This Tyrconnel Single Malt is distilled at the Kilbeggan distillery. This single malt is named after a horse, named of course Tyrconnel, who came from behind to win the National Produce Stakes horse race, or that is at least the lore that surrounds the whiskey. While this was intended as a single release, it was so popular they couldn’t stop producing it. (I wasn’t there in 1876, so I’m pretty much going by what the distillery is saying here.)
The Nose
Tyrconnel is a mild gold color and the nose is sweet, light, and filled with vanilla and spice. The nose is very pleasing.
The Palate
The mouth feel is light, and trails off just a tiny big from the nose. If the taste stood up to the nose this would be a contender against Redbreast 12. The taste is bursting with vanilla sweetness and buttery cookies, calls for your mouth to take the next sip even as the first is being swallowed, which is where this single malt gets dinged a few points. Tyrconnel has a mild, but noticeable aftertaste that turns that lovely spice into something just a bit stringent. Not unpleasant, but not endearing either.
The Score – Tyrconnel Single Malt
Still, this is a quality sipper, and scores a very respectable 87/100. I plan on replacing the bottle I finished this week while travelling. One of the advantages of being on holiday is you can drink every day if you want.
Color
Light golden yellow and amber.
Proof
43.0% ABV | 86 Proof
Pros:
All sweet butter cookies and vanilla.
Satisfies a craving for Redbreast 12 as $25 to $30 cheaper per bottle.
Once you open the bottle each dram call to you to drink another.
Cons:
Mild, but noticeable aftertaste.
Once you open the bottle each dram call to you to drink another.
This single malt Knappognue Castle 12 Year is finished in bourbon barrels. It was first produced in 1998, at the Cooley Distillery. In 2011, Beam Inc. purchased Cooley for $95,000,000, so someone walked away with just short of 100 million dollars. In my area, this Knappognue Castle 12 Year costs approximately $50, but prices vary every time I shop, so there could be big differences between my price and what you see at your local whiskey/bourbon reseller.
Knappogue Castle 12 Year – Empty Bottle
The Nose
The nose is pleasantly filled with sweet vanilla and butter cookies. I really enjoyed swirling this whiskey in a Glencairn Glass and just breathing in its lovely scent.
The Palate
The palate is sweet vanilla and spice that ends with a bit of pepper from the time the whiskey spent in the bourbon barrels.
The Score – Knappognue Castle Irish Whiskey 12 Year
I can’t help but compare this to Tyrconnel’s Single Malt. Tyrconnel doesn’t have an age statement, but they are within $5 of each other, and I honestly found the Tyrconnel and this Knappognue Castle 12 Years to be quite similar. I think I need to buy another bottle of each and do a blind tasting, because my memory is blurring the two together. Which means that this and Tyrconnel’s Single Malt are tied with an 87/100.
I may go back and update both the Tyrconnel’s Single Malt and this score, because I think a head to head is worth it for a tie breaker in the future.
Color
Light golden rays of sunshine.
Proof
40.0% ABV | 80 Proof
Pros:
Intoxicating vanilla and spice.
I love the buttery cookies this brings out on the tongue.
Cons:
The time spent in the bourbon barrels seems to have left a bit of pepper on the aftertaste that takes away from the rest of the experience.
Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt is distilled in pot stills from 100% malted barley. It is produced at just one distillery, at least according to their website. What distillery? I can’t find that. There is a parish in County Cork by the name of Kilbrin, but there is no distillery there that I can find.
Based on the pieces I can put together from online research Kilbrin is a sourced whiskey. It’s not available in Ireland, and it sounds like its basically purchased from other vendors, and bottled as Kilbrin. Let’s see how it does!
The Nose
The nose is fruity and full of apples with just a hint of vanilla.
The Palate
The first sip is very approachable but the finish has a lot of alcohol in it. Enough that I feel it going up my sinuses and into the back of my throat. I feel like Kilbrin’s distiller deserves a shout out for how it opens. The whiskey is pleasant on the front of my tongue and has a decent body. It starts so strong. Sadly it doesn’t finish so strong. The finish is a bit rough, full of alcohol burn, and not nearly as smooth as I’d like from a bottle with a 10 Year age statement.
