Knappogue Castle is one of my favorite lines in all of whiskey. So when I noticed that I had a one-sentence from 5 years ago for their flagship offering, I realized that simply couldn’t stand. So here’s another look at what I consider underrated Irish classic. Nose: Classic Knappogue Castle. There’s some honey crisp and some green apple. Green Jolly Rancher even. Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee. Macadamia, coconut, walnut, and cashew. Plenty of oak, black pepper, and some more spice. Nice start. Palate: More of both type of apple, and the Green Jolly Rancher. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Raisin. Milk chocolate. Grapes: green and red. Chinese pear and apricot. Macadamia, walnut, almond. Bran and cereal grain. Sugar cookie. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla, toffee, and milk chocolate. More apple. Fig and raisin. Almond, walnut, macadamia, Cinnamon, black spice, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length finish. Still excellent. Well-balanced, strong palate. It’s a traditional Irish profile, but with the nut and oak notes dialed up a bit more. At $43, this is an absolute steal. Probably the best bang for buck of any flagship Irish whiskey. It’s got enough grit for a single malt Scotch drinker as well. 4.25/5.