As a kid, I listened to a lot of radio. I hadn’t thought about it in many years, but I remember periodically hearing a game that involved a very short song clip (so short it seemed like less than a second), followed by, “...be the first caller to identify that song, and you’ll win…” This whiskey brought to mind that game. Let me explain. On the nose, there’s definitely ethanol (at 65% ABV, I’d expect nothing less), but there’s also nice fruitiness and grain sweetness. On the palate, there’s a great entry of bold cereal notes and fruit flavors that are more in keeping with the cognac finish than the apple and pear I usually find in Irish whiskeys. But the entry is so fleeting that I couldn’t pin it down any more than that, and a fraction of a second after the entry a tidal wave of ethanol crashes down. That pounding wave goes on, and on, and on, with the promise of the entry never to return. I slowly added water, but the effect remained the same, although everything got progressively more mild. I eventually added enough water to tame the ethanol, but by that time, the great notes from the entry had been diluted to something that vaguely resembled a watery cognac. I’m usually happy with higher-proof drams, but admittedly, it can get dicey for me above 60% ABV. Also, I have yet to understand why some whiskeys accept water well, while others do not (to use just one example, I find that Dovetail takes water beautifully - I find it to be virtually the same whiskey at any proof, just stronger or more mild). So I’m intrigued, but definitely not enamoured. Those of you who have never found a whiskey to be overly strong might have a very different experience. Thanks @pbmichiganwolverine for the pour!