Tasting Notes By Whiskey A to Z

Arguably the birthplace of whiskey, and once home to hundreds of stills, Ireland is now left with just three distilleries: “Catholic” Midleton, “Protestant” Bushmills, and Cooley (for those who just want a secular drink). Like bourbon, Irish whiskey is sometimes seen as “not Scotch”, and therefore looked down upon. Please don’t! Ireland is currently producing many great malts that deserve a place in your collection.

Irish Distilleries   |  Ask the Expert

    How to taste whisky

1. Start with a tulip shaded glass (never a whisky tumble). This will concentrate the aroma of the spirit.
2. Nose the whiskey
3. Take a small sip and let the whisky coat your mouth and note what flavors you pick up
4. Add water to the spirit to open it up and to release the oils in the dram (I add just a splash but whisky experts will typically recommend cutting it by half)
5. Take a big sip and note the overall body of the spirit
6. Move the whisky around in your mouth to pick up additional flavors
7. Swallow and note how long the finish is
8. Take your time and try only a few at a time and drink plenty of water between sips.

There is no such thing as a bad whisky, folks just like what they like.
And remember, the only opinion that truly matters is your own.

Glen – 77

Aged in sherry casks, this dram is very popular with Irish whiskey enthusiasts. With all of the great press this dram receives I was disappointed that the dram wasn’t as flavorful as I expected. For me, the dram seemed to come across a little too young with a definitive grainy quality. All in all though, it’s a good honest dram that grows on you. Not my first choice, but interesting enough to enjoy a glass from time to time.

Nose: A little young, grain, grassy, sweet, some nice oak and sherry
Body: Light
Finish: Long with some heat, dry

If they aged this one a few more years it would go from good to great


 

Brett – 80

A pretty blend. A little young on the nose, but with a definite sherry character that speaks of things to come. Black Bush has a light body, enhanced by a mix of fruits and malts that carry over into the finish. There is also an almost “buttery” quality in this dram, which slowly gives way to a dry, medium hot, and malty finale. This is the whiskey I think of first when someone wants a description of Irish whiskey.
 

Available at most liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 86

Updated Feb 2008
This is a light and creamy classic Irish malt. Very easy drinking and enjoyable. A good Irish sipping whiskey. Well balanced and flavorful.

Nose: Malty, nutty, toasted oak, vanilla, earthy
Body: Light but creamy
Finish: Medium to long length and sharp, caramel sweetness, floral

Classic Irish.

Brett –

Available at most liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 87

This is a great whiskey that comes off well balanced and deep. Even though this dram has no age statement it still feels like an older whiskey. Like the 12 year old, the peat is balanced very well with that trademark Irish smoothness. This dram is also much less expensive then the 12 year old expression and is not much of a step down in taste.

Nose: Hay, peat, fruity, some smoke
Body: Smooth and sweet, velvety feel
Finish: Subtle sweetness at first and then the peat comes on strong

A very good dram.

 

Brett –

Available at some fine liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 89

You don’t see cask strength Irish whiskies everyday so I was excited by the prospect of trying this one. I wasn’t disappointed. Not as good as the 12 year old but still very unique and delicious. This whiskey is also non chill filtered so it’s pour a whiskey as you can get. Make sure you add water to this cask strength beauty.

Nose: Robust peat but not too intense, some underlying fruity sweetness, a little peppery
Body: Big and mouth filling, very flavorful
Finish: Long and peaty, the finish and nose match very well

An excellent and unique dram.
 

Brett –

Limited Availability.

$$$$

Glen – 91

One of the best whiskies available today, Connemara 12 year old is one of three peated expressions from the independent Cooley distillery. This malt perfectly balances the sweetness of Irish whisky with a big peaty character. The nose is full of robust peat with an underlying sweetness. The body is silky smooth that sets off a medium length peaty finish.

Nose: Robust peat, underlying sweetness, musty, wet hay, coconut
Body: Silky smooth and thick
Finish: Some nice bite but not hot, peaty, medium length, the peat sticks to your tongue

A special dram.

 

Brett –

Limited Availability.

$$$$$

Glen –

Jeff – 89 Editor's Pick Spring 2008

I was eager to try this whiskey and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. Then I opened the bottle. I could drink this all summer long! So light, fresh, and nutty (hazelnuts). Sweet vanilla, hints of peaches and dried fruit. This
sexy little minx leaves your mouth drooling for more. Gentle on the palate, with a nice warming finish.

Limited Edition - This is a nice summer whisky but don’t wait too long or it might be all gone.

