Bushmills 12 Year "Triple Wood" Single Malt Irish Whiskey

VITALS:

- $50

- 80 Proof

- 12 Years

- Ireland

It's not often that I find myself purchasing Irish whiskey. There's no particular reason for it, I guess just that there aren't many brands where I feel I must have particular releases. Of course, I love some well-aged Redbreast, and I've certainly tried all of the "Spots" I've been able to get my hands on.  But, it's just not the aisle of the liquor store that draws my attention. 

Of course that changes when St. Patrick's day is coming. We planned on having neighbors over for food and drinks to celebrate, and having only a bottle of Gold Spot on my shelves to offer my visitors, I felt the need to pick up at least one more bottle. So I came home with this, a 12 year Irish whiskey aged in Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon barrels before finishing in Marsala casks. I figured there's a lot going on there, and even at 80 proof, this should still pack a good amount of flavor.

With my first pour I noticed right away a bright and fruity aroma. The Sherry and Marsala casks definitely made their influence known, as I got raspberry and strawberry, along with a sweet honey note. There were also traditional malt notes of sweet tobacco leaf and butterscotch, but there was also a distinct vanilla note along with a light black pepper note, perhaps showing some of the ex-bourbon cask influence.

At only 80 proof, this whiskey unsurprisingly came across as thin and watery. Despite that, it packed a very good punch of flavor. That raspberry note came through right away, but it also had a bit of tartness to it, kind of like a cranberry note.  Once again, those Sherry and Marsala casks made their influence known, but it was far from overdone.

The sweet tobacco note also came through right away, and it seemed to be sweetened by a bright honey note. There was also a sort of sweet tea flavor that I got, adding a sort of earthy but sweet note that worked really well with the bright berry notes.

On the finish the tea notes certainly came through, but the sweetness seemed to fade a bit. It was more like a basic black tea. Some of the raspberry notes lingered, but even those were faded as well.  What I really noticed, and couldn't avoid once noticed, was a weird metallic note. I'm not completely sure how to describe it other than that, but there was something definitely metallic that bugged me.

For an easy-to-find, off-the-shelf Irish whiskey, this is a crowd pleaser. Everyone that tried it loved it, as it's very approachable at a low proof and offers sweet and bright fruit notes that even a non-whiskey drinker might appreciate. In the end, though, I had a hard time moving past that weird metallic finish that seemed to linger.

Grade: C+

Waterford Irish Single Malt Whiskey - An Experiment in Terroir?

You may have noticed a recent addition to the Irish Whiskey aisle at your local retailer. In fact, given the bright blue package and very sleek and modern look, the Waterford Irish Single Malts really stick out amongst all the other earth-toned Irish whiskeys. They really are eye-catching. But, when a friend of mine offered to send me some samples to try, I had to admit I didn't know much more about Waterford than that.

So, while I waited for this package of sample bottles to arrive, I checked out what Waterford was all about, and, quite frankly, it's worth a look -- www.waterfordwhiskey.com.  Waterford is not just a distillery, but a whiskey "project."  According to their website, Waterford sourced 86 Irish farms, including organic and biodynamically run farms, growing barley on 19 different soil types. While sourcing this grain, Waterford is tracking and recording it every step of the way, taking note of everything from the date of harvest to the date of distillation and even the soil type. The goal appears to be to establish or, perhaps better stated, to demonstrate each whiskey's terroir--something traditionally associated with wine, not whiskey.

What I didn't realize until I actually had these samples in hand, however, is that each whiskey comes with its own "Teireoir Code." By entering each code on Waterford's web site, I then was completely inundated with information about that whiskey and the grains used to make it. I was honestly floored at just how much information is made available to the consumer. For instance, the very first piece of information is the name of the grower of the barley, followed by information relating to the date the barley was harvested, the date the whiskey was distilled, the length of maturation down to the day, and the number of bottles produced.

As you scroll through each page, you get background on the particular farm where the barley was grown, audio of the wind blowing and birds chirping at the farm (not sure that it was necessary to hear the farm, but a fun little interactive aspect), and even a complete timeline of the barley from the date sown to the date harvested to the date of distillation to the date of bottling. You even get a picture of a cross-section of the soil.  Admittedly, this was certainly more information than I have ever asked for or felt I needed. And some of the farm descriptions come across as a bit hokey and fluffy. But, there is no question that what Waterford is doing differently from everybody else is not only tracking every detail of their whiskey, from grain to bottle, but providing all of that information to the consumer. And it really was fun looking up each Teireoir Code as I sampled each of these whiskeys.

