Tyrconnell 10 Year Madeira Cask Finish

Prologue: this and the Sherry casked are the only two Tyrconnell I've had. At 46% they are rather strong for me. 2 years ago I vastly preferred the Sherried. Now I'm not so sure. And I don't know why. Nose: Predominantly alcohol, wood stain and a slight hint of sweetness. A tsunami of etheric aromatics characterized by fair woodiness. Taste: Ditto. Not much complexity but not bad. Tough to bear without water. This is after swirling a few times and sitting at least 45 minutes. Finish: Dry, continues the overwhelming alcohol and aromatic wood stain wave with a hint of dried winey grape. Appearance: Beautiful--light wheat or darker straw, rather like urine after a meal with a fair amount of liquids. Mouthfeel: Always difficult for me to discern because, as a low taster, I struggle mightily to detect nuances and distinct notes. It's fine. Overall: strongly alcoholic and reminds me more than a little of macallan edition 4 in its woodiness. Far less complex and tasty of course. A poor man's version. It's never my go-to, but fine when drying finances force me in a good-to-great whiskey purchasing drought.

I opened this on St. Patrick's Day 2020. The nose is beautiful, sweet and fruity. Maybe tropical fruit, perhaps banana, mango? It has a nice abv and is sweet and malty on the palate, turns a bit bitter and oaky on the finish but also spicy. It's a nice, inexpensive Irish Single Malt. Lots of flavor and a little heat. It's permanent on my shelf now. The aroma is the best part of it for sure but the mouthfeel is good, not too thin. This is very different from the traditional Irish Pot Still or Grain/Pot Still mix and is really like a Scotch. Here is to cheating, stealing, fighting and drinking! If you cheat, may you cheat death. If you steal, may you steal the heart of another. If you fight, may you fight for a brother/sister. If you drink, may you drink with me! HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY! sláinte mhaith!

A tasty and well-rounded Irish, yet somewhat harsh for its age. The Madeira sweetness and slightly fruity taste comes through, but sadly it is bested by a mere $30 whiskey (in highly taxed Michigan), the Sexton single malt which is distilled in copper pots and boasts a complex, woody character and finished in Sherry casks. Even after a few drops of water added, the Tyrconnell STILL isn't as mellow as the much lower priced whiskey. Proving that name and aging isn't everything.

An extremely complex whiskey with at times multiple personalities, the finished product is something everyone should at least try once. There's malted barley, pineapple and pleasant spice that really work well together towards a smooth finish. I enjoyed it.

A slick, smooth mouthfeel while the whiskey itself is rich and well balanced. On the palate, the Madeira cask finish lends tropical fruit flavours, sweet spice, chocolate praline and malt. This is an outstanding ten-year-old single malt.

[Whiskey Live New York 2016] - Very familiar light single malt taste that I know Tyrconnel for. The extra barrel influence adds nice flavor and bite, but for the price I can't justify the hunt for this bottle.