Glendalough 13 Year Mizunara Finish

Amazing nose. Think sandalwood incense. Like the Jain temples in India. Very perfume-y, floral, aromatic. Taste is several notches below the aroma. I’m not convinced mizunara + triple distilled works well. I think mizunara needs a heavier stronger spirit to carry it ( like Yamazaki ). Nonetheless, in last night’s tasting at @Richard-ModernDrinking’s, this held its own against better stronger lineups from Michter, Ardbeg, and Octomore. Decent pour, with the nose being worth the price of entry.

The nose is, easily, my favourite part of this, an amazing pine forest smell so reminiscent of bourbon, freshly cut green apples and a little sweetness towards the end. The palate has almost too much going on, savoury and bitter with vanilla, oak, hints of pineapple and coconut. A medium, bitter, oily, spicey finish. Don't shoot me here but I really feel this needs water to tame its harsher qualities.

this is the best irish whisky i have ever tasted so far! it has the typical irish whisky notes, but the mizunara oak adds a very interesting layer to the whisky, definately a whisky you should try. If you find this whisky, you must try it! The tasting notes from the distiller app are very accurate, if they sound attractive, than this is your whisky!

This is a really unique whisky; unlike anything I have tasted before. It’s taken a few drams for my palate and brain to calibrate it. But now it’s gone from interesting to very enjoyable. The nose tells me right away this is going to be a different experience. There are strong aromas of sandalwood, pine needles, salty sweet caramel ... almost like fiddle faddle, cheerios, and some citrus - but not fresh fruit, more like Tang. On the palate, I’m instantly hit with the taste of the Mizunara - the wood oils coat my tongue, and then comes more citrus but now fresher, like tangerines. I also get a lot of creamy notes - mango, butter cookies, and ohi’a lehua blossom honey. The finish is oak, oak and more oak ... that Mizunara hangs around for days. The Irish-Japanese hybrid is really well done. Looking forward to seeing how the bottle evolves over time.

Warm, peppery and nutty