Tastes

The bottle, collector keys, and marketing story for this bottle is impressive. However, the juice is what really matters. It's not bad bourbon, in fact it works neat, holds up on the rocks, and imparts nice flavors in a mule or other cocktail. But for the price and the hype, it's not really worth buying. It's just average, and for $50+ I want a bit more than average. You get all your standard bourbon notes out of it, but don't expect some life changing flavor from the old stock they advertise they married to the new stuff.

Really the peak of Glenmorangie in my book. There's certainly some special releases and crazy expensive bottles out there, but for the core lineup that's priced for normal people, the 18 is tough to beat. As a highland, I'd say it's one of my all time favorite whisky.

Just a phenomenal Irish. While it's on the lower end for high grade whiskey (lot of other Spots, Redbreasts and Bushmills to unpack), it's at a reasonable price point. An excellent introduction into what the Midleton Distillery in County Cork is capable of. It easily competes with entry Redbreast. You won't find a much better daily drinker if Irish is what you crave.

Reminds me of Heaven Hill BiB 7yr. A bit more complexity, likely due to the age difference, but not as smooth. Both need a few drops of water to open up and reach their potential.

Non offensive, sweet and easy to drink. A bit disappointing though. I don't think I picked up on the rum cask much at al beyond some sweetness. It's a shame, because rum can impart a lot more than pure sugar to a dram. Especially Irish whiskey, which has a more delicate valence than some other styles. It's not bad, it just wasn't anything special. I'd opt for other Irish options with more unique profiles or some punch to them.

As with all single barrels (especially store picks) you've got highs and lows. I can't say if the price increase for this is justified over the regular small batch, but I can say if you spent $55ish on this you wouldn't be disappointed. Knob Creek has become a "premium" line from Jim Beam for a reason.

A solid Irish whiskey to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or even the occasional mixer for an obscure cocktail. It's sweet, slightly viscous, and floral. Even if you aren't a fan of Jameson, if you like Irish, you'll probably like this. There's not an offensive note in it, although it's not particularly complex.

I came back to this after a few years to mature in my whisky journey. I still say you're paying half the price for the whisky inside, half the price for the name and the history behind it. If you're ok with that spread, proceed. If not, might I interest you in some great single malts for less than half the price?

It is the only whisky (be it spelled with or without the "e") out of the over 100 I've tried that I would give a perfect score to without hesitation. I won't bore you with my notes because I'm not a professional. If you can afford the bottle, buy it. If you can't but come across the chance of a dram, try it. Pappy and the BTACs move over, this is worth the price of admission.

If there's a consistently better Ardbeg out there, I've not yet had the privilege and pleasure of tasting it. If you like Islay whisky, you'll love this. If you already like some of Ardbeg's other offerings, you're going to quickly find a new favorite in this bottle. I could drink Oogy every day and not get tired of it. I'm sure there's plenty of exlusive or limited offerings from the distillery that beat this, but for the core lineup it is consistently my favorite.