The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth

Rating: 10/23 I know very little about this one. I vaguely recall wanting to try it and I saw a mini, so I got it. N: Surprisingly enticing! I get a sweet nectar quality with some heathery richness. A bit of raw alcohol chicken breast, but it isn't too bad. Actually, the meatiness is growing. I'm less keen on this now, but it isn't too bad. A hint of apricot in there. Oh, unfortunately, it's quite meaty now. There isn't a lot of alcohol though and I'm getting more of a cooked chicken breast scent now, including some black and rainbow pepper. So this is basically nectar, heather, and chicken breast. A bit odd, but not actually bad. Still it isn't that interesting or enjoyable. P: Surprisingly full mouthfeel and flavor. Nectar (malt sweetness) and spices overlay a decently rich base of malt and heather. After a couple of sips, that usual Irish oily alcohol comes out. I'd prefer it to not be there, but I was expecting it seeing as this is an Irish whiskey. Faint apricot and orange, but it's mostly malty sweetness. Grain turning into a bit of dry grass with faint lemon accompanies the alcohol. Maybe there's some vanilla here? The complexity is fairly solid, though certainly not amazing. The spiciness lacks a particular flavor beyond a hint of white pepper and is unfortunately in substantial part just alcohol burn and harshness. It's too bad because I'd be pretty positive on this whiskey if it weren't for that harshness. There's also a little bit of meat accompanying the alcohol. It's like slightly undercooked chick breast. Not the worst, but it's clearly a flaw. F: Malty richness with a bit of heather. Not all that sweet though. The more bitter side of the alcohol. - Conclusion - It's a real shame that there's so much alcohol harshness here because this is otherwise a pretty enjoyable, easy-sipping dram. That said, even without the harshness, this has nothing on the nectary, decadent fullness of Knappogue Castle 12 (15/23), so it wouldn't exceed a 13. Compass Box Artist's Blend (13/23) has a bit of burn like this does and it isn't quite as sweet, with a more of a mellow bitter backing. It's also fuller with much more vanilla. I think that, flavor-wise, the choice between them comes down to preference. The harshness here is a real problem though. I might actually prefer this flavor-wise. Dudognon Reserve (10/23) has more of a syrupy sweetness to it and definitely displays more alcohol. The Dudognon isn't harsh though. This is the winner in terms of flavor, though not by a huge margin. So the question is now how much does the harshness lower this's score? At least 2 points, I'm sure, so this can't be higher than an 11. Is it a full 4 points? Doubtful. It's 2-3 in this case, I'm thinking. I'm assuming that this is one of those entry-level Irish whiskeys. If so, it's a good one to go for. The flavor could use some refinement and it's definitely too harsh, but it's drinkable. I'd still prefer not to drink it though. I'm considering a 9 to 11 for this. Looping back around, I find the Compass Box to be clearly better than the Dudognon when tasted side by side, whereas I'm less confident that this tastes better. Considering that, I'm thinking that this might be more like a 12 based on taste alone. With this revelation, I think an 11 is out of the picture. That said, a 9 does seem too harsh. I'm giving this a 10. I thought for a moment that I might be punishing this too much for its harshness and it could actually be an 11, but then I took my final sip and that harshness is really still present, despite the damage it and the side-by-siding have already done to my palate. No way this is an 11, unfortunately. "Triple Smooth" my ass. For $17 though, I guess it's not too bad.

Nose: vanilla, green apple and a hint of lemon. Taste: mellow vanilla, sweet grain and citrus. Finish: mellow vanilla up front that lingers for a bit mid palate. Citrus on the back end of the palate that transitions into zest with a hint of burn.

great budget Irish blend, I prefer it over Jameson

Not much flavor, not very impressed with this one

N: Has a bit of that Hi-C note from the Busker SPS—actually, probably just has a bit of the SPS in it—but it's more subdued and better rounded here. Peach, pear, vanilla, caramel. Cherry candy and/or cherry cough syrup. Too much ethanol generally, but not out of line for the price. P: Big and fruity early with some orchard fruit and a distinct strawberry note. The fruit is quite sweet and tends to come across like candy. Bit more malt follows with some caramel and toffee. Dash of vanilla as well. Baking spice leads into the finish, which slowly builds through cinnamon and into a chili pepper heat. Some sour fruit mixes in, but the finish mostly just hot. I think this is a notch better than Busker Single Pot Still and a solid entry-level Irish whiskey generally. It's a decent alternative to Jameson, for example, but I wouldn't take it over Powers Gold. Pretty easy to drink, and cheap, but ultimately nothing memorable about this one.