Tastes

First glass of a new bottle. Nose is light, but i get wet oats, honey, and occasionally a little citrus/floral and a little toast. A lot of honey and malt on the palate, with some darker chocolate to balance the sweet - simple but good; definitely Irish. Finsh brings some nice spice. Pretty flavorful, nicely composed, and very inexpensive. I also really like the bottle, otherwise a cheap, good whiskey like this would be a good candidate for a decanter. Easy to recommend.

If you asked me to identify this without knowing anything, I would be certain it was an Irish whiskey. Nose is malt and wet grass, with maybe a little crusty bread in the background. On the palate, I get malt and chocolate. Finishes short with just a little bit of spice. Light throughout. Very different from my first impressions, where the pine was super pronounced. Now, with an open bottle, no pine and a lot of malt (I'm always surprised to see how little malt there is in the actual mash bill). I've definitely warmed to it, but given how vegetal it is, I think some bourbon drinkers will be unpleasantly surprised.

First glass of a new bottle. On the nose, apples, pears, and cinnamon rolls. Palate is rich with dark fruits and more cinnamon, along with some sweet, lots of spice, and a little barrel oak. Spicy finish, some oak, minimal sweet. I like all the four roses (small batch, small batch select), but this is my favorite. Very flavorful, and i like the spiciness.

First glass out of a new bottle. Nose is cinnamon, herbal tea, and a little pine. Palate is spicy and sweet - quite flavorful, not very subtle, but everything is pleasant. A little pine and barrel in the background, which gives it a little complexity (though I would say the basic merits of this whiskey is that it is simple and good). Finishes spicy, with some of that barrel flavor. Very good, especially for the price, though I wouldn't consider myself a rye connoisseur.

Very pleasant peated whiskey. First glass of a new bottt. Nose is honey nut Cheerios, with some brine/peat. Palate is similar: malty sweet, with the smoke/char coming at the end. Proof is decent, so even if it's pretty, it doesn't at all fall flat. Smoke lingers on the finish. I like everything about this, dont find anything to dislike. Probably a good gateway for people who like other scotches but aren't sold on Islay scotches (for reference, I'm in the opposite camp: love smokey whiskys, but would choose a bourbon over a highland scotch most days). The official review is right: not a "storm," more like a mild day by the sea. But mild days are great! Highly recommend: pretty and flavorful, with a balance of sweet and smokey.

First glass out of a new bottle. On the nose, I get maraschino cherries, apple, and a little Werther's Original. Flavor is pretty middle of the road. Vanilla, medium sweet, with a slight bit of barrel char throughout. It is on the lighter side, but the proof means that it doesn't taste flat. Shorter finish, with the oakiness coming to the foreground. My first impressions are that this is very nice tasting throughout, and a decent, but not outstanding bottle in the under $30 category. Looking forward to a second glass.

Young and light. Nose is grain, pine, and mint. Taste is subtle so a little difficult to be specific, but maybe caramel and fruit. Finish is quick but a little bitter - my least favorite part. All in all, interesting but disappointing. I warmed toward it over the course of my glass though, so maybe I'll feel differently after the second glass of the bottle.

Cinnamon cake nose. Flavors on the pallet are a little soft, but I get some candy and some darker fruit beneath that. Finish is nice, with a little wood, but not too long. For better or worse, it's just extremely pleasant.

Grass and dark chocolate. Reminds me of an Irish whiskey. Not too complex, but nice combination of flavors.

Nose is apples and bananas (maybe even those little banana candies). Taste is floral and sweet, with a little banana and marshmallow. Finishes on the shorter side with a little wood. The combination of lightness and flavor, along with its very reasonable price, makes this a favorite!