Killowen 10 Year Pinot Noir Burgundy Finish (Bonded Experimental Series)

For the last of my little Killowen series, I have this 10 year old that was aged in an ex-Pinot Noir cask from Burgundy that is slightly different than the listed Distiller bottle with a 52.5% ABV. The nose starts with a moderate sourness of sautéed sour cherries, slightly soured raspberries and a light sweetness of shortbread cookies then dark chocolate covered almonds followed by freeze dried strawberries, light musty grapes and stewed plums that transitions to light baking spices and toasted sourdough bread with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit that quickly veers towards a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered raisins and honeycomb then musty grapes, dehydrated cranberries and nectarines that transitions to light baking spices and charred sourdough bread with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with dark chocolate covered raisins, toasted almonds, dehydrated cherries, honeycomb and lightly charred sourdough bread. This is surprisingly thin for the 52.5% ABV that drinks more like a 43% with the flavors being very muted and hard to really pull out. Overall, I think that this is an average whiskey that the combination of youthful Irish whiskey with the ex-Pinot Noir cask from Burgundy has created an interesting dram that leans heavily on the sour side with a mix of sour red berries and mild sweets along with a moderate bitterness and short finish. I’m more adverse to sour flavors than others, so this might be better for other palates than mine, but this one strikes me as another one of Killowen’s premium experiments for the consumer that doesn’t justify its hefty price of $90 for a 375ml. For me, Killowen is a hit or miss brand that shouldn’t be selling at a premium price with their current experimental coin toss strategy they have implemented. I’m hopeful that they figure everything out and come out with absolutely stunning whiskey that I know they are capable of but for now, I’ll be skipping any new releases from them going forward as it’s just not worth the gamble.