But of course, all the information in the world doesn't mean much unless the product is good.  Each of these whiskeys is fairly young, with none being over 4 years, and they come with a healthy price tag approaching $100 per bottle. So, going in I felt each of these whiskeys had some work to do.


Dunbell 1.1
 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 8 mos., 26 days

 - 6,000 Bottles

 - Single Farm Origin

 - Terroir Code: F022E01-01

This was the first of the whiskeys that we tried, and it was the last one I went to when I re-visited them. The nose on this one was absolutely delicious, and I probably spent more time nosing this one than any of the others. It had delicious rich aromas of apricot and brandy, with a brown sugar and honey sweetness. It also had a bit of a cereal note, like Cheerios, as well as some light smokiness.

The flavor, unfortunately, wasn't quite as good. Right away I got notes of white peppercorn spice and that Cheerios flavor I got on the nose. It was very grain forward in its profile, and many of those notes I loved on the nose, like the apricot and brandy, were missing from the flavor. There was also something a bit off-putting, like a garlic note. This one really could have used more sweetness on the palate to provide a little bit of balance or nuance. Instead it came across as a bit of a one-trick pony, and that one-trick wasn't that impressive.

Dunmore 1.1

 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 11 mos., 17 days

 - 13,000 Bottles

 - Single Farm Origin

 - Terroir Code: F017E01-01

This was the second whiskey I tried, and the first thing I noticed was the difference in the nose. Rather than sweet and rich, this one actually had some earthiness to it, almost like coffee grounds. It still had that honey sweetness, but also a bit of a blackberry note. There was also a sweet, cashew-like nuttiness to it, as well as just a bit of peppery spice. 

The flavor on this one was more Scotch-like to me and was certainly barley forward. The most prominent notes were honey and graham cracker, and my immediate thought was that I liked this one substantially more than the first. It had that earthy tone that I got on the nose, kind of like coffee grounds but without the coffee bitterness. The finish provided some nice pepper spice, as well as a bit of a tree-fruit flavor, like baked pear. It seemed to finish off with a light and crisp lemongrass note. This one was my favorite for most of the night, that is until I revisited the next one.

Rathclough 1.1

 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 11 mos., 26 days

 - 13,000 Bottles

 - Single Farm Origin

 - Terroir Code F016E01-01

The nose on this one was even more earthy than the Dunmore. The coffee ground note was more prominent, but it also shared space with rich brown sugar and baked apples. It had a nice black pepper spice that tickled my nose, but really it was that earthy scent that set this apart from the other three whiskeys, and noticeably so.

When I first sipped this whiskey, I immediately noticed something funky, almost medicinal and smoky all at once. I likened it to Agricole rums, which honestly, I'm not much of a fan of. It even had what I described as a musty flavor to it, like a damp forest.  Behind that, though were brighter notes of banana, along with counter-balancing notes of orange peel and chocolate. This all sounds weird, I know, but it was intriguing and the one that I most wanted to re-visit. Upon revisiting, I ultimately determined that this was my favorite whiskey of the four. That mustiness somehow worked really well with the banana and the bitter orange peel. It had great balance of sweet, smoke, bitter and earthiness, and it was unquestionably interesting and intriguing. This was the most funky of the four whiskeys and the most fun. 

Gaia 1.1

 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 9 mos., 20 days

 - 24,000 Bottles

 - Arcadian Series - Organic

 - Terroir Code OR01E01-01

The nose on this one was very much fruit forward, and it was more in the citrus family of fruit. I got a healthy dose of caramel, immediately followed by bright notes of apricot and orange. There was a bit of graham cracker and, much like the others, a coffee note (pretty much the one consistency among all of these).  However, it was very sweet, like a coffee latte or a caramel pastry. 

Though it may be splitting hairs a bit, the sweetness in the flavor was more of a brown sugar note than a caramel note. I did get a bit of cherry as well, along with some orange peel, and that gave of a bit of an old fashioned flavor. However, it definitely was the sweetest of the four whiskeys, and I even got a vanilla frosting note.  I think it was that sweetness that really appealed to some of my colleagues who loved this one. On re-visiting this one, while it remained very sweet, the orange peel came across a bit solvent-like to me. 

Final Thoughts . . .

