English Whisky Co. 5 Year (That Boutique-y Whisky Co.)

Nose: Caramel, orange, berries, green herbs Palate: Caramel, apple & pear, orchard fruit, bready. Young and hot tasting Finish: Barley & light smoke

Flat and hot. Day 4 of my 2017 advent. It wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t special or delicious either. Too many other good things to drink to do again.

This review is for the Irish Single Malt No. 1 Batch 2 - 13 Year Old bottled at 48.4% ABV. I was...a bit underwhelmed. The nose is practically nonexistent; there's a little fresh vanilla, chamomile, and coconut oil (I'm assuming American oak/ex-bourbon), but I had to work my nose around in the Glencairn to pick up anything. The palate is better, at least, with vanilla, peaches, and cinnamon...it's a bit like a peach cobbler a la mode. The ending has a bit more spirit burn than I'd expect for a 48% ABV bottling of a 13 year old whiskey; not unbearable, but there's a jaggedness present that I wasn't anticipating. Since this review is not for the actual listed bottling, I'm not entering an official rating, but...3 stars, and a low 3 stars at that.

this review is for the 13 year single malt Irish it's terrible. tons of alcohol burn

Enough with whisky snobbery folks. This is a timely reminder that 'new world' whisky (from old world England) can be much better than just any old crap rolled out with a Scotch, Kentucky or Japanese location. We tasted at our whisky club, with many a refined palate, and folks placed the age and pedigree well above what you'd expect. There's a sooty peat here, a complexity that belies the age and terroir and shows technique and qualitycan win out over assumptions. Give it a try, and give English whisky (St George, Lakes, Cotswolds etc) a go.

Lovely sweet peat on the nose, stronger on the tongue, sweet spicy. Oranges cinnamon finish.