A little darker than your average Irish whiskey: a deep gold color. Sticky on the inside of the glass. The nose is burnt sugar; sweet and nutty creme brulee. There is a bit of iodine and smoke, but less peat than car exhaust. Herbal and tart lemongrass. Vanilla and coffee cream. A nice mix of disparate aromas that balance it nicely. The taste is butter, creamer, vanilla cake frosting. Tart lemondrop. Savory, nutty toasted brown sugar and creme brulee. Breakfast blend coffee grounds. Stewed apples and honey. Copper pennies. The finish is more muddy and inky than almost any Irish I can think of, this side of Slane. Dark or semi-sweet chocolate morsels. A lot of tannic/metallic stuff that's reminiscent of a jar of pennies. West Cork 8 is a sweet, tart, and surprisingly nutty, especially for an Irish whiskey. There are notes of savory sugars and tart citrus, with a metallic finale. I wasn't a huge fan of the last West Cork I had tried, but this one quite enjoyable.