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?
I’ve had this Willett Pot Still Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey sitting on a shelf for a few weeks and finally decided it was time to crack it open.
I’m always nervous opening offerings with really distinct bottles. I’m afraid that the unique bottle is there to distract you from something else. Happily, at least with this Willet Post Still Reserve, that wasn’t the case.
Willett Pot Still Reserve
The Nose
The nose on this starts a little on the punchy side. Even without swirling the Glencairn Whiskey Glass at all the ethanol just flows out of the glass. That alcohol overpowers the more refined notes, at least until you open it up with a few drop of water. Those drops of water really let the brown sugar and vanilla shine though.
The Palate
This reminds me really heavily of Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon with its brown sugar that really sits on the mid tongue and then transitions to oak and char on the finish. Is it as good as the Old Forester? Not quite. It’s good, but it doesn’t finish as smoothly as the Old Forester in my opinion.
The Score – Willett Pot Still Reserve
I enjoyed this Willett Pot Still Reserve Straight Bourbon, but not enough to put it in my Whiskey Safe. That rougher finish cost it some points for me, although the price does seem reasonable for this level of whiskey. Willett Pot Still Reserve Straight Bourbon scored an 81/100.
Pros:
The brown sugar and vanilla is really enjoyable.
If you like a sweet middle and an oaky finish, you will love this.
Cons:
Some small rough edges on the finish.
Hard to hide the bottle if your sneaking new whiskey into the house as it is quite distinctive.
It’s a long name, but a good one. This Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey is made in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, and is both complex, rich, and smooth.
Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey
I’m actually a little confused as to what this Old Scout is. The bottle I have isn’t on their website, which could be just a change to the bottle packaging, but the fact that they took the “Bourbon” label off my bottle makes me wonder if the mash bill dropped below 51% corn. I’m not sure if that is to make the whiskey taste as good as it does – or due to some other cost factor. The cost piece doesn’t make sense though, as I’d guess that corn is fairly cheap?
The Score – Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey
In any case, this is an excellent sipper. It is 99 proof, but doesn’t have any alcohol burn. This looks like a very small distillery, but its definitely an up and comer, and there is a ton of buzz about this brand.
Why?
Take the first sip. This is an amazingly earthy, rich dram that balances leather, earth, spice, and sweetness into something that is really impressive. Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey earned every point of its 84/100.
I’ve ordered a bottle to put in my Whiskey Safe so I always have a Bottle On Hand.
Pros
Subtly sweet.
Complex swirling flavors that mix earth, leather, cinnamon, and cherry pipe tobacco.
Amazingly smooth which is doubly impressive given its 99 proof statement.
Cons:
I liked it so much, and was worried they will run out that I bottle a bottle for my “Whiskey Safe”. Which means I don’t get to drink it until its really old, or I am.
You may not be able to get it as it is a small distillery.
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.
One of my sons (who is an adult) gave me this wonderful bottle of Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old for fathers day. I drank half that night and saved the other half to enjoy in a more relaxed manner. This is my fourth Tullamore offering, all of which I’ve enjoyed. Plus, who is going to turn down a well aged Single Malt that has been aged in Sherry Casks, Bourbon Casks, Madeira Casks, and Port Casks?
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year
I have to say this is one of those rare whiskies where I can actually appreciate all those finishes.
As you can see, I demolished this bottle in just two sittings…
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year
The Nose
The nose on this Tullamore D.E.W 14 is a swirling complexity to delight your olfactory senses. The first thing that hit my nose was the wonderful maltiness of the Single Malt, a bit of alcohol, and then it quickly shifts as the multiple finishes vie for your attention. The time spent in the Port, Sherry and Madeira casks give the nose a wonderful fruitiness which is nicely balanced by the sharper vanilla from the bourbon casks.
I sat here with a snifter for a good ten minutes appreciating this Tullamore D.E.W 14’s nose. It is worth picking up a bottle just to sample all those well balanced finishes.
The Palate
The mouth feel is crisp and clean. The front of my tongue is hit by the malt that turns to a touch of vanilla as I start to swallow. The finish is all dry Sherry, Port, and Madeira which also gives this whiskey a nice fruity finish. It is well done, but this is the one area there might be just a bit of a clash of flavors as the different finishes vie for first place.
The Score – Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year
Overall, this is an excellent Irish Whiskey which scored an 81/100, making it Sip Worthy. Thank you Ty!!!!
Color
Deep amber and honey that captures the light perfectly.
Proof
46.0% ABV
Pros:
This was an amazing, awesome gift.
Masterfully blended finishes. This is a perfect masterclass for those who want something with a bit more complexity.
Easier to find than some other bottles at this quality and price point.
Cons:
Has some complexity that may not be for the beginner.
