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Quite honeyed and rounded with herbal grain, banana bread, rose oil, vanilla and sweet grain.

Palate: Soft and straightforward with hints of dried fruit, coffee, honey, malt and herbal grain. The grain dominates the mid palate.

Finish: Medium length with lots of herbal grain and a touch of coffee.

Conclusion: A straightforward but well made blend.

Jameson Crested 40%

Tasted: July 2016

Nose: Dense, full and fleshy with hints of apricot, honey and smoke. Well balanced with some sweet grain making an appearance with time.

Palate: Crisper and more grain focused, but the grain has a delightful sweetness and fills out the palate well in the absence of any malt character. Hints of honey, apricot and citrus on the middle.

Finish: Medium length and continuing sweet and grainy but some crisper grain notes add a bit of bite and spice.

Conclusion: Someone has paid attention to the grain here and subsequently it feels more like a vatted grain than a true blend. Anyway it’s still very enjoyable.

Jameson Signature 40%

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Soft, dried fruit with a touch of crisp grain. The grain becomes quite dominant, but does develop a sweet edge. Late hints of herbal honey, vanilla and coconut.

Palate: Saline and very grainy to begin with, followed by a touch of dried fruit, barley and vanilla. The grain comes through forcefully on the middle.

Finish: Long with lingering sweet grain, banana and toasty oak spice.

Conclusion: A pleasant, grain heavy blend with a good, spicy finish.

Jameson Select Reserve Small Batch 40%

Nose: Burnt tar, burnt toast and heavy treacle. Chunky and clunky with what appears to be a good degree of malt. With time some light smoke.

Palate: Soft, straightforward, caramel and citrus. Mouth-filling but simple.

Finish: Medium length.

Conclusion: Uninspiring!

Jameson Gold Reserve 40%

Takes its unique character from the small selection of traditional pot still whiskeys matured in new oak which is used in the blend.

A wonderfully soft and smooth nose showing some maturity. Big and aromatic, the honey coated barley and grains mingle with the toasted oak which gives it a light bourbony character. There are lashing of wood spices along with a slight creamy and floral note.

The palate is similarly soft and smooth, beginning with the honey coated barley followed by the hugely spicy wood which builds to a bitter crescendo, which offsets the honeyed sweetness perfectly. It’s big and luscious and although the mouth is coated in an oily/ creamy residue the grains return to give it a lovely crisp finale.

Jameson Limited Edition St Patrick’s Day 46%

Tasted: June 2016

Nose Very grain dominated with dried fruit, both grain and sherry derived, along with hints of wood smoke/ spice, treacle and a late hint of fennel.

Palate: Simple and straightforward with creamy oak and grainy dried fruit plus a subtle sherry sweetness.

Finish: Medium length and grain dominated with lingering herbal spice.

Conclusion: A pleasant, simple, inexpensive blend. Well I hope it’s inexpensive!

Jameson Cask Mates 40%

Jameson Caskmates is an intriguing release. Having sent some of their casks to the local craft stout brewers at Franciscan Well, the casks were returned to Midleton where they were subsequently used to give a stout finish to Jameson!

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Showing some lovely mature, dusty oak and beautiful, tropical melon, apricot, lime, greengage and lightly perfumed honey. Hints of rose petals, malt and aged grain appear along with a touch of milk chocolate.

Palate: Crisper and fresher, but no less complex with oodles of tropical fruit, straw, malt, honey and sawdusty oak. The younger grain element pleasantly nips and the older grain adds dried fruit notes.

Finish: Long and succulent with a herbal grain finish and plenty of dried fruit along with dark and milk chocolate.

Conclusion: A superb balance of young and older spirits at work here!

Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel 40%

First Fill Bourbon and Sherry casks, with a high proportion of Irish pot still whiskey as well as small batch grain.

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Mature and quite grain heavy with dried fruit, treacle and spice. I’m guessing this was aged in first fill American oak as it becomes very ‘Bourbony’ and toasty with rye-like herbal spice.

Palate: Opens with the mature-ish grainy dried fruit. The oak is subtler, adding hints of coffee, spice and chocolate powder. The grain notes come back on the middle.

Finish: Long, succulent and grainy with plenty of dry, chocolaty tannins and lingering toasty oak.

Conclusion: If only the nose had shown the balance of the palate it would have scored a lot higher!

Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel 40%

Re-Tasted: Feb 2017

Nose: A lovely intense nose with plenty of verve and a touch of what appears to be pot still spice. Excellent depth with plenty of ‘Bourbony’ oak and a touch of grain.

Palate: A little leaner and showing more grain spirit character. Like the nose there is a touch of pot still spice and possibly some sherrywood influence. The intensity builds well.

