Bottle 296, Batch 001, Cask 5, Tree 12. I once owned a Glen of Imaal Terrier. It’s ok if you’ve never heard of them; I’ll wait while you look them up, and please do…it’s worthwhile. Lineage says they likely originated from the farms of County Wicklow. He was the best dog I’ve ever known, and I figured if the county can produce whisky that’s half as good as the dog, it’ll be fantastic. So I finally found and grabbed this bottle. Nose is quite restrained, and hits me in three distinct segments, first as soft tropical fruits and then coconut and then weathered oak. Ethanol is low with this, so don’t be afraid to root around and look for others. A little more digging finds light honeysuckle and slight pine pitch, but that’s about all I could pull out. Palate opens very, very dry, and is yet somehow creamy, like a really nice Chardonnay; apples, pears, green grapes and honeydew dance lightly around your mouth before it too quickly turns to very bitter grass and blanched almonds. Close is so short it could aptly be called abrupt, leaving just the smallest bit of vanilla and honey before fading completely to a flavorless tingle that continues for another 20 seconds. So how did this compare to the best dog I’ve ever known? Not all that well, if I’m honest. The potential is there…creamy, vibrant, multi-faceted, but it just turns too bitter, too fast. A reasoned rating is probably a 3.25. However, I will try another offering because I’m nostalgic (and stubborn, just like the dog). Maybe a few more years in a different wood will make all the difference. Either way, I like that I can look at the bottle and fondly recall the dog. And this is my review, and my rating, and to me that’s worth another half a point, so 3.75 it is.