Knappogue Castle 12 Year Special Barrel Release

Bubbles single barrel store pick (Kansas City), probably 2017 or 2018 bottling. Pale straw yellow. Thin in the glass, but leaves surprisingly long legs. Vegetal nose. Cut grass, bell pepper, and eucalyptus layered over a deep but muted foundation of lemon zest. A longer nosing reveals the that zest belongs to a very sweet scone... vanilla-orange glaze. Strong grain notes. More vanilla. Quite lovely and intriguing overall. Floral and sweet at first, then settles into rose water with a lingering sweetness and gentle heat on the sides of the tongue. Oak and vanilla from the bourbon casks come through clearly on the second taste and blend into the other notes subsequently. Honeydew melon. Yellow apple. Very light but carries a full, complex flavor. Often seems to finish with an orange muscat dessert wine note. 92 proof shows with occasional lingering spice and drying sensation, becoming saliva to the mouth. Really quite an impressive pour that is growing on me as I work through the glass. Strongly floral, rich and diverse fruit, clear bourbon notes (first fill cask for all 12 yrs since SiB?) that complement rather than conflict. I will enjoy this bottle... rating reflects the very affordable price point vs. value.

Surprise find on a trip to Montgomery County. This limited release is aged 12 years, non-chill filtered and bottled at 46%. On the nose is the biscuity, malty, baking spice goodness that you would expect, along with an extra punch of ethanol. Arrival is sharp, bright, grain forward and those baking spices are revealed later in the mid-palate. Finish falls away quickly but some mild very pleasant tannins linger. Excellent Irish whiskey at an extremely affordable price.