Rating: 9/23 Whoa! Only 2 distillations? This has some extra promise that I didn't expect. N: Hmm, this has a nice, (comparatively for low-end Irish whiskey) rich nose that has a good layer of malt atop some oiliness and spices. and a bit of vanilla giving way to slightly young wood and faint hay. It definitely has that Glen Grant 26 bourbon barrel aged vibe to it, though it's less intense and sophisticated. It doesn't smell amazing, but I've tried a lot of awful Irish whiskey lately, so it's a huge relief to pour something and think "hmm, I'm looking forward to tasting this". P: Sweet and spicy immediately with a nectar presence coming in suggesting some nice sweet honey that's been watered down quite a bit and mixed with some vanilla. There's some mellow wood mixed with hay in the background and a faint layer of rich maltiness pervading the whole thing and a young wood tartness sitting underneath that at times add hints of tropical notes (banana and a tiny amount of mango). I occasionally get a little bit of an older, mustier wood flavor as well, but there isn't much of it and it's not super exciting. The spice and not-entirely-thin mouthfeel really give this a bigger presence than it would otherwise have, but the spice does come across like a partially successful attempt to cover up some substantial harshness. Still, were it not for the harshness, this would be a thoroughly sippable - albeit somewhat boring - dram. None of the flavors here are bad and most of them are generally slightly good and distinct from each other. F: The malt lingers nicely on the finish with that kind of nectar flavor and wood spiciness. It remains hot and harsh, but less so than the palate. It's a solid finish. So aside from the harshness, I'm actually quite impressed by this (at least relative to my expectations). I'd definitely stock this as a cheap (I think this is cheap?) Irish whiskey for sipping. Both in terms of flavor and harshness, this outperforms Pure Scot by a substantial margin. The malt here is less muddled and fresher and there is genuine spice and a bit less harshness. I'm appalled that I'm tasting whiskey that puts me in a position of citing Pure Scot as a high bar, but here I am. This is more in line with the quality of Sir Edward's 12, putting it at a 9 or possibly 10. Although their profiles are fairly different, I think that they are quite similar in quality. I kind of like Tyrconnell's profile better because it is more traditional and clean, but Sir Edward's is less harsh. Considering the harshness here, I think I'm going to have to land on a 9. This might have a slightly better profile (might) because Sir Edward's has some alcohol on the finish, but Sir Edward's is far less harsh. The harshness here seems like it is trying to be like that of Aberlour 12, but Aberlour is really more spicy. It's like Aberlour is a bit spicier, but has less of that paint stripper effect and less oily funk to it. Honestly, they seem fairly similar in quality to me, in the 9 to 12 range, but I think that the Aberlour 12 is better. Aberlour 12, Sir Edward's 12, and Highland Queen Sauternes are all a bit better than this due to its harshness. What really works here are the clean flavors, but side by side with Glen Grant 26, there is no contest. In spite of being 60% alcohol, the Glen Grant is much smoother while also being richer and more balanced. I mean, I didn't expect this to be as good as the Glen Grant, but the gap is more staggering than I'd expected. So I'm back here to a 9 or 10. Considering how clear the harshness is in comparison with Glen Grant though, I think I have to land on a 9. I was thinking that this was about on par with Tomintoul 10, but the thing is that the harshness here is a real problem, so I have to say that the Tomintoul is a tad better. Oof, $40 for this? I was afraid that might be the case, but it's still upsetting. This is far from competing with Redbreast 12 - though not as far as I expected it to be. Man, I don't know, this could be an 11 or 12 even. 13 would be seriously pushing it, but I can imagine 9 to 12. 8 just seems too low. I won't be buying a bottle at $40, but this is a more solid whiskey than I expected and I might get it for $25-30.