The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey

Above average Irish whiskey and it's cheap. Spicy, with burnt roasted veg and oak followed by a distinct dark chocolate finish. The chocolate comes across most prominently. What a treat to have a uniquely flavored Irish for under forty bucks.

Very light. Not great.

Excellent daily dram!

Here's what I know about The Dead Rabbit : • a mix of Malt and Grain in the ratio of 30% Malt and 70% Grain. • The Malt Component: is 100% Malted Barley and put through Pot Stills • The Grain Component: is a mix of Barley and Maize (corn) through Continuous Distillation Column Stills • Fermentation times are typically between 58-66 hours. • Maturated for 5 years in ex-Bourbon Casks and then finished in 1/2 Size Virgin American Oak. The 1/2 size Virgin American Oak casks are what many companies commonly refer to as Quarter Casks. They're generally about 100-125 litres, half the size of typical bourbon casks (about 200 litres), and a quarter of the size of typical sherry butts (about 475-500 litres). Tasting Notes • Nose (undiluted): very oak forward, plenty of sweet malty notes, and lots of vanilla and toffee punching through, spices like cinnamon and cardamom, perhaps a touch of green apple in the background • Palate (undiluted): gentle arrival, then getting very bourbon-esque and a bit punchy (in a good way), loads of toasted oak, cinnamon, and vanilla • Finish: medium length, honey, oak, vanilla, a bit of buttery croissant flavour near the end, which is pleasantly drying. With water and a bit of time, the nose becomes apple pie! Lots of baked honeycrisp apples, cinnamon and some rich, dark toffee. The palate loses some punch with water, and the finish is a bit less oaky. So adding water is going to be a personal choice; the nose is better with water, but the palate and finish are better neat. Of course, it may be time and not water that changed the nose. I had a 50 ml sample, and I tried it twice, 25 ml at a time, about 2 weeks apart. This is an unapologetic, oak-forward whiskey. I can see The Dead Rabbit polarizing whiskey drinkers. If you're looking for a sherry-bomb this isn't the whiskey you're looking for. But if you're looking for a whiskey that tastes...like whiskey, this may be for you. I enjoy this type of flavour profile. The Dead Rabbit is oak-driven without making you feel like you're gnawing on a table. The pleasant, drying finish is exactly what I want in this type of whiskey. The Dead Rabbit is great on its own, but I can also picture a bottle of this whiskey on my table at a Saint Patrick's day gathering, poured into rocks tumblers and sipped - responsibly, of course - alongside a pint of Guinness or Kilkenny. Recommended. (84/100 points)

Load of woody notes. Second sip wasn't so intense as first one.