Finish: Intense and dry with the alcohol being rather noticeable on the finish, but those spices linger well.

Conclusion: All in all it’s pretty good. 

Jameson Distiller’s Safe 43%

The Distiller’s Safe is head distiller Brian Nation’s choice in Jameson’s The Whisky Makers series.

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Plenty of middle aged grain and hints of grass, gooseberry, lime, apricot and spice. Fills out well when the marzipan oak appears.

Palate: Full and juicy with banana, apricot, honey and oak. The mature-ish grain comes through on the middle.

Finish: Long and subtly spiced with lingering grain and vanilla.

Conclusion: A pleasant blend which shows some maturity.

Jameson Cooper’s Croze 43%

The Cooper’s Croze is part of Jamesons’ The Whisky Maker series and has been selected by head cooper Ger Buckley to highlight the role wood plays in whiskey maturation.

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Intense, crisp almost pot still spicy aromas with banana, apricot, vanilla, white chocolate, rose oil, subtle sherried dried fruit and a touch of mature grain.

Palate: Soft and chocolaty with plenty of malt, vanilla and a touch of grain. Not as complex as the nose but pleasantly deep with developing spice and grain on the middle.

Finish: Long and oily with toffee and subtle chocolaty spice.

Conclusion: Superb nose. If the palate showed the same level of complexity, it would have been a contender.

Jameson Blender’s Dog 43%

Launched in 2016, The Blenders’ Dog has been selected by head blender Billy Leighton. A combination of ages and cask types

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Crisp and very grainy with hints of white fruit and vanilla. Quite youthful with the grain beginning to dominate. The oak is pleasantly toasty though.

Palate: Herbal and grainy with the oak showing more subtlety. Relatively straightforward with developing grainy dried fruit.

Finish: A little short and spicy with lingering dried fruit.

Conclusion: Where is the malt? It feels like it is all grain spirit and oak.

Jameson Deconstructed Series – Round 40%

Travel Retail

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Sugar coated moist fruitcake with hints of marzipan, barley and spice. The rummy grain is well integrated and with time a slight saline note appears along with coffee and toffee notes.

Palate: Relatively straightforward with sherried dried fruit and crisp grain. Quite malty and salty on the middle with maybe a touch of pot still spice.

Finish: Pleasantly spicy and salty with a dried fruit, spice and vanilla finish.

Conclusion: A pleasant blend which shows a little mature spirit at its core. Good spicy finish, even if it’s a little austere.

Jameson Deconstructed Series – Lively 40%

Travel Retail

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Smoky, toasty and primal with grain, earth and manure. Hints of vanilla appear but the relatively mature, grainy dried fruit dominates.

Palate: A little watery and mature grain spirit dominated with hints of toffee and spice. Oak begins to bitter on the middle.

Finish: Long and grainy with lingering dried fruit and vanilla.

Conclusion: I would have like to have seen more malt input.

Jameson Deconstructed Series – Bold 40%

Travel Retail

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Rich and spicy with a touch of sherry wood and sweet grain. Full and fleshy with apricot, honey, vanilla, liquorice and coffee.

Palate: Plenty of dried fruit, both grain and sherry derived with a touch of malt and coffee’d tannins.

Finish: Good spicy finish with lingering grainy dried fruit and coffee.

Conclusion: Pleasant and easy going.

Jameson Limited Reserve 18 year old 40%

Is a blend of two potstill whiskies and a single grain is matured in Oloroso sherry casks and finished in bourbon wood for 6 months

Btl No: 319736 JJ 18-8/ Tasted: Mar 2013

Now those aromas have definitely got some age to them! Big, spicy grains mingle with a lot of sweet sherry and sweet Bourbon oak notes. Serious Pot Still spices go head-to-head to head with the oak and win! Very complex and evolving with some slightly tropical banana and apricot emerging with a lithe perfumed edge. With time some leather and tobacco notes join in. A seriously brilliant whisky, with all the components, grain, whisky and oak all playing a part.

The palate is soft and silky with the sherried fruit showing first along with hints of leather and tobacco. This is followed by the gentle, but biting grain and vanilla oak, which does grip the middle a tad giving the impression of less complexity. Grainier and quite spicy on the finish. That combination of pot still and grain gives it a very austere Bushmills kind of feel to the proceedings. Ok, so it has a little bit of a wobble on the middle as the oak grips but that finish is sensational.

Jameson 18 year old 40%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Quite saline with a subtle pot still spiciness. Hints of dried banana and apricot plus crsip and spicy grain. Very subtly oaked with just a touch of toasty vanilla.

