High n' Wicked The Wild Rover

The nose has berries, caramel, toffee, very easy on the senses, it's a thing of beauty. Palate starts out with some stewed pear, honey, hint of black tea, with a finish that brings in some smoke, barley, a little ethanol. Quite a nice Irish, and one that beats most of the Spots in my view.

Nose is soft and inviting with dark honey, vanilla bean, caramel chew candy, furniture varnish, new leather, black licorice, moss, and a hint of oak. Ethanol is pleasantly low. Palate opens with candied pear, honey, plum, hibiscus, citrus, and raisin. Heather, apple, and fig in the mid palate. Bright and bold. Complex but with a bit of a sharp, youngish taste. Flavors land solely on the front and sides of the tongue. Finish offers lots of anise, pepper, and chocolate malt, and astringent oak. Prickly heat. Mouthfeel is oily and medium bodied. I appreciated the boldness and complexity offered here, but there are some notable flaws and it lacks smoothness and refinement. At $50 this wouldn’t be an issue. At $160? It’s a huge problem. Jesus, the Irish whiskies I could buy for that price that bury this (notably the “Breasts” and “Spots”) are plentiful. Hard pass on the rebuy.