Though each one is different, when you're in a setting like I was, with four different people trying four different whiskeys, you can't help but compare and rank them. It's only human nature. For me, I ended up absolutely loving the Rathclough, and the Dunmore was a close second. The Dunbell just didn't do it for me.  And yet everyone in my group seemed to have different favorites. One other guy agreed with me as to the Rathclough. However, one absolutely loved the Gaia, yet hated the Dunmore. And the fourth guy picked the Dunmore as his favorite. As always, different strokes for different folks.

But, it was absolutely fun going through each of these whiskeys, learning all there is to possibly know about each, and even finding new whiskeys that I absolutely enjoyed! It appears as though Waterford plans on churning out new whiskeys on a regular basis, and, if our little tasting demonstrates anything, it's that there is something to terroir in whiskey. Each of these, despite being distilled at the same place, by the same people and matured for the same amount of time, was completely distinct, some with almost no similarity to the others. I know I'm not going to love them all, but if this sampling showed me anything it's that Waterford can produce some really interesting and delicious whiskey.

Mitchell & Son Red Spot 15 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

VITALS:
- $150

- 92 Proof

- 15 Years

- Ireland

My Irish whiskey purchases are few and far between. I'm apparently too busy spending all my money on bourbons and ryes (not that I'm apologizing for it). However, when Red Spot was released in the United States, I remember hearing Mark Gillespie review this bottle on WhiskeyCast podcast. While it's been some time, I'm pretty sure he gave it a rating of 96 (I'm sure I could verify this . . . but nah).  Considering that's the highest score I've ever heard him give, I kept it on my radar to look out for a bottle if I ever got the chance. 

Then, when it finally hit the United States, I had read that the majority of the bottles were allocated to Eastern states, with a limited amount to actually hit Illinois. So when I saw it in my local store's case, I immediately grabbed one for myself. This is a 15 year Irish whiskey, the older brother of the popular Green Spot and Yellow Spot whiskeys, and this one was triple cask finished, having been finished in a combination of bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Marsala wine casks. There was a lot going on here and I was excited to pop the cork as soon as I got home.

The nose is, without question, very fruity. I immediately got hit with aromas of raspberry and pears. I also got sweet honey notes, as well as some delicate floral notes.  To balance all of this out, it had a nice black pepper spice on the nose as well. It had a lot going on, but it all worked really well together.

Much like the nose, the palate on this one was very fruit forward. It was a bit sweeter, though, like bright red raspberry along with a vanilla cream. It at times seemed to have a fruit punch note to it. Even some citrus notes seemed to come through from time to time, specifically bright orange notes.

There was also a yeasty, bread-like flavor to it, and it reminded me of fresh bakery bread. Like a nice, fresh loaf of French bread, but with a touch of honey. There was also a bit of a woody note to it that added a bit of a dry, bitter quality.

The mouthfeel was nice and oily, and with the sweet fruit notes and the slight bit of honey, provided for a lip-smacking finish. It seemed all the sweet notes were what stuck around, with raspberry and honey absolutely coating my mouth and not wanting to go away.

This was one of those bottles that I didn't want to finish. When I got to about four inches left in the bottle, it sat on my shelf for quite some time before I went back to it, because I knew I'd miss it once it was gone. This was an absolutely delicious bottle of whiskey, and even at the price, I think I wouldn't hesitate to grab another bottle if afforded the opportunity.

Grade: A

Bushmill's Blended Irish Whiskey

VITALS:
- $18

- 80 Proof

- NAS

- Ireland

This seems like a bit of a weird review, only for the fact that this is a whiskey that everyone has probably tried at some point. It'd be kind of like reviewing Jameson or Jim Beam White.  It's not like anybody is going to make a purchasing decision based on a review of Bushmill's. That being said, I've always maintained that I write this blog more as a journal for myself, as opposed to for the benefit of others. After all, as I've said in the past, reviews are stupid.

But, this was a gift for boss' day. I'm not one to turn away any whiskey, and I knew I would eventually polish off this bottle at some point. So, with an empty bottle of a whiskey that has yet to make an appearance here on this blog, not to mention the fact that my Irish whiskeys are few and far between, I decided to nonetheless write this one up.  So here goes . . .

On the nose the very first note I wrote down was oatmeal raisin cookie. This was exactly where my mind went as soon as I smelled this. It had the softness of the oat grain, the sweet brown sugar as well as the rich fruity raisin note. I also got some other aromas, though, particularly in later pours after this sat for a while, such as black pepper and nutmeg, and even a bright apricot note. At times I also got a kind of a white wine note, like a chardonnay.

As for flavor, this comes across as very sweet and, particularly given the low proof, very easy to drink. I didn't get the oatmeal raisin cookie so much as I did a mouthful of honey with a light citrus lemon note.  Perhaps this would be good for soothing a sore throat?

