Egan's Legacy Reserve IV

NOSE Olde tyme strawberry taffy, malt, creamy vanilla and touches of baking spice, Honey Nut Cheerios and oak. Rich and elegant the aroma rolls lazily out of the glass. PALATE Olde tyme strawberry taffy, creamy vanilla, cinnamon, malty graham, dried sultanas, banana and some bits of cocoa and oak. Bolder and warmer than the aroma with even more fruity facets showing up. FINISH Medium-long -> Fruity sweetness, malt, grainy oak and cinnamon and waxy vanilla.

A remarkable Irish. Take each of the best qualities of classic uisce beatha, than mulitply them several times. A warm, welcoming entry of lightly sweet malt with a light touch of Moscatel indicates the direction of the spirit. A medium body, with a smooth and mellow mid-range, highlighted with a tender caress of oak, and a loving embrace from the wine casks. The finish is fairly long, ending with light vine fruit. A testament to time, the skill of blender, and the craft of the distiller.

Released in 2021, this is volume IV of the Egan’s Legacy Reserve series. It’s aged for 17 years in ex-Bourbon barrels before a further year of maturation in Moscatel De Valencia casks. Each volume release gets a year older than the last, and each release is limited to 1000 bottles.I got a sample of this year’s release by way of the Celtic Whiskey Club. The nose is a little muted, but I guess there isn’t much in the sample. ‘Not brash or overpowering’ would be another way to put it. Leather, blackberry, orange. Bodes well. Mmmm! Rich, nutty taste that develops into an eruption of delicious fruitiness – hard to pick out what. The finish is a warm and long spiciness with a slightly tannic taper. This is hella nice! What’s nicer is that as part of the Celtic Whiskey Club.tasting session I was lucky enough to bag a bottle as a prize. Whoop!