Whisky | Age/ Vintage | Origin | Richness | Peat/ smoke | Sherry influence | Rating | Comments | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redbreast Pure Pot Still 46% | 15 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 7 | 0 | 92 | The nose is a little prickly but has very nice notes of vanilla, peach, oak and marzipan. Very nice palate: intensely fruity with peach and apricot, also oaky. The finish has amazing, concentrated fruity notes (mostly peach), also oak, then marzipan and mint at the end. One of the best finishes I've ever experienced. It's a little hot but best without water. (L5308) | |||
Redbreast Single Pot Still 57.7% | 12 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 6 | 0 | 90 | Fragrant, very nice nose with marzipan, cream, vanilla and peach. Also a hint of menthol. The palate is fruity (at first peach, then pear cider). Balanced, clean and fresh. Medium-bodied, neither sweet nor dry. A little oaky and develops more oak and spices. On the finish the fruitiness fades and is replaced by oak and mint. Spicy and warming. It has big, bold flavours but it's smooth, balanced and irresistably drinkable. (B1/11) | |||
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy 46% * | Pot Still/ Ireland | 3 | 89 | The nose is quite oaky, dense and heavy but with nice notes of marzipan and peach. The palate is unexpectedly light and smooth, subtle and balanced, with very nice notes of vanilla, peach, apricot and almonds. The finish is oaky with a note of peppermint. Very nice! All in all very nice and very more-ish. Not quite worth the price, though. | |||||
Redbreast Single Pot Still 46% * | 15 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 7 | 0 | 88 | Very nice nose: fruity with peach and apricot and notes of mint, marzipan and vanilla. Also quite oaky. Rich, powerful palate. Fruity, oaky and spicy. A bit hot without water but with a drop or two it's smooth and very fruity, develops oak. Oaky, spicy, warming finish. All in all nice but too oaky. Compared to the old 15 y.o. it's less fruity and more oaky, more complex but not nearly as nice. | |||
Powers John's Lane 46% * | 12 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 7 | 0 | 87 | Fresh, fruity and oaky nose with the typical fruity pot still character. A little spirity without water. With water it develops almonds, marzipan, custard and more oak. Also a note of bourbon. The palate is fresh and quite fruity (orange marmalade), also custard and honey. Oaky and spicy with a dry, rye-like note. The finish has marzipan and oak. A little peppery. All in all it has lots of flavour but it's not quite balanced. It's a little splintered but entertaining and rather nice. Best with a drop of water (too hot and spicy without it). | |||
Redbreast Pure Pot Still 40% | 12 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 6 | 0 | 87 | Rich and intensely fruity, a bit spicy with a hint of perfume and clear notes of peach; all in all very nice | |||
Redbreast Single Pot Still 40% | 12 b. 2012 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 6 | 0 | 87 | Big nose with peach, marzipan and oak. Very fruity palate with a fresh note of vanilla. Lighter than expected at first but grows richer as it develops oak and spices. The finish is fairly oaky with peach, marzipan and a note of mint. Lighter, cleaner and more easy drinking than the other expressions of Redbreast. | |||
Tullamore Dew 40% | 12 | Blend/ Ireland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 87 | Nice nose with oak, allspice, hay, citrus fruits and custard. The palate is balanced, smooth, sweet and very mild with notes of custard and honey. The finish has oak, mint and honey, also notes of apricot and peach (from the pot still component). All in all very smooth with an excellent balance. It's more-ish and goes down very easily! | ||
Cooley (DD) 46% | 11 | Ireland | 5 | 1 | 0 | 86 | Nice, fruity nose with banana; nice, fairly mild palate; spicy and slightly peaty finish | | |
Cooley (Cad) 58.6% | 15 | Ireland | 86 | Surprisingly mild undiluted; sweet, fruity (orange candy) and quite smoky palate (wood smoke); all in all rather nice and clean with a "clean" kind of smoke | | ||||
