Baileys Original Irish Cream

Appearance: Beige, creamy and viscous. Aroma: Vanilla nougat, milk chocolate, very mild nuttiness, muted whiskey. Flavour and Texture: Creamy, rich, well balanced cocoa and spicy notes. The influence of whiskey is more notable in the palate than the nose, even if defined whisky flavours are not. I can't believe I've never reviewed Bailey's here before. Not only because it is so popular and well known, but because it is so frequently in our refrigerator. Mrs Cascode has a fondness for it and I'm no stranger to it myself. It's a pleasant, comfy drop for when you occasionally want a creamy sweet after dinner. I think of it as the alcohol equivalent of fudge, or a somewhat ratty but very comfortable old cardigan. The most fascinating thing about Bailey's is its inception. There is nothing historic or traditional about this stuff - it was invented by a marketing team in 1973 and the original recipe took about 45 minutes to formulate, using ingredients bought from the supermarket near their office. The only reason it exists was because David Gluckman and his partner were handed a consultancy to invent a drink that would use Irish spirits in order to exploit a government tax break that had been negotiated by their client. If you want to read a fascinating account about this find Gluckman's book "That S**t Will Never Sell" or go here for a long extract from the first chapter: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/in-1973-i-invented-a-girly-drink-called-baileys-1.3240945 It's a riveting read. The really sobering thing is how much this happens. Very few liqueurs have an authentic artisan history, folk roots, or were created through passion just to bring a new taste sensation to the world. The majority of liqueurs only exist because sometime, somewhere, someone in a marketing department wanted a new product to compete with an existing one. Anyway, this is still pleasant and perfectly drinkable. Like most well-engineered liqueurs, it works, and Bailey's is substantially cheaper than most of its imitators. The official tasting notes and score are right on target. "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)

Rating: 14/23 N: sweet and creamy with some caramel and bitterness, much like creme brulee. I get a dash of alcohol, but it just serves to increase the complexity. There's a hint of something light, sweet, and fruity like grape or possibly sultana. Not the richest whiskey cream nose and not very complex, but still enjoyable. P: I get milky cream with some sweetness and a faint dash of coconut along with a light essence of toasted grain and a hint of caramel. Then the ethanol blast hits. It's a clean ethanol flavor, but it's still a lot of alcohol. There's something a dash grassy in here, which is nice as well. Not a terribly rich or complex palate, but a fairly enjoyable one nonetheless. F: The milkiness remains and a dash of grass comes out. The ethanol is still there too, but it fades out faster. Generally, a light, clean finish that lasts for a while. I'm pretty torn between this and Kavanaugh Irish Cream, which is surprising because I really did not like Kavanaugh Irish whiskey. This is lighter and cleaner with a fresher character, whereas Kavanaugh is richer with more of a real whiskey character to it, but also a surprisingly large amount of coconut and a more bitter alcohol flavor (though a bit less alcohol overall). I was leaning a tad toward this because of the bitter alcohol in Kavanaugh, but what really pushed me over the edge is that Kavanaugh is a bit harsher. Neither is all that harsh, but this is whiskey cream and if anyone is going to drink it neat, they'll probably want it as smooth as a baby's bottom. I think that this is therefore about a point above Kavanaugh, putting it at 14. Given the substantial difference in their prices, I'd seriously consider getting Kavanaugh rather than Bailey's though, particularly for cooking.

Some people say that Bailey's is overrated and others say that there is no Irish cream that can compare. Well, I'm interested in trying the Kerrygold Irish cream because their butter is superb, but Bailey's is terrific. I taste the fat and the milk from the cream at first combined with some unobtrusive sugar. At the finish, the Irish whiskey takes over with a little bit of wood, some vanilla presence, and the slightest hint of apple. The finish ultimately turns a little bitter with a mild and dry chocolate flavor, making me want another sip. It's creamy and rich with sweetness and an appropriate amount of bitterness to balance it. It has this texture of eggnog that reminds me of Christmas, particularly when combined with the mild nutmeg, allspice, and clove notes. There's a tiny bit of a spicy bite, but it is very mild. The nose is sweet and creamy yet sour with a fair amount of bright fruit and floral notes. There's some vanilla and the slightest hint of wood, but it's hard to tell whether that is just an artifact of the cream. The palate is extremely viscous with some nice sweet creamy richness that brings some floral fruity notes to offset the alcohol. It's frankly quite sippable like eggnog and would be a good alternative during the holidays. The fruity and creamy elements on the nose combine to give it sort of a fruitcake vibe with candied fruits, nutmeg, and allspice. The finish could use some cleanup to reduce the alcohol and tart elements, but the sweetness avoids being oppressive and the result is generally good.

I think most of us have had Bailey’s, but if you haven’t had the pleasure, I highly suggest picking up a bottle eventually. It’s a very versatile liqueur that I’ve even enjoyed straight on occasion—I can’t say that for a lot of liqueurs I’ve had. It’s very sweet, so it definitely doesn’t hurt to balance it out with something else though. Cream, cocoa, herbs, and whiskey work together in harmony to bring on the good vibes.

Know what you are getting with this... It has good memories for me with some ice and good company. It has some sweetness that can warm the insides. It is not though a great whisky. It is a dessert like whisky that is made for the mass of consumers providing a drinkable whisky at a cheap price. It has a place on ice cream and chilled, but I would not drink it straight.

A cream liqueur crafted with premium Irish dairy cream, Irish Whiskey along with a chocolate & vanilla blend. It has a rich birth with notes of with notes of whiskey & cream while a full life adds hints of vanilla & chocolate, that led to a bubblegum death of medium length. February / October 2016 / November 2019 / October 2024