Bushmills Black Bush

Not long ago I spotted a bottle of Bushmills Black Bush for around $30 a bottle and decided to give it a whirl. It came with a free bottle of Red Bush and everyone should now know I think that Irish Whiskey is rubbish. Black Bush is a much different story. This 40% ABV Irish Whiskey is aged in Oloroso Sherry casks and it is actually quite taste. The aroma is filled with Sherry, brown sugar, and hints of leather. The flavor follows suit with an alcohol presence which is understated and well-balanced. I works very well in so many ways and I’ve found myself recommending this Whiskey on more than one occasion already. At first on the palate it presents a bit too sweet, but after a few sips that impression passes and the complexity of the Whiskey draw you in and leave you with a very enjoyable aftertaste. I know I’m going to keep my eye out to find this one at a great price and once I do I will restock the bar. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

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The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Not long ago I happened upon a fifth of The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey with a tag along bottle of Bushmills Red Bush. At less than 30 beans for a Single Malt I figured why not give it a whirl. The 40% alcohol by volume Irish Whiskey came in a really cool bottle, but unfortunately that is about where the love affair ends. Turns out this really cool hexagonal black bottle is a pain in the butt to pour from and the color makes it near impossible to tell how much remains after pouring. While that is a minor annoyance, the monkey juice ester which is prominent and everlasting is just a bit off-putting. I am not a fan of bananas as a fruit so why the heck would I want them to overpower the aroma in my Irish Whiskey? Oh well, after you get past the jungle juice vibe you can pick up caramel, brown sugar, peppery spice, and a hint of leather. The flavor was middle of the pack with more brown sugar and leather and a nice presence of spice. Had this been a 20 bean bottle of Irish Whiskey I might have had a different impression, but I can think of several bottles which have a lower price point and better aroma/flavor. For me it’s a pass on a second bottle and as I mentioned earlier the airplane bottle of Red Bush, even at free, was too high a price. I’d suggest you skip it unless you really want a cool bottle to have an hold which really shouldn’t be used for housing Whiskey or pouring.

Kirkland Signature Irish Whiskey

Once again I ran into a handle of Kirkland brand liquor at Costco and had to give it a try. Kirkland Signature Irish Whiskey was less than $30 for a half gallon and aged 4 years according to the label. The aroma wasn’t very complex, but had a light cedar spice and honeysuckle with a light waft of alcohol. The flavor was filled with a light sweetness, more honeysuckle and cedar, a light characteristic of citrus, and bit of caramel. Also in the flavor was a distinct alcohol burn which wasn’t oppressive, but could have been more restrained for my palate. At 80 proof I didn’t expect it to have no alcohol, but like the better Irish Whiskeys I expected it to be more retrained. Unfortunately this was worth about what I paid for it and for just a few bucks more there are better and more complex Irish Whiskeys out there. If you are like me and have to try everything you might as well give it a try, but I know I won’t be running back to purchase another handle.

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.

The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

Came home tonight and decided to pour a glass of The Irishman Founder’s Reserve which has been a whiskey I have enjoyed quite a bit lately. It seemed fitting as today is St. Patrick’s Day, but much to my chagrin there was only a single glass remaining. The 40% ABV Irish Whiskey is described as being 70% aged single malt blended with 30% single pot still whiskey and the result is a quite approachable libation. The aroma has sweet and peppery notes with sherry and light citrus. The flavor beings with an initial sweetness on the palate of brown sugar and honey with chocolate, bourbon, and caramel.  The finish goes dry with a pleasant alcohol and a final pleasant flavor of peaches which fades into the distance. I seem to recall this was sub $30 and I am near positive I purchased it on sale. Hopefully I can locate another bottle at that price to refill the liquor cabinet. If you see it, give it a whirl if you are an Irish Whiskey fan!

Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – 81 proof

When it went on sale at a sub twenty dollar price I snagged a bottle of Wild Turkey Rye and decided to take it for a spin. Unfortunately it doesn’t have much in the way of character and consuming it straight just doesn’t keep your interest for more than a few seconds. Luckily you can mix it with ginger and it begins to show off some spicy rye notes one would expect. At 81 proof it was never hot or offensive, if I spot it at 101 proof I might give it a try to see if it has more to offer. Otherwise the 81 is a pass for me as there are better and more interesting rye whiskeys on the market.

Kirkland Signature Aged 27 Years Blended Scotch Whiskey

Some time back while perusing a Costco liquor store I spotted a small display of Kirkland Signature 27 Year Blended Scotch Whiskey Bourbon Cask Matured and snagged a bottle. I seem to recall it being around $55 and so I figured why not. When I got to the counter the clerk indicated several people had purchased a single bottle and then returned the next day after sampling to purchase several more. All they had was what was left and they did not expect to receive anymore. I figured it was a good choice so I stuck it in the queue and recently it found a space with the other open bottle selections in the bar.

As with other Alexander Murray releases there is no actual indication of origin. At 40% ABV I expected the Scotch to be smooth and easy to consume, but the alcohol was slightly off-putting. It wasn’t hot or fusel, but there was something in the alcohol which didn’t make me want to drain the bottle. The flavors seemed muted and almost musty. There was oak, leather, apple, brown sugar, and a myriad of other characteristics, but they just didn’t quite play well together. While I had high hopes for this Scotch, the truth is I found it just a bit difficult to love. Had it been half the price I’d think I’ll still find it just a bit hot and a long in the tooth. If you see it, give it a whirl for the notoriety, but otherwise I’d suggest you find something more interesting and spend your money on that instead.

The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old

When it went on sale at NCABC I grabbed a bottle of The Macallan Double Cask which is 12 years old and 43% ABV. I’m not sure of the exact price point, but around 63 beans or less is what I seem to recall. The name comes from the time the Scotch spent in Sherry barrels made of both American and European Oak. The flavor has a sublime mix of oak, chocolate, leather, citrus, and caramel which leads to a slightly sweet finish tempered by peppery alcohol and a nice alcohol warmth. I’ve seen mixed reviews on this, but I noticed the bottle did not hang out long once opened and while it was not mind blowing, it also was drained in short order. If you find this at the right price buy one and give it a whirl, heck, if you find it at the right price, buy two!

Ardbeg Ten Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

As yet another bottle of whisky bites the dust it is time to pen some notes on the dearly departed. Ardbeg Ten Years Old is an Islay Single Malt which rings in at 46% ABV, but doesn’t kill you with alcohol as much as it slays you with peat smoke. Once you get past the ashy nature you’ll find some nice complexity with vanilla, leather, and fruity notes coupled to peat smoke. Nuts and sherry lurk not far behind, especially in the nose. Somehow honey presents and in the end instead of sitting around with a mouth full of ashes you have an impression similar to the smoke character which excites the palate after some wonderful smoky barbecue. I had a difficult time getting past the smoke in the first few glasses I tried, but eventually came to love this for what it is, a very nice Islay Scotch. I think it was 50 beans or something in that world and at that price is not a difficult decision for a nicely complex and smoky whisky. If you don’t like the smoke, steer clear, but if you do, this is a nice glass.

Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

As I drain the bottle of Tullamore Dew it seems appropriate to pen a few words about this Irish Whiskey. At 40% abv the whiskey never was hot or bothersome, but retained a honey sweet character throughout to provide balance. The flavor was complex with hints of leather and tobacco coupled to a very light pepper spice attribute. It had a light floral note with an apple-like nose. While not the most complex alcohol on the planet at a sub $30 price point it did not disappoint although I might gravitate to something else if the price crept any higher. I see some sites with it listed closer to a $20 price point and if that was the case I would keep a bottle around all the time. So if you find it at a great price dive in headfirst, if it’s higher than $30 I would suggest to look for something in a similar price point which might be more complex.