Note - I'm doing the Really Good Whisky Company Advent Calendar. I've also decided to pour these whiskeys "blind" (or at least as blind as I can), then providing nose, palate, and finish notes. I'll then look at the label, proof, cask type, etc. before writing my other notes. I'll be providing some guesses around things like proof and cask type and then seeing how much I missed the mark. Slàinte Mhath! Nose: Sweet and fruity. Bananas, strawberries, and eucalyptus. Honey. Shortcake with sweetend whipped cream and a sprig of mint. Sweet cinnamon and nutmeg are along for the ride. Is this Irish? Maybe blended Irish? Oak - but not charred. Toasted oak. Lightly toasted marshmallow. Apparently Twinkies used to have banana-flavored cream and this is what I imagine that to smell like, just not as type-2 inducingly sweet. The ethanol is light - based on the nose alone, I'm guessing in the neighborhood of 43%. As the glass warms the bananas drop to the back and the strawberries come forward, bringing in blueberry and blackberry. Nilla wafers, too. There's nothing bright or sharp or pokey about this. It's very well rounded and approachable. Guessing ex-bourbon cask? The berries aren't musty or funky or rich, and there's no nut going on either. Not a ton of age here - guessing 5ish years maybe? Palate: This is almost certainly Irish - shortbread cookies, bananas, cream. It's all there. There's a lightness to this that makes me wonder if this is Midleton spirit. There's a good amount of what I'm parsing as oak, as well. Jamo Black Barrel comes to mind. Slight tannic bitterness and texture. Coconut, nutmeg, black pepper, and just a light touch of orange blossom water. Vanilla and honey. Chocolate milk - but the gallon jug of it you buy at the store, not the homemade Hershey's version. Maybe just a hint of leather? Maybe? Mid and back palate-centric. Very midrange-driven, with the only rough edges being what I think is barrel character. Medium light, creamy, semi oily mouthfeel. Finish: Bananas, whipped cream, vanilla. Some honey, too. Just a toch of mint and thyme pop in, and then we get oak and European milk chocolate. We then slowly fade out from there. Medium length finish. Other notes: After yesterday's experience I was tempted to just say "this is obviously Laphroaig!!1!" and just skip to the reveal. Glad I didn't though! When I looked at the container and saw that this was a blended Irish, I actually felt kind of proud and like I've learned things! It was rad. I don't have much of a life. Some research reveals this is 40% ABV (missed this one, though not too far off), started in ex-bourbon (got this one), and finished in cognac (missed this one). There's no age statement, but we know it's at least 3 years. Also seeing this is sourced since it's from a newer distillery. I regularly have A Time™ when trying to differentiate oak influence vs proof, so to get it within a few percentage points isn't too bad. I'd love to try this without that finishing barrel just to see what that's bringing to the party. Irish isn't normally my bag, but this might be something I'd pick up from time to time. Not bad. Until next time, cheers!