Edit: What a journey with this guy. I was initially disappointed, then liked it more, then was meh again. After about half the bottle was gone, the air did something that unified the wine finishes. It was a cacophony before, but presents a unique and nuanced dram now. I can get the port oiliness, I can get the dryness of the cab, I get plenty of sweetness from the sherry, and each sip is something different. It’s not necessarily all these things every single sip. It’s like having five drams in front of you at once. Final verdict is I wish it carried this kind of complexity throughout the life of the bottle, but now that it’s gone, I wish I had more. All things considered, 3.5. Edit: I followed up some high proof bourbon with the guy and I immediately got banana and copper, and that followed me from the nose to the taste. Edit: I still don’t love it. There’s a muddled, slightly bitter wine character on a foundation of barley and toffee. It’s nice, but not great. Bumping down to 2.75 from 3.25. Very easy drinking, glad to have tried it because it was hyped up by some reliable sources. I’ve accepted that Irishes are just not going to be my favorites, but they’re fun to dabble in. The copper nose characteristic of Irishes continues to be off-putting to me, but not repulsive. The body is light, but the flavor is deceptively rich. I get some copper, a good bit of barley, nice toffee notes, and a bunch of lingering red fruit. The finish is my favorite part. Despite being light, the oils of the wine barrels keep it coated on my tongue. Solid for an Irish.