Tastes

It’s the Redbreast challenge: can anything be better than their 12yo cask strength? Hefty price tag aside, the dram seems innocuous enough: orangey-amber, smelling of hay, honey and just a hint of turpentine. The flavour, though, is so stunning in its length and complexity it’s difficult to unravel it all. Less fiery than the 12yo, it doesn’t call for water but benefits from a drop anyhow. Peachy sweetness is followed by dried fig fruit, then darker notes still: black licorice, pipe tobacco, spiced rum. Fabulous though it is, I have to admit it: I’d rather have four bottles of 12yo CS than one of this. Then again, each sip of this extraordinary Irish whiskey lasts so long, the bottle will probably last me a lifetime.

I brought this back to Canada from the UK, lured by high praise from expert and punters alike. I like it a lot, but it’s not a top shelf contender, for me. It smells like a pina colada, which is disconcerting with its rather urinous hue. The creamy vanilla flavour is lovely, but then nothing much else happens. It just goes on and on, being quite nice.

Seems sweeter, less scotchy (ie malted barley) than my last tasting. Not much depth, but yummy dried fruit flavour.