These notes are from a blind tasting (Flaviar Advent Calendar) The smell reminds me of vodka. Very light and mostly an alcohol burn, rubbing alcohol. A very small amount of red fruit, but mostly rubbing alcohol. After three full teaspoons of water I pick up a bit of bacon which is weird. In my opinion, this isn’t starting out too good. The taste is similar to the smell. It really drinks more like vodka to me than whisky. I appreciate the high abv, but I can’t seem to pull any real flavors out yet, due to the rubbing alcohol taste,and smell, that never fades. The finish is medium to long but it’s unpleasant. This is a real disappointment, as I enjoy Irish whiskies. I was excited to see “Product of Ireland” on the vile, but I have to say this is the worst of the bunch so far. I can’t get past the vodka qualities of it. It’s all alcohol burn and rubbing alcohol taste. Overall Grade: F (Eventually poured it out)
About this bottle
This cask strength bottling contains the same blend as the brand's flagship The First Cut which is made of a blend of three styles of whiskey: grain, malt, and pot still including a small amount (2%) of peated malt. Barrels used in its production include virgin oak, ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry butts. It's a no-age statement release that is bottled without chill-filtration between 63.5-65.15% ABV depending on the batch.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 19 parsed reviews.
An intense, Cask Strength Irish Whiskey by Shane McCarthy, Donal McLynn & Liam Brogan; founders of Killowen Distillery; in collaboration with The Great Northern Distillery. It's crafted with the same mash bill as 'The First Cut': a blend of malt, grain & pot-still Whiskey, 5 juices in total, aged in virgin oak & bourbon oak, single pot still aged in Oloroso sherry casks, double-distilled malt and a dash of peated malt; then bottled at 65% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of nectarine, pineapple, cinnamon, warm oak, caramel, molasses, honey, tobacco & a hint of tea leaf & peat; while a full & spicy life adds notes of raisins, cedar, ginger, almonds, caramel & spice cake; that leads to an extra-long & hot death with notes of black pepper, birch, honey & nutmeg. December 2022
Vanilla, berries and sweetness on the nose. More of the same on the palate to go along with some spice and grassiness, the sweetness becomes a chocolate covered caramel, not surprisingly a long finish. Let it rest in your glass for 10 minutes or so, otherthe alcohol can be overpowering. Very nice, just picked up a replacement bottle
Meh. As a cask strength, it's hard to get much beyond the high proof alcohol by way of taste or smell. A splash of water did wonders for it though. Caramel and honey come through initially though followed by tobacco and chocolate. The taste was overwhelmingly tobacco and pineapple which was fine but nothing more.
The nose is subtle, hinting at vanilla and tobacco notes. The palette is predominantly smokey with some light herbal and medicinal notes. The finish is mostly spicy and burns a bit, likely thanks to the high ABV, and the medicinal notes come out even more.
Vanilla, tobacco, and herbal on the nose. Taste is strong- as makes sense for cask strength- with predominant grass and tobacco notes. The sherry cask comes out a bit in the finish, but gives it a slight medicinal quality
13 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
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