Connemara Distillers Edition

Rating: 13/23 It says "distiller's edition", so I'm expecting added sherry. I'm also optimistic about the slightly higher proof. N: Disappointingly, this is less rich and complex than that of the regular Connemara. It really takes some digging to get much detail out. I mainly get some savory meat with some smoke and a tiny bit of strawberry. P: I've said a lot about Connemara (the regular) already. This has the same starting profile, but with some added sherry (strawberry, orange, and faint cherry, with a little bit of a tropical note) that makes it fruitier, sweeter, a tad tarter, and lighter. It also is 43% ABV instead of 40% and I do notice more alcohol here, which at first makes this taste younger, but when compared with other drams makes it taste just a bit more aggressive. I have trouble getting all of the complexity of the regular Connemara though. The cereal still comes out along with the light smokiness and some hay. There's something a bit herbal as well like a light layer of tobacco, but it's very faint. The pepper is there too, though this is a bit harsher, so I'm not sure I'm as happy with it here. It's a tasty profile, but it has a bit too much burn and is kind of light, yet it's not terribly complex and also tastes a bit young. Some of these sherry influences though are what I wish I had been able to dig out of Redbreast 12 CS. F: The waft of smoke and red fruit stay through into the finish, along with a kind of bitter note that suggests alcohol. It's fine, but not that exciting. Surprisingly, I think I prefer the regular Connemara. This is quite sippable, but it's nothing amazing. The stronger alcohol here doesn't actually bring out more flavor and it and the increased fruitiness mask quite a bit of the delightful complexity of the regular version. This one seems like more of a 12 to 14. It's solid for sure, but not the upgrade I was hoping for. All told, this seems not quite up to the level of Macallan 12 - which I think I gave a 14 - so a 13 it is.

Smokey, but struggling to find a flavor profile beyond this