Tastes

On paper this sounded like a wonderful dram. It is good, but, only good to my taste, not GREAT. The problem for me is that for me, Glenlivet is an only so-so single malt, easy drinking and non-pretentious. A dram I would not insult or refuse if offered by a friend, but, a dram I would not seek out. Finishing this dram in a cognac cask gives another, slightly fruity dimension to the dram, but only elevates it a little. (I think the cognac finish would add much more to a more hefty dram.) Where I live this sells for about $25-30 more than the standard Glenlivet 12. It simply is not worth that. If you can get it for $10 more, give it a try and see what you think.

I would like to rate this as a 4.1, but this site does not allow that. this is a tasty Irish whiskey. for an Irish, it has a creamy, soft mouth feel, it tastes as though it has a little single malt-though, I don't think it does, and is well rounded with a nice sherry accent. If you can get this for around $30 I would say it is a good deal.

I like this, but, I hoped to love it. Pouring a decent Irish with a cognac finish sounded fantastic. This IS good, but not as special as I had hoped. It noses of ethanol and fruity nuts. On the pallet it is silky, but thin. There seems to be very little pot still in this, and the impact of the cognac casks, while there is a nice accent, is marginal. I was able to find this on sale for a little under $30---to have paid more I would have felt ripped off. While it is a little more sophisticated than standard Bushmills or Jameson, it is not worth too many $$ more. For a similar price I would greatly prefer a serving of the Quiet Man or The Irishman.

This vatted malt recreation displays honey malt, peat smoke, peppery spice, all with a medium finish.

The Strathden is similar to the Auchnagie, though perhaps a little sweeter, the spiciness seems more peppery, a hint of smoke, and there is a mild astringency or saltiness to this dram.

The Auchnagie tasts of pie crust, subtle dried fruit, honey, and distinct sweetness. There is a slight spiciness.

The Benachie tasts of pie crust, subtle dried fruit, honey, and distinct peat. Not a peat monster, but it is very present.

Redbreast 12 Cask Strength is really, really good. I was expecting it to be Redbreast 12 in flavor, but on steroids so to speak. That is somewhat true. It pours a darker amber and the nosing is much like an intense regular Redbreast 12—but, different. This difference really shows in the mouth. It now becomes a Redbreast with a nuttiness and a hint of chocolate I didn't get at the lower proof. The sherry fruit tones are more powerful as well. A pleasant surprise is that this comes across smoother than a dram that is nearly 120 proof. I do think this is better than the 12 regular 80 proof. The rub is: how much is that worth? Where I live the cask strength is nearly double the price. If you can get it for $10-20 more, you should go for it

Redbreast 15 is a grand whiskey. Supposedly it is the same “juice” as the 12, aged in both bourbon and sherry casks; but, bottled at an older age and the higher proof of 46%ABV. I have no idea if the casks are hand selected for the extra aging, if they come from a certain part of the warehouse, etc. It pours slightly reddish light amber. It noses very much like the 12 year old, toasted cereal grains, citrus (lemon?), sherry fruit, and a hint of oak bitterness this time. In the mouth these flavors predicted by the nose burst forth and play well together. The only real negative is that oak bitterness comes through toward the end and lingers in the finish. Yes, this is a grand whiskey---but, if I had to choose between this 15 and the 12 to have as my daily dram on some lonely isle for the rest of my days, I would choose the 12. It is ever so slightly more balanced to my taste.

Redbreast Lustau is a NAS single pot whiskey. The whiskey is matured between 9 to 12 years in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, before being vatted and finished in first-fill oloroso sherry butts from Bodegas Lustau in Jerez for an additional year. Non-chill-filtered, it is bottled at 46% ABV. It pours a light amber touched with a reddish hue. The nose is spice and honey and a backdrop of ripe plum and fig. In the mouth those same flavors burst forth, first the honey and spice of the pot still, and than the fruitiness of the sherry influence which is full and enveloping. It is at the point you begin to notice the gentle warmth of the 46%ABV.. I am enjoying this very much. I am not going to say this is better than the wonderful 12 year old. However, it is perhaps as good, and is different enough to warrant a space in your home.