West Cork 8 Year Small Batch Single Malt

A little darker than your average Irish whiskey: a deep gold color. Sticky on the inside of the glass. The nose is burnt sugar; sweet and nutty creme brulee. There is a bit of iodine and smoke, but less peat than car exhaust. Herbal and tart lemongrass. Vanilla and coffee cream. A nice mix of disparate aromas that balance it nicely. The taste is butter, creamer, vanilla cake frosting. Tart lemondrop. Savory, nutty toasted brown sugar and creme brulee. Breakfast blend coffee grounds. Stewed apples and honey. Copper pennies. The finish is more muddy and inky than almost any Irish I can think of, this side of Slane. Dark or semi-sweet chocolate morsels. A lot of tannic/metallic stuff that's reminiscent of a jar of pennies. West Cork 8 is a sweet, tart, and surprisingly nutty, especially for an Irish whiskey. There are notes of savory sugars and tart citrus, with a metallic finale. I wasn't a huge fan of the last West Cork I had tried, but this one quite enjoyable.

This... is not an Irish. I'm not sure WHAT it is, but it's nothing like any of the others I've had in the past. Sometimes that's a good thing, but not this time. Initial taste reminds me of the taste of wet cardboard (c'mon, we were all children at some point!), and that moves to a metallic finish like licking pennies (C'MON, you know what I mean) with a bit of a peppery hint. It's not enjoyable at all. Swish it around a bit in your mouth and it gets only slightly better. But cold or room temp, this is nothing great. I had high hopes from other reviews but... meh. It reminds me more of a mediocre bourbon with a bit of rye mixed in (think Bulleit) but I'd take that over West Cork. For a better Irish in this price range, I'd pick Powers Gold Label, and I'm not even a fan of that. Pick up a Tyrconnell or a bottle of The Sexton, similar pricing but way more taste and interest.

A great Irish whiskey for the cost! Lots of complexity in the first sip. Starts off with a bit of green apple/citrus. Which then turns to spice like green peppercorn, and then sweet like carmel. A great sipper and one I'll be picking up in the future for sure!

A classic, smooth Irish whisky. On the nose I get malt, ripe apple fruit, and a hint of like citrus. The malt comes through on the taste along with smooth green flavors. Not too interesting, but very approachable and easy to sip.

Okay, not great. I tasted some pest or oak. Some spice, not much. Different from many other Irish Whiskey that I've had. For me, at the mid $30 price in Virginia, Powers Gold and Dead Rabbit, get my $$.

It starts with a sweet, full-bodied nose that transitions into a smokey almost-peat flavor as it first hits your tongue. It mellows out with vanilla and caramel notes and a subtly spicy aftertaste.