Tastes

The most bland Irish I have tasted. The color is super light, and the flavor is almost sweet, almost complex, but ultimately does not deliver. There are many other Irish in this price range that would be worth your time.

A trusted friend offered me a bottle of the 'well' Irish in the pub they frequented in Ireland. Cereal, grain, sweet, and just a inoffensive Irish. Mixing it would obliterate any flavor it would bring to the table. Served neat, it is a quite nice tipple.

This is a young Buffalo Trace. If you like BT, this is a quaint tangent. I honestly like this better than BT and it's less expensive. Don't fear the bottom shelf - there are some great finds lurking there.

Barrel #6044: Kind of a flat nose, oily front, but a rich, full bodied taste. Burn is at the tip of the tongue and the back of the throat. You can tell this spent some time with the wood. Could make a superb OF, if you wanted to use it that way. It gets more complex on the 2nd and 3rd glass.

A creaminess comparable to Maker's at half the price. Really excellent neat or mixed. At $16 / bottle in Oregon, a real steal.

The creaminess of EW Black takes a back seat to the bite of the higher proof. Still worth every penny of the $1 more per bottle compared to EW Black.

A dark horse in the 'budget' Irish whisky race. Smooth and sweet. One of my favorites.

In the Portland Metro area, this is the well bourbon. It's makes a pretty good Old Fashioned and is a decent shot chased with something else. For $20 for a half gallon, you could get worse.