Tastes

Cask no 157, Tasted two Bottles no 157 and 79. This whiskey was originally laid down in 1975 in bourbon casks with an eye on the millennium. Private investors were invited to purchase entire casks of the stuff long before it was bottled. What resulted is the longest aged Bushmills whiskey available. It has matured very well. Each cask was bottled unfiltered and taken down to 43% abv, with the label bearing the name of the cask owner, or whatever else they wanted to put on it. The whiskey was never intended to be released for general sale, but they do come up occasionally. Each cask will differ slightly in terms of flavour, but the general consensus is that they are very good whiskeys. There is no age statement on the bottles, but they're just about all 24 years old. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Master Distiller – Barry Crockett. Serial number 16159. This is the 1998 release of Midleton's excellent limited production Very Rare series - started in 1984. Matured in American oak barrels. Master blender - Barry Crockett. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

This is the recreation of an old brand that once was partnered by Red Spot, Green Spot and Blue Spot whiskeys. All bar Blue Spot have been re-released. The pot still content in Yellow Spot is medium weight, similar to Green Spot but aged for at least 12 years. It is drawn from three types of casks. Ex-bourbon and sherry casks are supplemented by some Malaga casks that previously held Pedro Ximenez wine. These PX casks add a good bit of weight, body and flavour, giving an extra dimension to the whiskey. Yellow Spot still retains some of the signature freshness that Green Spot has but offers a definite step up in quality and complexity. Nose - Aromas of mown hay, cracked black pepper, nutmeg, clove oil and green tea. Sweet honey and peaches from the Malaga casks Taste - Lots of body and hints of tropical fruits. Pot still spices, honey and red apple combine with flavours of creme brule, fresh coffee and toasted oak. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Finished in muscat wine barrels for a final period of 12 months and has been aged for a total of 15 years. It has a gloriously fruity flavour with great balance, smoothness and a luscious mouthfeel. Limited to just 10,000 bottles. Irish Whiskey of the Year - 2017 Irish Whiskey Awards Nose: Sweet. The nose is fresh and fruity with vibrant estery aromas of pear, pineapple, citrus peel, fresh apricots, lemon and vanilla. Taste: Soft and medium bodied, very smooth. Flavours of lemon, citrus peel, orange oil, lychee, crystallised stem ginger and vanilla. Finish: Sweet, soft and fruity. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

This is named after the area in which Teeling Whiskey Company is based. It is an 11-year-old Single Malt matured in ex-bourbon barrels. It is a limited-edition whiskey with only 1,000 bottles being produced. It has an aroma of rose chi tea and hibiscus. Nose - Fruits of the forest, raspberry, roses, tea tree Taste - Honey, blood oranges, peach, all spice Finish - Wood, burnt toast, a lingering spice (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Created by combining the use of Sherry (Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso) and Bourbon casks. Delicate, dry, with citrus and subtle vanilla notes. The Dingle distillery was founded in 2012 and is named after the small port town it is based in, located in the west of Ireland on the Wild Atlantic Way. Each bottle has been branded with a Bottle number and a Batch Number.Bottled at 46.5%abv, non-chill filtered, and with no added colouring, this follows on from a great first release. Extremely limited stocks. Dingle Whiskey Cask Strength recently won the Gold Medal at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2016 Nose: Slightly floral at first, then toffee, raisin and peppercorn. Taste: Chocolate, fresh malt and a touch of red wine. Finish: Allspice, butterscotch and lemongrass. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

This is a very limited edition of Tullamore Dew. Bottled at 18 years old, this triple distilled single malt was matured in ex Bourbon casks for up to 18 years and then has been finished in 4 different cask types being old Oloroso ex-Sherry Butts, Ex-Port Pipes and ex Madeira Drums casks for at least 6 months. Less than 2,500 bottles have been made. Nose - Rich and oaky with deep malty notes, caramelised fruit and woody spice. Taste - Velvety smooth and mellow vanilla oak notes intertwined with cinnamon, baked apple, toasted marshmallows and biscuit sweetness. Ginger Ale, Coconut Water, Soda, Green Tea - not Cola. Finish - Rich and warming with a lingering malty sweetness (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Red Spot was originally produced by the Mitchell family who commenced trading in 1805 on Grafton Street in Dublin, and became involved in whiskey bonding in 1887. The Red Spot name originated from the family's practice of marking casks of different ages with a spot of coloured paint. There was a Blue Spot, Green Spot, Yellow Spot, as well as the Red Spot. Red Spot was not produced for very many years, but was relaunched in 2018. Matured for over 15 years in a combination of American Bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Sicilian Marsala wine casks. Nose: Pot Still spices with rich cooked fruit, baked apple, mango and black cherry, nuts. Taste: Ripe fruit sweetness with good dash of spices - black pepper Finish: An extra-long infusion of fruit and spices. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Ireland's answer to Islay. This 22-year-old has been drawn from some of the earliest barrels filled at the Cooley Distillery and has been matured exclusively in first fill bourbon barrels. It is the oldest whiskey in the core Connemara range, famous for its peaty signature, which has somewhat softened in the barrel over the years to produce a beautifully balanced malt. Indeed, at the moment it's the oldest age statement core whiskey produced at any of Ireland's distilleries. Connemara 22 is non-chill-filtered, has not been coloured Nose - Light peat smoke with strong fruit - orange peel, pear and pineapple. Taste - Full bodied and smooth. Fresh fruit, vanilla - plus spicy elements. Finish - Fresh - lots of smoke from Connemara and the fresh fruit flavours from the ex-Bourbon barrels. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Master Distiller – Barry Crockett. Serial number 2577 and 7937 (original signature by Barry). The Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy was created to commemorate the career of the former master distiller who retired in 2013 after 47 years at the distillery. Barry himself helped to formulate this single pot still and it is highly regarded as one of the best in the range. The pot still elements used are drawn from light, medium and heavy styles and the spirit is mostly matured in 1st fill bourbon casks with a small amount going into virgin American oak. There is no age statement but some of the whiskey used is very old (around 25 years). Nose - Soft and delicate aromas with honey, white flowers, baked bread and some caramel. Taste - Soft and light - Citrus fruits, mixed peel, toffee, cocoa, honey - dash of water will bring more fruitiness. Great whiskey, but prefer the Dair Ghaelach a bit more. Bought this when finished the Midleton Academy course with Jamie. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)