Bushmills Red Bush Irish Whiskey

With a recent Irish Whiskey purchase came an airplane bottle (50 ml) of Bushmills Red Bush Irish Whiskey so I figured why not give it a whirl while the price is right. The label proudly states it was aged for a minimum of three years and the alcohol content is 40% abv. The triple distilled whiskey is matured in Bourbon barrels and that is about all the information you can find on the bottle and website. It was introduced just in time for St. Patrick’s Day 2017 and is a blend of single malt and Irish grain whiskey according to a press release from last year. Based on a quick search it appears the price point is around $20 in most areas. So let’s get to the important stuff, the flavor. Immediately upon pouring a strong estery banana presence wafted from the glass. In allowing the glass to air a few minutes the aroma contained lower esters than first presented, but an alcoholic note which had some higher alcohol presence with a plastic impression. Once the fusel nature was suppressed it was apparent a background presence of cinnamon, graham crackers, leather, and black pepper spice existed at a low level. The flavor had a sweet note of caramel coupled with light aspects of leather and a notable plastic as was perceived in the aroma. Black pepper, leather, oak, and cinnamon spice lasted long into the aftertaste and an alcohol burn was notable and a bit out of place in an 80 proof whiskey. The off-putting nature of the initial monkey juice notes and lingering plastic nose and flavor are enough to tell me to not add this to my bar. The Bushmills website discusses mixing and that may very well be how my other small bottle is consumed. I suggest you skid this one, even at the low price point it really is not worth the price of admission.

Pulse Nightclub Shooting Revelations

Back when the blog was daily we had a brief post following the Pulse Nightclub tragedy and never revisited the incident. The news reported it as an attack against the LGBTQ community by a wanna be terrorist and we accepted that to be true. Recently an article from Huffington Post entitled Everyone Got The Pulse Massacre Story Completely Wrong pointed out the flaws in the previous byline. Sure, the news posted the fact the shooter visited an entertainment complex and the police presence cause him to move on. We  never put two and two together as the author of the article did to come to the realization the shooting was random and the nightclub had not been targeted for any reason other than it had a large number of people in one location who could be victims. The shooters widow was recently acquitted and it was determined her confession was bogus and only made after half a day of continuous questioning. The FBI knew her confession wasn’t true because she didn’t go with her husband to case the club and they were never near the  club at the time stated. It was a horrible hand fate dealt those at the club that the shooter went to the club they were in, but as the article points out, they were not targeted for being LGBTQ.

If you haven’t see the Huffington Post article, be sure to read it from beginning to end, it is well worth your time.

Greensboro Man Defines The Majority

In this viral video Mark Robinson sets the Greensboro City Council straight on who they should represent and his thoughts on legal gun owners. I don’t know him, but I wish I did!

Kirkland Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years

No, this is not an April Fools Joke. Tonight I decided to drain what remained of a bottle of Kirkland Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years I had of course picked up at Costco. As I recall the price of admission was $55 or perhaps a skinch more. I’ve found with Bourbon anything past 15 years seems to be hit or miss, but Scotch seems to stand the test of time much better. In this case the flavors had melded and became subdued, but the Sherry Cask shined through. Despite being 92 proof (46% ABV) the only indicator of the heat was the warmth post consumption. The aroma was filled with sherry, brown sugar, and hints of oak and leather and an aroma I identify as cedar. The flavor was smooth with more brown sugar, leather, and cedar spice which led to a finish of light spice, oak, sherry, and of course a light alcohol burn just to let you know you had more alcohol in your glass than you might have suspected. While this one was not outrageously priced, I can think of slightly less expensive whiskeys I might enjoy more. I do enjoy trying all the various Kirkland products from Alexander Murray and will keep checking them out as I spot them at Costco.

In case you were wondering the back label indicated this was aged in Bourbon barrels and then finished in Oloroso Sherry casks for six months.