Palate: Soft but heavy on the toffee and caramel notes, which dampen the palate somewhat. Hints of grainy dried fruit but it’s a bit straightforward and lacking the complexity of the nose.

Finish: Long and spicy. Now the pot still and the grain component come through.

Conclusion: It all seems to happen on the finish.

Cooley Distillery Tasting Notes

Inishowen Blended Irish Whiskey 40%

Cooley Distillery

Tasted: Jan 2013

A releatively pleasant, soft nose of squidgy fruit, banana along with a spicy grain note. Very, very lightly peated with a late tar/ rubber note and a touch of coffee.

Ah, and now it all goes a bit pear shaped on the palate! Its light, slightly feinty with a building sulphur note. Flat, grainy and murky with an unpleasant metallic finish.

Kilbeggan 40%

Tasted: Sept 2011

The nose is initially quite grainy but there is some lovely balancing honey notes and caramel oak. Good depth with a touch of citrus and sweet peat.

The palate is soft, maybe a bit vague with the caramel oak up first followed by some juicy malt. There is a big hit of citrus grain and spice on the middle but the intensity is a bit brief. Reasonable length with a slightly honeyed finish.

Kilbeggan 18 Years Old 40%

Tasted: Mar 2012

A heavy nose of caramel coated baked fruit, plums and spicy blueberry. Very interesting. With time the oak becomes pleasantly creamy.

The palate is soft and juicy but initially the natural caramel has thrown a blanket over the flavours. Gentle and soft with some discernable baked fruit and grain nipping at the edges. It takes awhile to get going but when it does it’s quite majestic. Good length with a touch of wood tannins and spice

Bushmills Distillery Tasting Notes

Bushmills Original 40%

Matured for 5 years in American Oak

Tasted: Nov 2011

An inviting and seriously crisp nose with some lovely hard, brittle cereal and citrus. Quite austere with an edgy floral/ perfumed grain note.

The palate is soft but brittle, opening with the crisp barley and honey followed by some creamy oak. Maybe this is a tad austere for some palates but I love that. Good length with a lively citrus finish with hints of floral botanicals.

Bushmills Black Bush 40%

Tasted: May 2009

Quite a floral and grainy nose, but it is backed by some wonderful sweet orange and sherry fruit with a hint of coffee. There’s a touch of Sauvignon blanc-esque grassiness, which the sherry supports not swamps, and a beguiling ‘garden’ perfume of apricot, cloves, spice and a touch of burnt toffee and raisin.

The palate is soft and subtle, opening with juicy sherry fruit and tannins, followed by the floral grain and a late perfumed orange note. Great piquant character with a lovely spice burst and that burnt toffee and cinnamon note to finish. This is a classy Irish blend, the malt and grain components are balanced and integrated.

Bushmills 1608 400^th Anniversary 46%

Tasted: Jan 2013

A lovely, enticingly floral nose, displaying Bushmill’s usual nippy, hard grain. Slightly chalky with hints of banana, greengauge, creamy American oak and spicy sherry wood.

The palate opens with an array of soft, green fruit and creamy American oak, followed by some sugar sprinkled porridge. It feels like there is some dampening caramel at work but the hard grain comes through and sweeps that away. This in turn allows the spicy sherry to come through on the finish. The grain holds and the after taste is relatively buttery/ creamy.

Tullamore Distillery

Tullamore DEW Original 40%

A blend of malted and unmalted barley plus corn (grain)

Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Dusty barley and apricot with plenty of herbal grain aromas. Hints of coffee and a developing green fruit note appear.

Palate: Soft and barley led with hints of fleshy apricot, mango and vanilla. A touch of unsweetened honey and some edgy grain notes come through on the middle.

Finish: Good Length with lingering spice and green fruit notes.

Conclusion: , A pleasant blend with the nose showing a little more complexity than the palate.

Tullamore DEW Cider Cask Finish 40%

Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Dense, chunky and curiously herbal with malt and hints of geranium, hyacinth and rose. Late marzipan oak notes.

Palate: A little vague. The oak is pretty tannic and bitters on the middle.

Finish: Short and continuing bitter with a touch of grain at the death.

Conclusion: The oak has had its way with this one!

Tullamore DEW 12 year old Special Reserve 40%

Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Oily, dried fruit grain with hints of oily marzipan and a slight herbal rye-like note.

Palate: Very much like the nose with plenty of mature, oily dried fruit grain notes, marzipan and herbs.

Finish: Good spicy finish with that herbal rye-like note lingering.

Conclusion: It feels like it is predominantly grain whisky, but that grain appears to have some maturity.

