Tastes

Malty cereal with a light honey sweetness on the nose, which continues on to a pretty delicate palate. Very soft and the finish is fairly short. Bushmills is my standard bottom shelf Irish over the regular Jameson as its more smooth with a better mouth feel. The Red Bush, Black Bush and 10 year single malt are all steps up from the basic.

I would say closer to a 3.5 for me than a true 4. The nose was very strong with alcohol, with a hint of sweet vanilla and a leathery type aroma. Would have been more pleasant save for the bit of alcohol sting in the nostrils. Definitely let it air for a few minutes after pouring. The palate is much better than the nose, a nice balance of sweet vanilla, cinnamon and spice, and maybe a bit of pepper. I found the finish to be medium, with the sweet lingering longer than the spice but ending before I expected it to. I didn't try this with any water or ice, but I may experiment with both next. Overall at the price point ($26), this is very well worth picking up.

Not nearly as peaty as Laphroaig or Ardbeg, but plenty enough to know its Islay. Campfire and salt on the nose, the palate is very smoky with a hint of sweetness. Finish is long and warm. Overall this was extremely tasty, had me nosing the glass and sipping little by little. Lots going on here, definitely a smell-taste-ponder-repeat dram.

Not your typical rye, but a good one nonetheless. My personal favorites are the Rittenhouse and Beam pre-prohibition, because I do like the punch your mama ryes. However, this sweet and fruit forward rye is quite good. Sweet fruit and a little rye vanilla spice on the nose, with the sweetness carrying over on the palate. There is more rye spice there than the nose suggests, with warm cinnamon carried by a bit of vanilla. The finish is lingering and warm, very pleasantly so. Overall I tend to keep this one in the collection, and I would say it is a close 3rd for my favorite rye.

Slightly sweet corn and vanilla on the nose, pleasant to senses. The sweet corn carries into the palate along with a little vanilla and baking spices. Very subtle, almost too subtle, of a finish. It lingers a bit, but not strong in any way. This is a soft and sweet bourbon, I would say no added water needed because it dilutes an already delicate balance. Overall I would say if you wanted to introduce bourbon to a non-bourbon drinker, this is one to try. Very approachable.

Bought this to compare to Balcones Baby Blue corn whiskey. Definitely on the sweet side, buttered popcorn bordering on kettle corn sweetness. Thin, doesn't have the robust and rich feel of the Balcones. Better with a bit of water to tone the heat down. An interesting addition to the cabinet to break out as a talking point with guests, but not a must have.

The nose has a lot of oak and alcohol scent, with a hint of sweetness. I wasn't too impressed, but the palate turned out to be better than the nose. Lots of oak and spiciness, almost like a rye whiskey instead of a bourbon. Sweet caramel and vanilla were hinted at on the back end and the finish was long and warming. Overall I can see myself buying this in a rotation on my bottom shelf, but not really a must have. More like something interesting when I want a little different but don't want to spend a lot.

Upon opening the bottle, got some alcohol smell and syrupy sweetness, just from the nose I could tell it was a young whiskey. In the glass it has some nice oiliness to it, with the runners slow and thick on a glass swirl. Alcohol harshness on the front end of the palate, but quickly gave way to a pleasant mix of buttered popcorn and vanilla sweetness. Medium finish that carries the sweetness all the way through. a little water helps open it up and take the front end harshness. Definitely worth picking up for the uniqueness.

My favorite of the Teeling offerings, I love the light floral and honeyed nose which keeps me going back for another sniff. The sweetness continues on the palette with a bit of a buttery vanilla aspect. A little thin and could be more rich, but the finish is pleasantly warm and lingering. One of my favorite Irish whiskeys!