The Score – Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Accordingly Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt scores 52/100. Two things cost it points. The first is the rough finish. The second is the price. For a bottle in this price range that is combined with a 10 Year age statement I just need more.
Color
Dark yellow with a little touch of murkiness.
Proof
40.0% ABV | 80 Proof
Pros:
Entry level bottle with an entry level price.
Cons:
It is not sold in Ireland. If its not good enough for the Irish, its not good enough for me.
The opening hides a finish that hits with a bit of rough gravel on the swallow with strong notes of alcohol.
At a $50/55 price point, Knappognue Castle 12 Year is a much better option.
Slane Irish Whiskey is blended from three casks. Those include virgin oak casks, seasoned Tennessee/Bourbon casks, and Oloroso Sherry casks.
Slane Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose is sweet and malty that changes to caramel as it fades. I can imagine the faint hints of sherry as well, but I’m not sure if that is real or the power of suggestion because I know its in there. Having a Glencairn Whisky Glass is a must to appreciate those more subtle notes.
The Palate
The palate is malt and butter cookies that is sweet and creamy as it hits the mid tongue. The finish is all dry sherry. I’ve had a few other Irish Whiskeys finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, but I have to be honest that this is the first one that I really liked. They did a great job blending the malty goodness of the base Irish Whiskey with the dryness of the sherry.
The Score – Slane Irish Whiskey
I really enjoyed this bottle of Slane and plan on putting a bottle in my Whiskey Safe. This is a great bottle for new drinkers who are now getting just a bit more into what makes a good nose and wonderful palate. Slane earned very point of its 74/100, making it Sip Worthy.
Color
Light golden brown.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Pleasant malty sweetness on the nose.
Perfect balance between the opening malt and the closing sherry notes.
Whoever blended this whiskey serves a medal.
Great whiskey to transition a new drinker from more basic flavors to something with a little more complexity.
Great value for the price.
Cons:
If you aren’t a fan of Oloroso Sherry, you may not like the finish on this whiskey.
Mr. Whiskey is a blended Irish offering that is matured in IPA Casks. At $22 this is what I’d describe as a budget offering, but don’t let that scare you off, this dram punches way above its price point.
Mr. Whiskey
The Nose
I poured an oversized dram into a Glencairn Whisky Glass and swirled it gently before putting my nose to the glass. The nose is floral with hints of malt. This is a gentle, subdued nose which is perfect for the beginner.
The Palate
The mouth feel is light and watery and opens with sweet vanilla that turns to malt as it reaches the mid tongue. The finish is more malt mixed with just a hint of butter cookies that ends with just a flash of roughness.
The Score – Mr. Whiskey
Mr. Whiskey scored a 70/100, making it Sip Worthy, but more importantly, this whiskey also made into my Whiskey Safe. At this price to value, I plan to keep a bottle on my shelf at all times.
Color
Light straw color.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Classic Irish notes.
Amazing price to value.
Cons:
Incredibly affordable as anywhere close to $22 bucks.
While it is an easy sipper, there isn’t a lot of depth here.
There is a little roughness on the finish, its not overbearing, but it is there.
Jameson 18 is a blended whiskey that is created from two pot-still whiskeys mixed with a portion of single grain whiskey. It’s initially aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, then moved to first-fill bourbon barrels before bottling.
Let’s start by saying that the last few weeks of my life have been completely nuts. There was a layoff, then a job offer, then a much better job. So a happy ending, but a crazy week.
How did I mourn friends and colleagues I will no longer get to work with and celebrate a new beginning at the same time? I went out and bought a bottle of this Jameson 18 Year.
