Lambay Small Batch Blend Finished in Cognac Casks

Note - I'm doing the Really Good Whisky Company Advent Calendar. I've also decided to pour these whiskeys "blind" (or at least as blind as I can), then providing nose, palate, and finish notes. I'll then look at the label, proof, cask type, etc. before writing my other notes. I'll be providing some guesses around things like proof and cask type and then seeing how much I missed the mark. Slàinte Mhath! Nose: Sweet and fruity. Bananas, strawberries, and eucalyptus. Honey. Shortcake with sweetend whipped cream and a sprig of mint. Sweet cinnamon and nutmeg are along for the ride. Is this Irish? Maybe blended Irish? Oak - but not charred. Toasted oak. Lightly toasted marshmallow. Apparently Twinkies used to have banana-flavored cream and this is what I imagine that to smell like, just not as type-2 inducingly sweet. The ethanol is light - based on the nose alone, I'm guessing in the neighborhood of 43%. As the glass warms the bananas drop to the back and the strawberries come forward, bringing in blueberry and blackberry. Nilla wafers, too. There's nothing bright or sharp or pokey about this. It's very well rounded and approachable. Guessing ex-bourbon cask? The berries aren't musty or funky or rich, and there's no nut going on either. Not a ton of age here - guessing 5ish years maybe? Palate: This is almost certainly Irish - shortbread cookies, bananas, cream. It's all there. There's a lightness to this that makes me wonder if this is Midleton spirit. There's a good amount of what I'm parsing as oak, as well. Jamo Black Barrel comes to mind. Slight tannic bitterness and texture. Coconut, nutmeg, black pepper, and just a light touch of orange blossom water. Vanilla and honey. Chocolate milk - but the gallon jug of it you buy at the store, not the homemade Hershey's version. Maybe just a hint of leather? Maybe? Mid and back palate-centric. Very midrange-driven, with the only rough edges being what I think is barrel character. Medium light, creamy, semi oily mouthfeel. Finish: Bananas, whipped cream, vanilla. Some honey, too. Just a toch of mint and thyme pop in, and then we get oak and European milk chocolate. We then slowly fade out from there. Medium length finish. Other notes: After yesterday's experience I was tempted to just say "this is obviously Laphroaig!!1!" and just skip to the reveal. Glad I didn't though! When I looked at the container and saw that this was a blended Irish, I actually felt kind of proud and like I've learned things! It was rad. I don't have much of a life. Some research reveals this is 40% ABV (missed this one, though not too far off), started in ex-bourbon (got this one), and finished in cognac (missed this one). There's no age statement, but we know it's at least 3 years. Also seeing this is sourced since it's from a newer distillery. I regularly have A Time™ when trying to differentiate oak influence vs proof, so to get it within a few percentage points isn't too bad. I'd love to try this without that finishing barrel just to see what that's bringing to the party. Irish isn't normally my bag, but this might be something I'd pick up from time to time. Not bad. Until next time, cheers!

I like this, but, I hoped to love it. Pouring a decent Irish with a cognac finish sounded fantastic. This IS good, but not as special as I had hoped. It noses of ethanol and fruity nuts. On the pallet it is silky, but thin. There seems to be very little pot still in this, and the impact of the cognac casks, while there is a nice accent, is marginal. I was able to find this on sale for a little under $30---to have paid more I would have felt ripped off. While it is a little more sophisticated than standard Bushmills or Jameson, it is not worth too many $$ more. For a similar price I would greatly prefer a serving of the Quiet Man or The Irishman.

Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. This is a surprisingly good blend. Surprising because it’s very young - and it tastes young - but still has a creamy, peppery vanilla flavour. The cognac helps the blend of the grain with the malt. It’s fairly floral as it develops, with the faintest fruitiness. The floral nature made me sneeze with this one! A pretty decent blend and what I would consider a session whisky - assuming it doesn’t keep making me allergic-y!

Au nez, c'est légèrement sucré, comme du gâteau, et un peu fruité, peut-être de la poire. Un petit côté minéral aussi. En bouche, ça démarre assez sec puis c'est très léger, plat. On sent de légers arômes de fleur et quelques épices. La finale est légère, un peu épicée dans la bouche mais peu persistante. Pas mon style de whisky, trop peu aromatique.

Ethanol, mint and eucalyptus on the nose, not an auspicious start. Not good on the palate, seems like a mild mouth wash. Finish is bad too. The reviews I read sound nothing like what i just tasted. Maybe I got a bad bottle. Maybe that's why is was on the clearance rack.

🤥 vanilla! Some floral notes and a citrus kick A smooth palate, can taste almonds and some pepper Pepper gives a spice to the finish, but it’s still sweet All in all a very smooth vanilla sweet Irish whisky with a spice kick at the end