Yellow Spot 46% * | 12 | Pot Still/ Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 86 | Fragrant, fruity, fresh nose with notes of apricot, oak shavings, linseed oil and créme caramel. Also a hint of Trinidad rum. Complex but not entirely balanced. The palate is hot but with a drop of water it's light, sweet and smooth. Complex and nicely balanced with notes of custard and orange. Develops oak and a note of marzipan. Very nice! The finish has a bit of oak and a note of vanilla but it short and disappointing. All in all it's uneven and a bit splintered. (Aged in bourbon, sherry and Malaga casks) | ||
Black Bush | Blend/ Ireland | 6 | 0 | 2-3 | 85 | Very nice nose with lovely fruity notes; complex palate - quite rich and sweet from the sherry but also spicy and a bit fiery; the finish is drying and fairly oaky and makes me thirsty for more (L6054) | |||
Green Spot 40% | Pot Still/ Ireland | 4 | 0 | 3 | 85 | The nose is oaky and nutty with notes of oak shavings, dessert wine, crème brûlée and orange candy. Splintered and a little vulgar. The palate is nicer: smooth, sweet and chewy with notes of sherry, lemon and orange marmalade. The finish is dry, oaky, spicy and nutty. All in all complex with lots of flavour but not entirely convincing. Difficult to grasp. | |||
Knappogue Castle | 1995 2007 | Ireland | 7 | 0 | 0 | 85 | Very nice nose with fresh, fruity notes, also spicy and herbal with a note of hay; the palate is at first nice, light and fruity (peach) then gets drier and develops pepper; oaky finish but hot, dull and disappointing | ||
Powers Special Reserve | 12 | Blend/ Ireland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 85 | Fragrant, fruity nose with orange, apricot and vanilla; rather nice, mild, sweet palate with citrus, custard; very nicely balanced (nicer than the standard edition even though this has less pot still character and more grain) | ||
Clontarf Single Malt | Ireland | 8 | 0 | 84 | Very nice nose with tropical fruits offset by dry, herbal notes; intense yet rather nice palate, fruity and fairly sweet but the finish is quite spicy and fiery; all in all rather nice but it's not for the faint-hearted (Bushmills) | | |||
Connemara | Ireland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 83 | Unusual nose but has nice fruity notes, also quite smoky but the smoke is at odds with the fruits; the palate is sweet and fruity at first, also malty, then comes a wave of smoke; the palate is more integrated but still a bit splintered | | ||
Connemara 57.9% | Ireland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 83 | Smoky, fruity nose (but the aromas don't really work together); the palate is sweet, fruity and malty, then smoky (nice!); nice, smoky finish (seems fairly young, I'd say 6-8 y.o.; also, it's been chillfiltered which explains the similarity to the standard edition) | | ||
Magilligan | 5 | Ireland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 83 | Very nice nose with lots of fruit; quite nice, fairly clean palate yet a little rough and fiery with a hot finish (Cooley) | | |
Powers Gold Label | Blend/ Ireland | 4 | 0 | 83 | Very nice nose with fragrant, fruity notes (typical of "pure pot still" whiskey); the palate is at first fresh and fruity then develops spices, it's light-bodied yet a little fiery with a spicy, warming (yet a little disappointing) finish | ||||
Tullamore Dew | Blend/ Ireland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 82 | Youngish nose with a note of sawdust, also dry and "dusty" (like a rye whisky); light, fresh palate with very nice notes of apples and pears, also fairly spicy and a little fiery | |||
Jameson | Blend/ Ireland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 81 | Fresh, fruity nose with apricot and orange but also a note of oak that mars the freshness a little; fairly sweet palate with nice fruity notes but also fairly spicy and fiery; sadly, just a hint of "pure pot still" | |||
Connemara | 12 | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 79 | Fragrant, fruity nose with apricot, pears, citrus and a little peat, also a disturbing note of soap, however; mild, sweet palate, fruity and creamy with a note of butter, develops a little peat, unfortunately the soapy note persists | | |
Jameson | 12 | Blend/ Ireland | 5 | 0 | 4 | 79 | Weird nose with sherry fruits, barbecue sauce and a loud, sulphury off-note; the palate is much nicer: sweet and smooth with both "pure pot still" fruits and sherry fruits; conclusion: swill it but don't smell it |
Last modified on 20-Jun-2014. 2109976 accesses since 16-Nov-2000.