Tullamore Dew 12 year old Special Reserve 40%

Re-Tasted: Feb 2017

Nose: Crisp, fresh and vibrant with honey and hints of barley. Subtly oaked with vanilla and light coffee, along with a suggestion of grain.

Palate: Fuller than the nose suggests with more pronounced honeyed character. Barley, citrus, vanilla oak and coffee notes come through. Quite malty and with a good depth, although there is not much grain character.

Finish: Long and crisp. Maybe a little austere as the grain finally arrives. Pleasantly mineral with late milk chocolate and vanilla notes.

Conclusion: A pleasant blend with a relatively high malt content.

Tullamore DEW Trilogy 15 year old 40%

Aged in a combination of ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and Ex-Rum casks

Tasted: Oct 2015

Nose: A dusty, pollen heavy nose with a touch of honey. Lightly herbal and shot through with some pleasant pot still spices, sour fruit and citrus.

Palate: A touch more toffee’d oak appears on the palate with lightly herbal and delicate pot still spices. Quite grainy on the middle with honey and coffee notes.

Finish: Deceptively long with lingering herbal spices, toffee and coffee.

Conclusion: Pleasant, soft and subtle. However I think it might have benefited from being bottled at 46%, which would have given the palate a little more intensity.

Tullamore DEW Trilogy 15 year old 40%

Re-Tasted: Feb 2016

Nose: Intensely barley’d with hints of honey an oak. Lovely depth with developing white fruit and herbal notes.

Palate: Opens with velvety barley and toffee, followed by a good depth of malt and honey. The soft grain is just detectable beneath the surface as are the slightly coffee accented spices.

Finish: Quite herbal but a little short.

Conclusion: Good but not quite great.

Tullamore DEW Trilogy 15 year old 40%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Quite shy but bready with apricot, honey and rum-like dried fruit. With time the slightly petrolly Guyana-like notes become quite dominant.

Palate: Full and slightly toasty with a distinct, oily, Guyana rum-like character. Hints of barley and honey beneath with some grippy grain spices.

Finish: Long and grainy with lingering dried fruit and spice.

Conclusion: Interesting! It feels like it has been finished in ex-Guyanan rum casks.

Tullamore Dew Trilogy 15 year old 40%

Re: Tasted: Feb 2017

Nose: Very subtle and lightly spiced with prominent dried grainy fruit.

Palate: Like the nose it is pretty subtle with a touch of sherry spice and barley. Again the grain is very dominant.

Finish: Good length and not surprisingly quite grainy with lingering vanilla oak.

Conclusion: Classically Irish but a bit too simple and grain dominanted.

Tullamore D.E. W Celebratory Phoenix Single Batch 55%

Tasted: Oct 2014

Nose: Crisp with grainy spirit which displays a pot still-esque spiciness. Lightly floral with a touch of herbal rye-like notes and subtle, spicy, mocha oak vanillins. It feels like the alcohol is holding the oak in place but water in fact knocks the oak back and brings out a pleasant citrus note.

Palate: Soft and subtle, opening with coffee and milk chocolate. Barley and building pot still-like spice and grainy spirit notes follow. Intensely alcoholic but the sugars just about balance. Water emphasises the oils, softens the oak and spices.

Finish: What a finish! Intensely herbal and spicy with a real kick in the finish. Again the oak is restrained by the alcohol. Dilution just emphasises the herbal notes (if they needed emphasising!)

Conclusion: What is this? An Irish pot still whiskey aged in French oak. Either way it’s gorgeous!

Tullamore D.E. W Celebratory Phoenix Single Batch 55%

Re-Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Straw-like apricot with hints of dusty barley and sherry spice. Lightly honeyed with hints of gooseberry and greengage.

Palate: Opens with the oily, dried, sherried fruit and dusty cinnamon and chilli spices. Hints of coffee’d, oily rum-like dried fruit come through on the middle as the grain arrives.

Finish: Intense and very spicy with the mature grain notes lingering.

Conclusion: Again, quite a bit of grain but it has a lovely depth and maturity.

Tullamore D.E. W Celebratory Phoenix Single Batch 55%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Intense, grainy and woody with ginger biscuits, dried fruit, liquorice, earth and a touch of peat. With time some subtle pot still-like notes appear along with, orange, honey, vanilla and rye-like herbs. Water brings out a touch of coffee.

Palate: Intense, woody and spicy with ginger and honey coated dried fruit. Quite grainy on the middle with a big hit of peppery spice and subtle vanilla oak. Water simplifies but emphasises the grain and like the nose brings out a touch of coffee.

Finish: Long, mouth-watering, spicy and grainy with liquorice, prunes and dark chocolate notes.

