Kilbeggan Single Pot Still

N: Overripe peaches soaking in apple cider, white grapes and/or white wine, grass and hay, oxidized apple, varying hints of stone and orchard fruit, Fig Newton cookies, prune, maybe plum, bit of lemon. Just a subtle suggestion of something vegetal and funky. Also feels like there's something more earthy and bready trying to break through from underneath all these softer and sort of off-key fruit flavors. I say off-key because all of them are quite pungent on their own and the nose almost has a vinegar quality to it - almost, but it dances nicely on the right side of that line. P: Very soft milk chocolate, honey, white bread (lightly toasted, I think), and slivered almond. Then the white grapes and mixed stone and orchard fruit return. As does the grass and hay. Softer peach and pear follow that and just barely break in before the pot still spices become assertive enough to remind you that this is single pot still whiskey after all. Finish starts hot with a generous dash of cayenne heat, accompanied by allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, but that all fades and softens to more of a cracked black pepper. Rising up through that spice is a faint toasted coconut (again, letting you know it is truly an Irish single pot still whiskey). Finally, a little chocolate and honey return to play the coda, and they brought graham crackers. How nice of them! This is not a terribly complicated whiskey, but it's fun and easy to drink. It's crisp and almost refreshing - as much as a whiskey can be, I guess. As a limited release, it is an interesting expression of the style. It's pretty affordable too. Worth grabbing if you like the single pot style. For perspective sake, this shares a similar character with the Teeling single pot still, but feels more rounded, less harsh, easier to enjoy. It is quite far from the robust and full bodied Powers or Spot whiskey single pot still expressions. It's kind of a dumb comparison, but I think it works here: this is white wine while those are red. I prefer red, as I assume most whiskey drinkers do, but I also like a nice changeup sometimes. This would suit that purpose perfectly. Hunting story: I read of this release close to a year ago and, since I love the Irish single pot still whiskeys, added it to my shopping list. I, of course, expected to partake of this fine dram shortly thereafter. Disappointment followed disappointment in trying to locate a bottle. A cornucopia of websites were surfed; a plethora of store shelves perused. Plenty of other Kilbeggans were found, but not this special one. But then, one day, there it was on the shelf! I had to do a double take on the bottle and also check my whiskey shopping spreadsheet on my phone (which I totally hate doing because spreadsheets really suck on phones) to make sure my eyes did not deceive me. I followed my "immediate buy list" rules and immediately bought it. So, friends out there, if you're holding out hope to find that special and nearly forgotten dram, let this be a lesson to you: just keep looking. And keep a spreadsheet. (Unless your special dram is an allocated bourbon. You're pretty much just screwed then. Spreadsheet won't help.) (Also, I feel like I may be able to cut and paste this same story into a Blue Spot review in about a year.)

Wow, this is REALLY nice. Hard to believe it’s all bourbon barrel aging, it comes off like theres sherry finishing at work. When I first pulled the cork and whiffed the bottle, I caught a bit of red wine. In the glass its all buttercream with some fruity notes, but on the pallet this could almost pass for a scotch in the vein of Glenfiddich/Glenlivet.

Very mellow, crispy apple smell, oily in the mouth

Apricots and cream Nose fresh pour: heavy apricot, apple, and peach fruit notes with some vanilla attempting to make it to the top. A touch of spice. Nose after resting 10 min: apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, apricots, vanilla pudding, touch of grass, chocolate, raisin Taste: light and sweet on the tongue, yields flavors of peach and apricot, lemon, then vanilla cream, apples, spice, malt, grass, with a moderate finish