The Nose
The nose on this Jameson 18 Year is surprising. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. There is a pronounced ethanol/alcohol on the first sniff. It’s not quite a burn, and it doesn’t smack you in the face, but it is there, and it does overpower some of the other more nuanced notes. Those nuanced notes are wood and spice and just a touch of malt and sherry. Overall I was quite surprised with how mellow the nose was. I was expecting more complexity, but it just wasn’t there. After about 15 minutes, the alcohol notes fell off and I did get a mix of honey with the malt.
The Palate
The front of my tongue was honey, but the mid tongue and finish were all wood char and spice. I was honestly expecting a bit more smoothness and some butter cookies, which is what I associate with good Irish Whiskey, but the 18 Years spent in barrels clearly infused this with a lot of oak, char, and sherry. To me that finishes just a little rough.
I enjoyed this Jameson 18, but at the same time I have to take into account the price of this whiskey compared to its overall taste. I will drink this Jameson 18 every time you offer it to me – but it’s not making its way into my Whiskey Safe and I’m honestly not likely to buy another bottle.
Why?
The packaging is really cool. The wooden box and bottle packaging is top notch – but whenever there is this much quality on the packaging side I worry about what I’m really paying for. I’m guessing a decent part of the $140 I paid for this Jameson 18 went into the packaging. That means that this whiskey doesn’t quite stand up against some cheaper offerings.
Jameson Distiller’s Safe scored a 95/100 and is in the $70 range. Redbreast 12 is in a similar price point and scored a 96/100. Both are roughly half the price.
The Score – Jameson 18 Year Irish Whiskey
That price to value makes it hard to score Jameson 18 with a high score. To be honest, regular Jameson is only $25 at the “super store” across state lines and while its not super complex, it is smooth and easy to sip. How do you compare a $25 whiskey and a $140 whiskey? For me, the taste to value has to be a part of that, and that is where Jameson 18 falls apart. Both these whiskeys score an 80/100, and that means that I’m going to choose the cheaper option here every time.
Is Jameson 18 more complex then regular Jameson? Yes, 100 percent. But not $115 worth, and that is the crush of the issue. I enjoyed sipping this Jameson 18, but I can’t see myself buying another bottle at $140. The cost to value just isn’t there.
Color
Sweet golden amber.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Does Jameson put out any bad products?
If this is a gift or someone else is buying your drams, who’s going to turn this down?
I had this whiskey on my bucket list, and now I can check it off.
Cons:
At $140 this is just too much as there are offerings at half the price that beat this hands down.
I recently found Redbreast 12 at $70 and at half the price I’d take that every time.
I had this whiskey on my bucket list, and now I can check it off – does that mean I’m one step closer to dying?
While The Dead Rabbit says its based on five year old whiskey on the bottle, the whiskey itself doesn’t carry an age statement, which means that the blend may have some 5 year old whiskey in it, but we don’t know how much, and the rest of the bottle is a mixture of much more shortly aged alcohol.
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey
While this whiskey doesn’t have an age statement it does have an epic backstory:
The Dead Rabbits were a notorious Irish immigrant street gang whose sworn enemies were the nativist anti-immigrant Bowery Boys. Their antagonism came to a head in a notorious riot that raged for days in 1857. Up to a thousand gang members were involved before order was finally restored. The leader of the Dead Rabbits was John Morrissey, a notorious figure who would later go on to become a Democratic congressman and senator.
https://deadrabbitirishwhiskey.com/story/
The Nose
The nose sweet vanilla that competes with the ethanol. The nose is subtle and not complex.
The Palate
The palate is clean but there is too much Bourbon Cask to really appreciate what I like about Irish Whiskey. There is just a hint of sweet that might have some malt in it, but it is so overpowered by the time in the Bourbon and New Oak that it leaves me wanting more of the Irish, and less of the American influences.
The Score – The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey
I’m giving The Dead Rabbit a 69/100, making it just a point into Mixed Drinks Only territory. Save it for your coffee!
Color
Light Stray.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Awesome backstory that taught me a bit about my Irish roots.
If you love Bourbon with a hint of Irish this might be the bottle for you.
Cons:
At $35 there are better options out there.
If you like Irish Whiskey and butter cookies, don’t come looking to The Dead Rabbit to fulfill your desires.
This Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies. It then spends three years in bourbon casks.
Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose on this whiskey is a wonderful blend of malt and honey that ends with a pleasant apple and floral note. I sat and sniffed at this whiskey in my Glencairn Whiskey Glass between each sip, trying to decide which I liked more.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean and the front of my tongue is hit by malt that transitions to sweet honey and just a touch of butter cookies. The finish has a pleasant sweetness mixed with the charred oak from the bourbon barrels which imparts a bit of spice, and just a little bit of roughness.
The Score – Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey
This Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finish is a wonderful blended whiskey that really captures the best of a single malt pot still while optimized for this specific price point, which it does really well. Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finish scored a well deserved 80/100, making it Sip Worthy.
Color
Light Straw.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
At around $40 a bottle, this is a great buy.
A wonderful blended whiskey. The distiller struck gold with this recipe.
Fighting 69th is a blended Irish Whiskey aged 3 years in bourbon, sherry, rum, and port casks. Apparently the Fighting 69th was named during the Civil war. There was an Irish Brigade, and the Fighting 69th unit was named by Robert E Lee, or at least that is what the history books say. Does that make me feel comfortable – nope, not at all. Racism, and that is what the civil war was about, is a stain on our history. Granted, the Fighting 69th continued to fight for our country long after the civil war.
Now onto the whiskey.
Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose has sweetness, malt, with just a touch of ethanol hiding beneath those notes. It is not overly complex, but it is enjoyable.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean and the first thing that hits me is the sweet butter cookies that hints at the time spent in the rum barrels. The mid tongue and finish are oak, char that transitions to dry fruity sherry as it finishes. For what I would describe as a budget bottle, this is an Irish Whiskey that punches way above its weight class.
The Score – Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey
Fighting 69th scored an 86/100 and made its way into my Whiskey Safe, as I am going to keep a bottle on hand for “Emergencies”. Fighting 69th is an amazing value when you compare what you get to the price. It has hints at that lovely butter cookies of much more expensive bottles, and while it doesn’t get close to competing with the big boys like Redbreast 12, this is just such an enjoyable, affordable bottle, it should be on every whisky lovers’ shelf.
Color
Light Amber and Straw.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
At the $30 price point this is quality and value combined in a really nice package.
This is the first bottle of whiskey that any of my sons enjoyed enough to go buy a bottle.
Great nose and mouth feel that turns into a very nice sipper.
Cons:
It’s named after a unit that was named fighting for slavery. It it just me or does that not bother anyone else? Granted, they continued to fight for our country long after that, but it does nag at me.
This bottle of Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey was a birthday gift from my Dad, and I have thoroughly enjoyed sipping it. Dublin Liberties is a single malt that is aged for 10 years and finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.
Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose on this Dublin Liberties Copper Alley is a wonderful mix of malt and butter cookies. Having a Glencairn Whiskey Glass is a must to enjoy this nose! It is muted compared to Redbreast 12, but still lovely. The butter cookies have just a hint of sherry that is subtle but very enjoyable. This whiskey was made by a master at his craft.
The Palate
The sip is complex and swirling and starts with malt and butter cookies mixed with a pleasant nuttiness. The mid tongue immediately turns to cinnamon that quickly turns to pepper and sherry on the finish. After the swallow you will appreciate the dryness of that sherry.
Some of the other sherry finished whiskeys I’ve had overpower the whiskey, but this is just a masterfully crafted blend and all the tasting notes mesh together beautifully.
The Score – Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey
Not surprisingly, this Dublin Liberties Copper Alley scored a well earned 90/10. Obviously, if you can find it, buy a bottle and let me know if you agree.
Color
Light Amber and Straw.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Single malt and aged 10 year goodness.
Incredibly well created sherry finish.
It was a surprise bottle for my birthday, and it was an awesome present.
Cons:
Can you find it? I’d never seen it in a store and was psyched to get it as a present.
Because its around $75 bucks it can eat into your wallet if you pick up a taste for it.