Conclusion: Neat it has an amazing intensity and complexity. Personally I’d avoid diluting it.

Teeling Whiskey Company Tasting Notes

Teeling Whiskey Co Small Batch Blend 46%

A Blend of Cooley malt and grain aged in first fill American oak and finished for 4 months in ex Flor de Cana Rum Casks selected by Dr Jim Swann

Tasted: Mar 2013

The nose opens with the soft and spicy grain, which develops a lovely floral edge, followed by luscious honey and vanilla which has a distinct liquor like dénouement along with a touch of crystalised orange. The Rum cask envelops buut doesn’t blanket the nose adding sweet dried fruit and a hint of molasses. Now that may sound like it a big sweetie but the spirit imparts a lovely freshness and with time a touch of loam and wood spice emerges.

The palate opens with the soft, honeyed, vanilla’d and treacle coated fruit. Seriously weighty and relatively sweet, but the herbal grain begins to assert itself, but the voluptuous honeyed notes hold until the grain breaks through. Lovely length with the light treacle and wood spices coating the mouth, but grain balances and keeps the finish fresh and vibrant.

Teeling Whiskey Co Small Batch Blend 46%

Re-Tasted: Oct 2014

Initially the high toned, neutral grain notes emerge first on the nose. However it’s not long before they are joined by some lovely, sweet-ish, thick barley and honey along with a touch of citrus, biscuit and dried rummy fruit. With time the apricot and banana fruit and honey really fill the senses.

The palate is full and soft with plenty of herbal honey and buscuity notes. Very fruity, like the nose with apricot, banana, barley and a touch of dried fruit. The grain gently nips, balancing the sweetness. Beautifully balanced with a floral and spicy finish.

Teeling Whiskey Co Small Batch Blend 46%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

Nose: Heavy, oily and herbal with rummy/ grainy dried fruit and hints of treacle, prunes and malt. Showing some maturity with a lovely supple character. With time it becomes very rummy.

Palate: A little shy to begin with but it displays the rum-like character from the nose along with mature grain, malt and spice.

Finish: Long and spicy with the rummy dried fruit lingering along with pepper, coffee’d tannins and balancing treacle notes.

Conclusion: Quite heavy on the grain, but it shows some excellent maturity and the finish is suberb.

Teeling Whiskey Co Small Batch Blend 46%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

The nose is quite grainy with sweet dried fruit and just a smidge of malt. Crisper and heavier on the grain, thus not as fruity as I remember. Hints of vanilla oak, spice and subtle rum notes follow.

The palate is a little fuller with plenty of grainy dried fruit augmented by a subtle rum sweetness. Hints of cereal and spice on the middle, but again it doesn’t have the malt roundness of previous bottlings. Long and remaining grainy with a tart lemon finish and lingering sweet but drying woody spice.

 

Blended Irish Whiskey Tasting Notes

Avalon – The Wild Geese 40%

Tasted Nov 2003

Soft, fruity, a touch smoky with some waxy/sweet bourbon oak, which begins to dominate with fudge, vanilla, butter and toffee. The palate is simple and oaked with some pleasant spicy moments.

Clontarf Black Label 40%

Tasted: 2010

A lovely juicy barley sweet nose with a gentle rye-like nip and blanket background oak. Wonderfully fragrant with some floral grain notes.

The palate opens with a softness yet the grain does bite right from the start. However some soft, slightly honeyed barley does balance that austerity rather well. Good length with the toffee’d oak and gentle spices coming through on the finish.

Tasgall 30 year old Blended Whisky 40%

Bottled by Asda

Tasted: Sept 2014

The nose is slightly spirity with lots of sherried dried fruit. Quite mellow but relatively non-descript. There are hints of apricot, barley and dusty spice, but is this really 30 years old?

Quite subtle and homogenous with plenty of dried fruit grain and sherry. Hints of barley and spice. The spices build pleasantly and linger along with the dried fruit.

The Irishman 70 40%

Tasted: Nov 2009

A soft, caramel and oaked nose with some botanical grain. The palate is soft and creamy with some caramel, oak and the botanical grain on the middle. A late peppery burst enlivens the otherwise unexciting experience.

The Irishman Single Malt 40%

Tasted: Nov 2009

Soft and slightly coastal. More complex than the blend with apricot, cinnamon and wood notes. Mind you have to sniff really hard to determine these aromas. However some lovely spices cut through the creamy oak. The palate is light, clean and soft. Like the nose slightly coastal, but it’s still fairly bland. Some late oak arrives but the spices have pretty much disappeared. Again fairly unexciting.