The Irishman Single Malt

It is the last "chilly, but not super cold" night in the forecast here for a while. My Advent calendar, now in the home stretch, served up this little treat...and it is a good companion for a cold, but not bitterly cold, night. The usual Irishman suspects are to be found - namely, a fruit basket's worth of flavors and aromas, woody spice (and definitely woody - there's enough barrel char present to make that clear), a honey-like viscosity, a little hint of vanilla. It's not complex, and I wish the finish lingered around for longer (much like perfect early winter nights), but this is a respectable workhorse of a dram worthy of my ancestors' name. If nothing else, it'll take the chill right out of your bones when you've just had to walk the garbage down to the end of your 1/8 mile driveway...