The bright apricot and black pepper were also present, mingling with a layer of vanilla bean that made it far more interesting and tasty than I expected when I first received this bottle. It also had a crackery note to it, albeit a plain on, kind of like saltines. 

The finish came across as a bit peppery, and the honey lingered as well. However, I also got something very weird on the finish that really turned me off. I likened it to a mix of cardboard and soap--oddly two flavors that I think most people might actually be able to relate to. I know I've tasted both. While it wasn't overly offensive, it just wasn't great.

All in all, this is fine, and if presented with limited options, I'd be fine choosing this.  But overall, I'm not likely to buy another bottle myself, particularly with that weird finish.

Grade: C

Redbreast Single Pot Still 12 Year Irish Whiskey Cask Strength Edition

One thing that I have always loved about Irish Whiskeys over other whiskeys is the nose. To me, Irish whiskeys have a distinct, sweet tobacco and cereal scent that I can never get enough of. The cask strength Redbreast 12 Year is no different. In fact, I enjoyed it so much it took me a while to actually get around to the first sip. Even at the high proof, there was absolutely no burn or alcohol smell in the nose.

That carried over to the taste as well. 116.4 proof is nothing to laugh at, and yet it's hardly even noticeable in this whiskey. It was soft, smooth, velvety and incredibly easy to drink from front to back. It's a heavier whiskey, and it coated my mouth and throat, allowing me to really savor every single sip.

Although my experience with Irish whiskeys is not extensive by any stretch, this one is certainly bolder in flavor than any other one I've had. It immediately hit me with vanilla, but not a sweet vanilla like you get in bourbon. Rather, the vanilla flavor was blended with a cereal flavor that, quite frankly, reminded me of Frosted Cheerios, one of my favorite breakfast cereals.

After a second or two, however, a slight bitterness hit my tongue, like burnt orange peel. I can't tell you now as I sit here and write this whether I enjoyed this contrast in flavor, but at the very least I found it . . . interesting.

The vanilla flavor also took a back seat to prominent sherry notes and a lingering plum flavor on the back end. The sherry was not quite as in-your-face as some sherry finished whiskeys I've had, but rather was balanced very well with the other flavors. Considering Redbreast highlights their use of sherry casks in their advertising, I was worried that the sherry might be overdone, but such was no the case.

This is one of the more dynamic whiskeys I've tasted in terms of not just the different flavors, but the contrast in the change from one flavor to the next from sip to swallow. There's a lot going on in each sip, and it makes for a really enjoyable pour!

Grade: B+

Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

VITALS:
- $60
- 80 Proof
- NAS

It occurred to me that there are a number of types or styles of whiskey that have yet to make their way into this still-young blog, such as Irish, Canadian and Japanese whiskeys.  Accordingly, I and my belly felt it necessary to work to remedy the situation.

My familiarity with Irish Whiskey did not extend much beyond Jameson's, but I had heard very good things about Green Spot Irish Whiskey, a whiskey that only relatively recently became available in the States.

I don't typically spend much time addressing the nose of the whiskeys I try.  Obviously, the taste is the most important factor.  This one, though, is noteworthy.  When I was in junior high and high school, my friends and I, just like every other suburban teenager, would hang out at the mall.  There was one shop in the mall called The Tinder Box that sold tobacco products, including cigars and pipe tobacco.  Though I rarely went in there, the store had an unmistakable and very enjoyable smell as we would walk past, likely dominated by the pipe tobacco.  Just walking past the shop we'd be hit with strong aromas of vanilla, cloves and other spices.

Long story short, Green Spot smells exactly like walking past the Tinder Box in the mall.  I could not stop raising the glass to my nose every time I poured a drink.  It was absolutely amazing to me, and took me back.

AS to the more important part, the taste, this is a very smooth and mild whiskey.  It was not strong, but had noticeable notes of vanilla and toasted nuts.  It has a nice woody flavor that I found I liked the most.  There were also slight undertones of citrus fruit, somewhat lemony.  However, the vanilla dominated and was the single flavor that remained on the tongue long after.

This is a sweet whiskey that is very easy to drink.  It has almost no burn at all.  It's not bold in any flavor, and perhaps it's only a matter of preference, but nothing about it really jumped out at me (except the nose).  Nonetheless, it's a good whiskey, and I would love a chance to try out Yellow Spot if it ever makes its way onto my local store's shelves.

Grade: B