Limited.

$$$$

Glen – 91

The stuff of legend. I’ve hear constant praise about this hard to get Irish dram. I know many folks who horde their stash. Well, I finally convinced one of them to open a bottle and the dram definitely lives up to the hype. Has everything you would expect from an Irish whisky, sweet, light and creamy. But this dram takes the traditional Irish dram to the next level. It has a great creamy smooth body and the flavors are married perfectly. Very well balanced and has depth that few Irish whiskies are able to achieve.

Nose: Gingersnaps, fresh cream, grassy,
Body: Creamy
Finish: Long and flavorful

Exceptional, a great Irish dram

Brett –

Not available in the US.

$$$$

Glen – 81

This is my short and a beer whiskey. Nothing goes better with a cold lager then a sipping shot of good old Jameson. Straightforward and honest, this whiskey has some attitude.

Blue collar.
 

Brett –

Available at all liquor stores.

$

Glen – 86

A very well rounded and appealing dram that I was very impressed with. Midleton’s always produces top notch whiskies and this one in no exception. The nose is a little musty and is balanced very well with a dried fruit sweetness and hints of vanilla. The body of this dram was rich and thick while the finish was medium length with hints of orange marmalade. A nice step up without the heavy price tag.

Nose: Light and sweet, musty, dried fruit, vanilla
Body: Big, syrupy and thick
Finish: Medium, orange marmalade, big and then gone….

A good comforting, homey dram. A premium dram.
 

Brett – 84

Another gorgeous blend, with a light, musty nose that speaks of dried fruits, honey, vanilla, and “gauze”. A bit of sherry in the palate helps enhance this syrupy, almost chewy dram. I always like when a whisk(e)y’s nose and finish complement each other, and that is perhaps why I find Jameson 12 such a fine whiskey. The finish here is of medium length, and full of peaches and orange marmalade. It is less warming, and more astringent in its departure, which recalls its nose perfectly.

Available at most liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 82

Updated Feb 2008
Has an exceptionally vibrant and youthful nose that I just loved. Reminded my fellow taster of the nose of Glenmorangie 10 year old. The nose was the best part of this dram and reminded me of field after a Spring rain. Easy drinking and enjoyable. Very subtle but still complex. I wasn’t a big fan of the finish which came off a little brackish.

Nose: Young and vibrant, vanilla, grapefruit skin, honey, fresh
Body: Very light
Finish: Brackish, light and short, oak, menthol, caramel

Youthful and vibrant. A good dram.
 

Brett – 81

What a great, subtle nose! Young and “meadow fresh”, full of grapefruit, oranges, honey, and malt – this one really woke-up the senses. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Very light-bodied, the rest of the dram in no way resembled its start. The finish was almost brackish, with roasted pecans, oak, caramel, and menthol. On the plus side, the finish was short.
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 77

Feb 2008
A very traditional Irish dram that I found good but not great. Again the finish seemed to ruin it for me. Very hot even with a heavy pour of water. The nose was more rich then the 92 but lacked the vibrancy. Didn’t move me.

Nose: Honey, vanilla, oak, caramel, sweet, orange candy, had a creaminess to it
Body: Light
Finish: Long and very sharp, oak, malt and tobacco

Sweet and traditional.

 

Brett – 80

More “traditional” than the 1992 version, the nose contains caramel creams, honey, vanilla, and orange soda. A medium-bodied dram, the 1993 had a hot, oaky finish, full of tobacco, malt, and pencil shavings. It also had me thinking, “Hey, that ‘92’s not so bad, after all.”
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 88

Feb 2008
An exceptional dram that gets it all right. Has the vibrancy of the 92 but with a much more balanced finish. Had a Summer field freshness to it. Complex and almost a chardonnay type of nose. Nice depth and complexity.

Nose: Vibrant, graphite, Summer field freshness, whole uncut lemons, very subtle vanilla and honey
Body: Medium
Finish: Long with a nice sharpness, nectarines, honey and oak

Vibrant and well balanced.
 

Brett – 86

Finally! A beautiful complex nose that reminded me of a summer field in bloom, with melons, lemon zest, vanilla, and a touch of honey. The nose almost recalled a Chardonnay, but also contained graphite and gauze to “ground” it. The 1994 had a medium body with good mouthfeel. The medium-long finish had a nice depth to it, with more honey, burnt caramel, and nectarines, as well as a pleasantly sharp, oaky dryness. Now that’s an Irish whiskey!
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 88

This dram seems to scream, hey buddy I’m here, drink and enjoy. Full flavored with an amazing nose and finish. The rum is pronounced but not overpowering. Once you get passed the rum, deep vanilla emerges. Has some nice heat and bite to the finish. Not overly sweet and offers surprising complexity and attitude for an Irish malt.

Nose: Rum, vanilla, toasty, sharp
Body: Medium and chewy
Finish: Light rum, medium length, some heat and bite

Well put together.
 

