With all the great bourbon and scotch out there, Irish whiskey is generally relegated to the background of the whiskey landscape. Even Japanese whiskey has surpassed Irish in terms of popularity, at least in recent years. Yet, there are some Irish distilleries that can play ball with any the biggest and best in any category. Most know of Redbreast and the Spots. Knappogue Castle is every bit as good those two. Though it isn't all that well known, these guys continue to set the standard for single malt Irish whiskey. Their special barrel 12 is one of the bottles that really got me interested in whiskey, so I'm excited to have worked my way through their lineup and now to finally have this 16 year old. Quick note: This and the standard 12 year have been bumped up from 40 to 43 ABV. This is one of those bottles. Nose: Heavy sherry influence and nuttiness. It's walnut, plum, cranberry, strawberry jam, poundcake, date, fig, and raisin. I also pick up cereal, malt, apricot, orange peel. Some shortbread cookie, but less than I get on most Irish whiskies. There are some baking spices and black pepper, along with the heavy oak I've grown to expect with KC. Solid nose. Palate: Once again, there is a serious sherry influence. That strawberry jam note comes through most prominently, along with the poundcake, fig, and date. Now, there is now ripe plum and milk chocolate. The walnut note remains quite prominent. I also get vanilla, apricot, cantaloupe, honeydew, green apple, malt, cereal, honey, and shortbread cookie. Fruity and floral, and while the sherry makes itself known, it is not overpowering. Toward the end of the palate, it's big oak and cinnamon spice. Awesome. Finish: Traditional sherry-cask finish. It's a cross between a slice of vanilla and chocolate cake, sweet red fruit, and orange citrus. As it fades out, the oak and cinnamon resurface one last time. Moderate length, and a great closing act for a superb whiskey. I'm continually impressed with KC. This may not have the VFM of the 12, 12 SB, or 14, but it is remarkable in its own right. I pulled the trigger on this one when it went on sale for $80, down from $95. At the former price point, this is a no-brainer. At the latter, I'd be on the face, but it's by no means a bad deal. My only criticism is that it doesn't nose like a 16 year old. It's complex, but surprisingly green for what is. This minor flaw is quickly rectified with the palate; this is easily in the top 5 best Irish whiskies I've tasted. Now that I've cleared the original core lineup (as well as the Special Barrel 12), I'll be looking for either the 21 or the new wine cask releases. Either way, I implore any fan of Irish whiskey to give these guys a shot. Once again, a job well done to Knappogue Castle. Subsequent tasting adds a couple new notes (plum, etc.) Felt the need to bump this up to a 5/5 after putting it head to head with some other elite Irish whiskies. This one definitely leads the pack for me. Simply amazing.