Tastes

This is a solid and enjoyable whiskey but it is not, in my opinion, a 5-star whiskey by any stretch of the imagination. Firestone and Robertson Blended TX whiskey is a good drink neat or with ice/water. In the glass, it has a medium amber hue and it coats the Glencairn nicely. The nose is sweet with vanilla and sugar cookie. The body is nice but a bit thin with the sweetness of the liquid filling my mouth and the oak coming out quickly to round out the body. The finish is pleasant at first but as the flavors leave my mouth there is an unpleasant aftertaste. Overall, this is good it makes a solid Old Fashioned and a decent Manhattan but the proof is too low to really bring out the whiskey in the drink. Now one area that this whiskey absolutely shines in is with smoked brisket. I have been learning to smoke briskets for a month or so and about 2 weeks ago I had this whiskey with the brisket and the combination was amazing. I do not know if the smokiness of the meat brought out more of the flavors of the whiskey or what but they paired so well that I will keep a bottle just for brisket. In closing, I rate this a solid whiskey but great in one aspect. Enjoy.

I can't believe I have not done a review of this whiskey. Tullamore D.E.W was the first Irish whiskey I really enjoyed when I began my drinking journey. I had tried both Jameson and Bushmills White label but neither was tasty to me. In the glass, Tullamore has a light straw color and barely leaves any liquid on the sides of the glass when swirled. The nose is light and fruity with the light scent of tart apples like Gala or Fiji with some hint of citrus as well. The body is typically Irish in that it rushes across your palate with vanilla and mild caramel and is gone too quickly. With the finish being pleasant and a bit brief. While this whiskey is no longer my goto Irish whiskey as it was replaced by Proper 12 it still holds a spot in my heart and I do try to keep a bottle in my bar for memories. This whiskey is readily available and I have never had a bad bottle as with so many things in the drinking world "Quantity has a Quality all its own". Is it a nice sipping whiskey yes and sometimes that is enough for me. Lastly, I have made several variations on Irish coffee with this, and since it is so smooth and soft it has worked well with all of the flavors and variations I have used. Enjoy.

I finally took the time to review this very good expression of the Tullamore DEW line. This is Tullamore DEW finished in Caribbean Rum Casks and it is very nice and different. I bought this because I wanted something different one day and a good buddy of mine at the local store had just tried this and really enjoyed it. The bottle is very nice with light blue/aqua on the label and cap and the slightly darker liquid inside than regular DEW. The nose on this is really nice and different in that you have the traditional whiskey notes like caramel and honey, but then comes the rum notes with the sweetness of molasses. The body is still light as most Irish whiskeys are with the flavors rushing across your palate, but this stuff lasts a bit longer and is pleasant. The finish is longer as well with the rum sweetness giving way to the lingering whiskey notes of vanilla and a hint of oak with light brown sugar at the end. Now this is not the end all be all whiskey, but it does show that some risks are worth taking. The product is a very good marriage between the smoothness of Irish whiskey and the sweetness of rum and if you are a fan of either this may be a shot worth taking. In my area this is about $26 a bottle so if it is not for you it will not break the bank and if you like it then it is a medium cost bottle. Now, I have made Irish coffee with this and I was blown away at the flavor and I made a whiskey and coke and again I was impressed by the flavor. But it was nearly too sweet. All in all this is a great addition to my Irish whiskey lineup and as long as it does not get too expensive I will continue to stock it in my home bar. Enjoy!

This is a repost for a review I submitted a few days ago. The bourbon I was rating was this one and not Old Fitzgerald 1849. When I saw the different labels I just figured that there was a label change. Sorry, All. On a recent trip to Kentucky, I stopped at a few liquor stores to look for whiskeys and bourbons that I can't find in South Carolina. I was able to find Old Fitzgerald's 1849, Very Old Barton 86pf, and 90 pf. This is a review of the Old Fitzgerald and what a steal for between $12 and $14. The bourbon is light and sweet on the nose with vanilla and some ethanol as well and just a touch of oak. The body is a light sweet yeast bread or sweet roll taste with just a hint of burn and light caramel at the end. The finish was nice but not as long as I would have liked with the wood and caramel finishing it out. Overall, I would rate this a little bit higher but I can't find it here so while I would love to have this in my bar regularly it will only be here as long as this bottle lasts.

I finally remembered to try this at a family gathering this weekend and having tried OG 100 first it somewhat influenced my taste for the version of Old Grand-Dad 86. This is not a bad drink and at this price point, it is a good deal as well. It can be found nearly anywhere and the quality is really consistent across the line. Sadly, however, it is not as good to me as the Bottled-in-Bond version. The color in the glass is to light like an iced tea, not a bourbon. It does coat the glass some but it is too watery. Sipped neat it was light and with oak, vanilla, and something spicey. The body was different more corn (almost like 13th Colony Corn Whiskey) with oak and vanilla rounding out the short body. The finish was brief and sweet with an aftertaste of bitterness. Several members of my family like this bourbon and not the BiB version and I am the opposite and that is fine like what you want to like and share what you have and know. I do keep in mind that this is an extremely inexpensive bottle and it can be found almost everywhere.