Rating: 15/23 I'm not a big fan of Irish whiskey. I've enjoyed a fair number of them, but I rarely find much value in them. I've read that this one might strike a value sweet spot with good quality at $40-45. Fingers crossed. N: Light, fruity (tangerine and apricot with faint cherry and lemon). No excess alcohol. Mellow with some sort of grassy, grainy, woody scent. It's nicely balanced, though the different aspects lack some of the roundness and continuity that an older (18 year) dram would have. It's also a little sharper, but just to the extent that it doesn't seem old, not so much so that it seems problematic. P: A lot more vanilla than the nose suggested. It isn't quite first fill barrel strength, but it's getting there. Perhaps some of the barrels used were first fill and others were not? Smooth as silk. The fruit is more like tangerine and lemon, with faint apricot perhaps. Mild barrel spices blend into a light woodiness that melds with the vanilla and restrained maltiness. There is a bit of that Irish oiliness that showcases the alcohol, but in this case my reaction to it is more like it's a stamp of authenticity than an obnoxious flaw. I won't go so far as to say I like it though. There is a little bit of alcohol roughness, but it's minimal. Really, this is just a super easy sipper that has enough balance and complexity. F: Smooth, lightly toasted grain, faintly fruity. A bit of alcohol does linger. - Conclusion - I'm pretty happy with this one. Maybe it's just my low expectations of Irish whiskey, but this is tasty enough that I find myself wanting to come back for more. It's pretty simple, but it's well executed. Is it a great value? No. But it is one that I have no regrets buying at the price I did. I probably wouldn't buy another bottle anytime soon, but if I need something solid and inexpensive this will be one I keep in mind. Because this is mild and kind of citric fruity with a bit of toasty richness, I put it side by side with my bottle of Tullibardine 25 from Cadenhead's (19/23). I keep concluding that the Tullibardine is an 18 or 19 and then wondering why I rated it so highly because my memory of it doesn't include much complexity. This side by side really shows me why I gave it such a high rating: the balance, coherence, and subtle flavors dancing about put the Tullibardine on a whole other level. This is good, but the comparison really highlights its flaws. That said, at a quarter (or maybe slightly more) of the cost of the Tullibardine, the value is probably substantially better here. Still, this actually tastes a tad bad following the Tullibardine. I'm thinking a 14 to 16, with a 17 being faintly possible. I tried this side by side with Redbreast 12 Cask Strength (16/23) and the winner wasn't super clear. My immediate impression was that this tastes more like Yellow Spot (17/23). Doing a side by side with Yellow Spot though, this tastes more like Green Spot (13/23), but better than I remember Green Spot being. This is actively enjoyable, which I consider to be roughly the threshold for a 15. I'm thinking a 15 or 16 now. Yellow Spot is undoubtably better. I think it's a 15.