Brett – 92

Wow! Now I’m usually not one for rum finishes, but once you try this one, you’ll need to treat yourself. Besides the obvious rum, this whiskey’s nose is full of vanilla and a light hay essence, as well as breakfast toast with butter. It is full and chewy, and whereas the nose is sweet dark rum, the finish is more of a light rum; warm and with an underlying cereal sweetness. It is a sausage breakfast to complement the toast in the nose. This whiskey is as close as you can come to “comfort food”. A substantial dram!

Limited Availability.

$$$$$

Glen – 88

Feb 2008
I was very impressed with this smooth and rich Irish blend. The dram had a fresh character to it with loads and loads of honey, vanilla and oak. Very appealing and enjoyable and should appeal to scotch drinkers that don’t usually drink Irish whiskey. Not overly complex but very well balanced and flavorful. A dram you could sip on all day (within moderation of coarse).

Nose: Fresh and malty, oak, honey vanilla, cloves

Body: Medium and flavorful

Finish: Medium length and exceptionally smooth, vanilla, creamy, warming, had a nice tangerine aftertaste that hangs on your tongue

Tasty.

Brett – 87

Wonderful youthful freshness on the nose, with notes of vanilla, cantaloupe, anise, and a decided malty sweetness. This dram has a very light body, that segues nicely into its short, smooth finish which bursts with citrus (tangerines) and honeydew, vanilla creams, and slightly dry oak. A very tasty (and dangerous) everyday whiskey! The Big Fellow would be proud.
 

Widely Availability.

$ to $$

Glen – 74

Feb 2008
Came off a little unbalanced but improved with water. Nothing very memorable about this dram and doesn’t compare with the Blend. More earthy and vegetable character turned me off a bit.

Nose: Caramel, toasted oak, earthy notes, wood smoke
Body: Light and smooth
Finish: Medium length, chalky, oak, vegetable, peat and a note of burn plastic

Doesn’t compare to the exceptionally good Michael Collins Blend.
 

Brett – 79

Worlds apart from the blend. The nose is extremely “earthy”; full of caramel, toasted oak, wood smoke, Peking duck, and the faintest hint of citrus. With water, cocoa notes emerge. More medium-bodied than the blend, the single malt’s finish is slightly vegetal, with oak, peat, orange-oil, and chalk rounding-out its palette.

Widely Availability.

$$

Glen – 89

I don’t know if I’ve ever had a dram with a more pronounced peach flavor then this beauty from the Midleton distillery. Like walking through a peach orchard at harvest time (ok I know I sound a little corny). This whiskey will open your eyes to the wonderful world of Irish malts. Full of vibrant flavors, has an almost cordial quality.

Nose: Overripe peaches, sharp and sweet, some caramel, very clean (a beautiful nose)
Body: Medium, has some legs
Finish: Long, peach candy, fruity, the finish comes back at you just before you think it’s gone

Impressive and full of vibrant flavors.

 

Brett – 89

When we cracked this blend, I thought I was drinking a fruit salad! The nose is chockfull (and I do mean chockfull) of fresh peaches and apricots. It was sharp and sweet. The body is deliciously light and fresh. The finish here was medium-short, with undertones of gingersnap cookies and yes, more peaches. This is actually a wonderful whiskey (if you like peaches, of course). We all felt like we were drinking the whiskey equivalent of a cordial, without the cloying sweetness. A real treat!
 

Available at some fine liquor stores.

$$$$$

Glen – 93

One of the best Irish whiskies (or whiskies for that matter) available today. Big and robust, Redbreast 12 is a malt that every whiskey lover should own. When I’m in the mood for an Irish whiskey this is usually my first choice. Very deep and flavorful, I just love this stuff. Can stand up to any Scotch. This dram is also very reasonably priced so pick up a bottle (or two) before it starts to fly off the shelves.

Nose: Fresh and clean, malty, heather, honey, vanilla
Body: Medium
Finish: Medium length and toasty, sweet and syrupy

Well balanced and oh so good. One of the best whiskies on the market. Highly recommended.
 

Brett – 91

Someone once said of Dick Cheney, that he had “gravitas”; that is, he had a certain seriousness about him, and he would not let you down. Well…
When I drink Redbreast, I think of gravitas. It is a serious pure pot still whiskey – one of the few. This is a BIG whiskey, with a flavor profile that rivals any dram out there. It has a toasty, malty nose full of vanilla, heather honey, and tobacco; a wonderful melding of aromas. A medium-full bodied dram, Redbreast has a warm, lingering, fruity finish recalling simple syrup, marzipan, and roasted nuts. This whiskey belongs in everyone’s cabinet.
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$ to $$$