Kilbeggan 8 Year Single Grain

Rating: 7/23 I'm really hoping that this is a big improvement over the regular Kilbeggan Single Grain because I have not enjoyed Kilbeggan so far. N: This has a richer, fuller, smoother nose than the regular Kilbeggan Single Grain does. I get more wood and a more mellow profile with a bit of a damp cardboard element. There's kind of a harsh tartness that makes me think "grain whiskey" and leads into a little bit of fruit (apple with a dash of some citrus - maybe orange and pomelo?). P: The additional aging is readily apparent. I get a sweet toasted woodiness like some light caramels were mixed with mellow wood. It's also substantially smoother and more viscous than the regular Kilbeggan Single Grain. I get a hint of some sort of fruit that comes along with the grain tartness, but I can't place what it is. This is a kind of adequate palate in terms of richness and smoothness, but it isn't very complex and it isn't super enjoyable in the rich dimension or particularly smooth either. The regular Single Grain is more complex, though the end result with its tremendous harshness is quite inferior. Both have a lot of alcohol flavor to them, or at least grain imitating alcohol flavor. There's a dash of something not quite right with the way that the wood and caramel combine here. I want to blame artificial caramel or sulfur, but I don't think that it quite tastes like either. F: There's a bit of harsh pricklyness remaining, but nothing too much. Some rich, slightly musty wood that reminds me a bit of George Dickel BiB (2019) is there still, mixed with a dash of caramel sweetness. Neither a bad nor exciting finish. This is quite a boring dram and it still isn't very smooth. It might be a hair better than Pure Scot, but really they seem like they're about on the same level. Yeah, as the harshness comes out more and more, I think this might be a 7. I almost gave it an 8, but that harshness is a real problem. Wow, Kilbeggan is not impressing me.

Week Two of my Irish whiskey Advent gets kicked off by this offering. First, kudos for giving it an age statement despite its youth - they could have easily opted for some fancy marketing BS instead, but they didn't. And, it's worth saying, this is a mature-feeling eight year old whiskey - there's not a lot of new spirit burn present. That being said, it's a bit of a lightweight in ways both good and bad. Positively, it's refreshingly gentle - as bright and airy as a warm spring day, with the smell of hay and a few wildflowers on the breeze. However, the delicacy comes without much in the way of complexity or interesting flavors. It's the whiskey equivalent of a 71*F, sunny day in late May...sure, it's hard not to enjoy, but it's the kind of weather that doesn't feel like weather. There is no "there" there. One to add to my "happy to drink if given to me, unlikely ever to spend money on" file.

Many malt drinkers tend to overlook grain whiskies, although they can offer a nice variation in smell and taste. Kilbeggan 8-year-old is column-distilled from corn and matured in ex-bourbon casks, giving it a sweet, biscuity and slightly dusty nose. Vanilla, coconut cream and hints of lavender stick out in particular. The palate evolves sugary, aromatic and a little spirity with notes of walnuts, breakfast cereals and citrus fruits. A touch of wood spice accompanies the short finish. This is not an Irish whiskey to wax poetic about, but I have certainly tried worse. RATING: 2.7/5.0 stars ≙ 76 pts → SUBPAR [+]

I like this, not a huge fan of single grain Irish whiskey but to me this, despite the lower rating is a far better whiskey than the teeling single grain offering. It's very light and easy to drink but has something nice to offer. This is best to have neat with little or no water.

Nose is very sweet with notes of vanilla and perhaps maple. The maple sweetness continues on as I drink. The overall palate is light and not very complex. The finish is pretty dry and leaves me with something to be desired.

Nose: sweet, floral, vanilla Palate: sweet, floral, smooth, vanilla, caramel, desserty, maple Body: smooth, spicy, woody, sugary Finish: spicy and long