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Knappogue Castle 12 Year Bourbon Cask Matured
Distiller Score 91
Golden honey emanates from the glass with notes of menthol and grassy herbs. The palate is rich with nougat and malt with moments of wood spices and mint.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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West Cork 10 Year Single Malt
Distiller Score 87
A fragrant mix of caramel and apples on the nose gives way to cereal (think Corn Flakes). The taste has a lot of those same cereal notes, alongside toffee, apple, and chocolate. Being non-chill filtered gives it a more viscous mouth feel, making for an Irish whiskey you feel like you could chew for dessert.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Powers Three Swallow Single Pot Still
Distiller Score 88
Light and fruity on the nose, with apples, bananas, oak, and vanilla. In the mouth tropical notes continue to be showcased, with apples, bananas, and coconut joining forces with crème brûlée, butterscotch, and a hint of sherry spice that becomes more pronounced during a nice, medium finish.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Greenore Single Grain 8 Year
Distiller Score 88
The nose is fairly fragrant with sweet corn, but also includes freshly sliced green apples, coconut, and gentle wood spices. The vanilla picks up a bit more on the palate which starts off silky, but finishes on the oily side. There is a nice tangy quality to the dram that has you salivating for another sip.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Locke's 8 Year Single Malt
Distiller Score 87
A big blast of vanilla on the nose, along with mint, oak, malted milk balls, and a hint of peat. On the palate there's peaches and cream, pepper, melon, honey, and oak. The peat doesn't show up until the finish, and then only briefly.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
Distiller Score 85
Smooth and rounded with a delicious creaminess with notes of oak, custard cream, brown sugar and sweet spices. The delight doesn't stop here as the palate delivers a well-balanced spirit showing aromas of apple crumble, cinnamon rolls and pear drop. Overall, a delicious everyday Irish whiskey with a long lasting finish.
Reviewed by Anne-Sophie Bigot
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Lambay Small Batch Blend Finished in Cognac Casks
Distiller Score 86
The nose gets started with a combination of caramel and molasses sweetness, along with peanut shells, and then vanilla toffee. The entry to the palate is watery and light, with raspberries, sugary fruit jams, and dark chocolate. The finish is short and sweet, with a touch of oak, and milk chocolate covered berries.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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The Quiet Man 8 Year Single Malt
Distiller Score 86
It has a distinctively tropical nose, full of flowers, fruit, toasted coconut, and oak. In the mouth, there's a lot of cereal grain and malt, along with oak spice, vanilla, papaya, banana, and a bit of sawdust. Orange bitters join in during a medium finish. Overall, a light and pleasant whiskey.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Bushmills 10 Year Single Malt
Distiller Score 89
You pick up on vanilla, banana bread, and orchard fruits in this one. Pleasantly plump on the palate, the honey and malt pick up the pace in the mouth. You're not going to write home about this one, but having a nip after work on a Wednesday is not only accepted, it is encouraged.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Distiller Score 85
As one can imagine with a blend consisting of all wine cask aged whiskeys, it tastes very oaky with cashew nuts and vanilla. The influence of the various wines contribute strong fruity notes of apricot, mango and tart berries as well as floral Earl Grey tea notes. It's a bit overly complicated (in Yiddish "ongepotchket') and sweet for everyday drinking, but it has a pleasant, smooth finish and would work well as a dessert accompaniment.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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The Whistler Calvados Cask Finish
Distiller Score 90
The Whistler Calvados Cask Finish is proof that an apple brandy barrel can do wonderful things to whiskey. It's deliciously fruit-forward, delivering notes of juicy apple, subtle honey and vanilla, and hints of thyme and flowers on the finish. It's a very pleasant whiskey, one that calls out for enjoyment with a cheese board or a crisp fall day.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier
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McConnell's Irish Whisky 5 Year
Distiller Score 86
Banana esters and creamy vanilla custard lead off on the nose, followed by toffee, black cherry, and hay. The palate is waxy and grain-forward, with honey, chrysanthemum bud, and Tootsie Rolls. The finish is short, with butterscotch and blackberries, as well as brown sugar, cinnamon, peanut shells, and charred oak.
Reviewed by Jake Emen