Clonakilty Port Cask Finish Irish Whiskey

Grapefruit, grapefruit pith, chocolate, honey, floral, sweet cereal.

Rating: 10/23 Port finishes can be overwhelming, especially for delicate spirits. Hopefully Clonakilty hasn't overdone it with this one. N: Kind of light, but with syrupy fruits (strawberry, peach, black plum) with some modestly toasted nuts surrounded by a thick ring of minerals. Decadent, yet oddly restrained. Touches of grain, but not a lot of personality from the base spirit shows here. P: Sweet and fruity, but thin and hot with weird spices that quickly overwhelm the fruit. Now the fruit just tastes thin. Strawberry, blackberry, and ripe black plum flesh. A bit of nuttiness with some buckwheat vibes to it. There's a bit of lingering funkiness that I can't quite get past, kind of like a worn out PX sherry. F: Surprisingly bitter with dry tannins and a funkiness that doesn't disperse too much. - Conclusion - This is a bit too funky while still being young and flat. That port takes over a bit too much. I think that this is almost certainly better than a 10. I liked Clonakilty American Oak significantly better. Coming back to this, I'm getting some twizzlers. Still some nuttiness, but a lot of twizzlers. It reminds me of youngish Glenfarclas. Maybe around 15 years (that's young for Glenfarclas). The flavor is still muddled here though. This is beating The Sexton (9/23), but isn't quite on the same level as Evan William's Bottled In Bond (10/23). I think that rating for the Evan Williams might be a hair low (at least because this sip has had a lot of air and has mellowed out and gained a little nuttiness). This is certainly farther from The Sexton than the Evan Williams, so I'm giving this a 10. I could be convinced that this might be an 11, but a 12 would be a hard sell. I could even be convince to go down to an 8 if I came back to this and its bitter flavors lingered more. Coming back for the final sip, Dudognon Reserve (10/23, but possibly a bit underrated) is beating this. Thank you @jdriip for this sample!

Lovely, especially for the price point

Very sweet tasting whisk, has a nice earthy finish with some underlying tones hitting my tongue I can’t describe. I would buy another pour but don’t feel the need to get a bottle

Bourbon esque scents of baking spices, cardamom, banana. Rich smells followed by a beautiful light blonde body. The taste wins me with the balance of spicy goodness, caramel and licorice. This is a worthy bottle to keep in stock.