The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth

Rating: 10/23 I know very little about this one. I vaguely recall wanting to try it and I saw a mini, so I got it. N: Surprisingly enticing! I get a sweet nectar quality with some heathery richness. A bit of raw alcohol chicken breast, but it isn't too bad. Actually, the meatiness is growing. I'm less keen on this now, but it isn't too bad. A hint of apricot in there. Oh, unfortunately, it's quite meaty now. There isn't a lot of alcohol though and I'm getting more of a cooked chicken breast scent now, including some black and rainbow pepper. So this is basically nectar, heather, and chicken breast. A bit odd, but not actually bad. Still it isn't that interesting or enjoyable. P: Surprisingly full mouthfeel and flavor. Nectar (malt sweetness) and spices overlay a decently rich base of malt and heather. After a couple of sips, that usual Irish oily alcohol comes out. I'd prefer it to not be there, but I was expecting it seeing as this is an Irish whiskey. Faint apricot and orange, but it's mostly malty sweetness. Grain turning into a bit of dry grass with faint lemon accompanies the alcohol. Maybe there's some vanilla here? The complexity is fairly solid, though certainly not amazing. The spiciness lacks a particular flavor beyond a hint of white pepper and is unfortunately in substantial part just alcohol burn and harshness. It's too bad because I'd be pretty positive on this whiskey if it weren't for that harshness. There's also a little bit of meat accompanying the alcohol. It's like slightly undercooked chick breast. Not the worst, but it's clearly a flaw. F: Malty richness with a bit of heather. Not all that sweet though. The more bitter side of the alcohol. - Conclusion - It's a real shame that there's so much alcohol harshness here because this is otherwise a pretty enjoyable, easy-sipping dram. That said, even without the harshness, this has nothing on the nectary, decadent fullness of Knappogue Castle 12 (15/23), so it wouldn't exceed a 13. Compass Box Artist's Blend (13/23) has a bit of burn like this does and it isn't quite as sweet, with a more of a mellow bitter backing. It's also fuller with much more vanilla. I think that, flavor-wise, the choice between them comes down to preference. The harshness here is a real problem though. I might actually prefer this flavor-wise. Dudognon Reserve (10/23) has more of a syrupy sweetness to it and definitely displays more alcohol. The Dudognon isn't harsh though. This is the winner in terms of flavor, though not by a huge margin. So the question is now how much does the harshness lower this's score? At least 2 points, I'm sure, so this can't be higher than an 11. Is it a full 4 points? Doubtful. It's 2-3 in this case, I'm thinking. I'm assuming that this is one of those entry-level Irish whiskeys. If so, it's a good one to go for. The flavor could use some refinement and it's definitely too harsh, but it's drinkable. I'd still prefer not to drink it though. I'm considering a 9 to 11 for this. Looping back around, I find the Compass Box to be clearly better than the Dudognon when tasted side by side, whereas I'm less confident that this tastes better. Considering that, I'm thinking that this might be more like a 12 based on taste alone. With this revelation, I think an 11 is out of the picture. That said, a 9 does seem too harsh. I'm giving this a 10. I thought for a moment that I might be punishing this too much for its harshness and it could actually be an 11, but then I took my final sip and that harshness is really still present, despite the damage it and the side-by-siding have already done to my palate. No way this is an 11, unfortunately. "Triple Smooth" my ass. For $17 though, I guess it's not too bad.

Nose - green apple, peach, orange zest, light caramel, grass, cinnamon, mild ethanol burn. Taste - cereal grain, green apple, lemon zest, corn sweetness, cinnamon, honey, grass, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing fast with bright ethanol, green apple, and citrus zest flavors. A name like ‘Triple Smooth’ does not inspire confidence, but let’s see if I’m just judging the book by its cover. TLDR, I’m not. This isn’t good stuff, as we’ve all come to expect with Total Wine brands. It’s smooth in the sense that the alcohol burn is low, but I actually find this rather astringent. The dominant aromas on the nose are sour apple, citrus zest, and a hint of peach, which I find to be the only redeeming quality about it. The palate is worse, with more sour graininess coming out, along with some bland corn sweetness, not completely dissimilar from a cheap Canadian whisky. Don’t buy this. It’s around the same price as Tullamore, Bushmills, and Jameson, but not as good as any of them. And that’s a pretty low bar. Total Wine has failed me yet again, but probably not for the last time.

First impression of the nose is that it lies somewhere between Writer’s Tears and Green Spot. It’s very gentle aside from a little sting of alcohol, and really takes a while to open up. There are floral notes such as wild clover, distant honeysuckle, and far away orange blossom. There’s some vanilla, a dab of honey on graham cracker, a drop of lemongrass oil, and a suggestion of candied orange peel and sherry, but it’s all quite subtle. On the palate vanilla hits first, followed quickly by honey, cinnamon graham cracker, then sharp citrus in the form of bitter orange peel. The body is pretty thin, and at 40% ABV, there’s not much wiggle room to experiment with adding water. Legs take a long time to develop but are beautifully uniform despite being thin. The finish is short and bittersweet. Oats, stale cinnamon stick, sour grape must, and finally oak makes an appearance along with nuts and a pip of dark chocolate. An interesting if not strange blend, this whiskey has potential. Nose: 7 Taste: 7 Body: 4 Finish: 5

N: Has a bit of that Hi-C note from the Busker SPS—actually, probably just has a bit of the SPS in it—but it's more subdued and better rounded here. Peach, pear, vanilla, caramel. Cherry candy and/or cherry cough syrup. Too much ethanol generally, but not out of line for the price. P: Big and fruity early with some orchard fruit and a distinct strawberry note. The fruit is quite sweet and tends to come across like candy. Bit more malt follows with some caramel and toffee. Dash of vanilla as well. Baking spice leads into the finish, which slowly builds through cinnamon and into a chili pepper heat. Some sour fruit mixes in, but the finish mostly just hot. I think this is a notch better than Busker Single Pot Still and a solid entry-level Irish whiskey generally. It's a decent alternative to Jameson, for example, but I wouldn't take it over Powers Gold. Pretty easy to drink, and cheap, but ultimately nothing memorable about this one.

Nose: Youthful and light, but not off-putting thanks to the casks that were used. Frosted vanilla shortbread cookie. Sweet Sherry with orange and overripe apples. Palate: Thin viscosity, but a little deeper and darker than you'd expect. Rich barrel spices, stewed apples, and a touch of toffee. Finish: Short with a touch of Sherry and Barrel spices. Summary: If you aren't sure about Irish Whiskey, this is a good place to start. Cheap, but still good and an easy crowd pleaser. At the time of reviewing, I've seen this on clearance at multiple places for $5 a bottle.

I was excited to try this, but it's typical of a cheaper Irish whiskey. Body is light, mouthfeel is unremarkable. Nose is on the weaker side but decent hints of malt. Palate is slightly astringent and it's as if you have to really search for a consistency in the taste. Not a fan of the finish as it leaves a mild bitterness on the tongue. I can see using this more in cocktails that might call for an Irish whiskey but not a valiant sipper at all.