In my area, this is the same price as Redbreast 12, and for that money, unless I am thirsty for the complex finishes this Tullamore D.E.W 14 gives, I’d most likely end up buying the Redbreast 12.
I found this bottle of Redbreast 15 after a year of trying to find a bottle that I didn’t have to drive three hours each way to try. You better believe I grabbed it when I saw it on the shelf at a nearby store!
Redbreast 15
The Nose
The nose on this Redbreast 15 is a beautiful thing. The base is all malt and rich dark fruits that ends with a bit of nuttiness. Compared to Redbreast 12, this is stronger, richer, but very similar.
The Palate
The mouth feel of this Redbreast is slightly different than Redbreast 12. It has a dryer mouth feel, which I think is caused by the extra time spent in the barrel? Those extra years in oak gave imparted a bit more astringency that leads to a dry, slightly acidic finish. It’s not overpowering, and it is balanced by malt, vanilla, and a touch of pepper. Underneath all that is the lovely butter cookies I love so much in Redbreast 12.
The Score – Redbreast 15
Redbreast 15 is a very enjoyable dram. It may seem strange that I’m giving this a lower score than Redbreast 12, but those extra years in the barrel change some of what I love about the original. Don’t get me wrong, a 91/100 still puts this Irish Whiskey well above almost every other bottle I’ve tried, but it doesn’t unseat my all time favorite Irish Whiskey, which is of course Redbreast 12. Will that change? I don’t know, but so far nothing has come close.
Color
Deep amber and honey that captures the light perfectly.
Proof
46.0% ABV
Pros:
For the well trained Whiskey Lover this is a complex dram with a deep flavor profile.
Amazing nose.
I got to check something off on my bucket list.
Cons:
This hard to find, so if you do love it, you might not be able to find it.
At $100 bucks, the price to value drops off a bit.
John L Sullivan Irish Whiskey is a perfect dram when you are on a budget. Especially if you are looking for something to break it up a little in the Budget Whiskey category. The top three players in this segment are:
The marketing team went all out for John L Sullivan, making this boxer inspired bottle “The Sporting Man’s Whiskey”. Now let’s see how it holds up.
Sporting Man’s Whiskey
The Nose
As usual, I poured a dram into a Glencairn Glass and gently swirled it. The nose on John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey hints at malt but its subtle and is mixed with a bit of ethanol. That alcohol can make it a bit harder to appreciate the things we all love about Irish Whiskey.
The Palate
The first sip has a few rough edges, but it also has a nice muted malt on the mid tongue that turns to Granny Smith apples and vanilla oak that slides into its finish.
The Score – John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey
There are rough edges, and the nose and flavors are relatively basic. On the other hand this is a dirt cheap bottle and it sips easy. That is giving this points on the value side, offsetting some of the rough edges, which is why John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey earned a 72/100 and I will grab another bottle next time I see it. It’s not going in my Whiskey Safe, but for those times when I’m watching a bad movie and eating pizza, this is a great Budget Whiskey.
Color
Light straw with a hint of gold.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Dirt cheap.
Sips easy.
Great value for the dollar.
Cons:
There are a few rough edges, but at this price what do you expect?
I’ve had this bottle of The Dubliner 10 Year in the back corner of my Whiskey Shelf for a few months but it finally cycled to the top of the list, and I am very happy it did.
The Dubliner is a Single Malt, traditional copper pot still Irish Whiskey that is aged in Bourbon Casks for 10 Years. I am super excited to try this Single Malt after thoroughly enjoying its blended brother The Dubliner.
The Dubliner 10 Year
The Nose
The nose on this 10 Year Old Irish Whiskey is a treat. It is full of malt, vanilla, and honey that has notes of fruit and spice all around its edges. It is lovely, complex, and swirling.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean and crisp. This is a very Sip Worthy, smooth whiskey. When I reviewed The Dubliner blended version I was impressed. That version scored an 80/100 at a very affordable price point of around $30 bucks.. The Dubliner 10 Year takes the goodness from the blended version and adds several layers of lovely complexity. The front of the tongue sings with honey and malt that rapidly turns to woody vanilla on the mid tongue that just as quickly turns to dark fruits and dry oak that comes from all those years in the Bourbon Casks.
The Score – The Dubliner Irish Whiskey
The Dubliner Single Malt earned every point of its 89/100 points.
Color
Light and rich amber.
Proof
42.0% ABV
Pros:
Lovely, swirling, complex nose.
Deep, clean, rich flavors that highlight the time spend in those Bourbon Casks.
Cons:
I haven’t seen another bottle in my local stores, and now I have to add it to my “must buy” if I see it list.
New Irish Whiskey drinkers will really enjoy this, but maybe start them on the blended The Dubliner version and build up to this more matured version.
I know prices vary widely from state to state, and even from store to store, but if this comes close to a bottle of Redbreast 12, well, I have to go with the Redbreast 12.
