Jim Bob's Boozy Bottle Reviews
jthanatos
Posts: 1,571 ✭✭✭
So, I have wanted to try my hand at liquor reviews for awhile, being the drunkard that I am. So, since JDH so kindly beat me down with a new bottle of Irish whiskey, I am going to start. Hoping to do this weekly. Feel free to tell me how much I suck/suggestions on improvements. Thanks all.
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Comments
Bottle appearance: Simple faux decanter style bottle. Does a good job showing the whiskey. As I only have a sample flask, I cannot comment on feel and label quality. All in all, looks like a bottle I would love on my bar. Simple and tasteful, letting the whiskey do the talking.
First impressions: Wow this whiskey is pale. Even for a young Irish, it is very light in color. For reference, the whiskey on the left is the Greenore, and the one on the right is my default Irish, Redbreast 12 year.
Nose: I will admit, with how pale the whiskey looks and how thin it seems when swirled I wasn't expecting much out of the nose. I was wrong. While the nose is very light, it is full of sweet vanilla and lemon. There is another flavor there too, something herbal. Like grass or maybe even mild tobacco. Just a hint, but it lets me know it is there.
Taste: I taste all my whiskey twice. Neat, then with a splash of water to open it up. This whiskey has great flavors neat, and the low proof keeps your palate from being overwhelmed. It has light mouth-feel. Not overly watery, but it isn't one of those 'stick to your teeth' whiskeys. It sits nicely on my tongue as I taste. Lots of vanilla and oak. The lemon balances the sweetness, and just the lightest hint of that herbal I talked of before. Very nice for sipping neat. That being said, a small splash of water opens this up and the flavors really blossom. The vanilla is still the main flavor balanced by the oak. But the lemon really comes forward, with a little banana and caramel for good measure. It also let me put my finger on that herbal flavor. It's hay. Damp, fresh harvest, with earthy undertones hay. And it really brings the entire dram together.
Finish: Goes down smooth, with very little flavor left in my mouth. Crisp and clean. More like a high distilled vodka or artisan spirit than a whiskey. Probably not surprising due to the 94% distillation point on the mash bill before it goes into the casks. A little harsh at the very end, but not nearly as much as its age would lead you to believe.
Overall Impression: Very nice whiskey. The large amount of corn is very noticeable. If I hadn't been told it was Irish, I would have marked it down as a young bourbon. I feel it lacks a lot of the ripe fruits and sugar sweetness that mark the complexities of an Irish whiskey to me. The thin feel of it also doesn't appeal to me, but I think it would sit nicely with those that enjoy vodka as their drink of choice. I think I am going to try to get my hands the 15 year, as I think a little more age will fill this beauty out in all the right places. That said, what it does do, it does very well. The vanilla and lemon are clean, and I detected no impurities in my tasting. Thanks again JDH for the chance to try this. 3.5/5
Don't know if you've had any other whiskies made by this distiller (Cooley), but I am going to continue my comparison to Pete Johnsons cigars, because the others are much bolder, just like the rest of the Tat line. If you're looking for an Irish Whiskey with a definate peat blast check out the Connemara Peated Single Malt, another Cooley product.
http://www.connemarawhiskey.com/#/home/
I wanted you to try the Greenore because you are a true whiskey hound, and I thought you'd appreciate something just a little bit different. FYI - I've had a few pours of the 15 year, and it is really outstanding, but because I'm so cheap I only buy the 8 year, besides, it's hard enough to get this stuff, much less the 18 year.
I have tried some of Cooley's other offerings, specifically Kilbeggan, both the NAS and the 18. Very unique whiskey that. The 18 had hints of honest to God tabasco, and not in a bad way. Seems like this distillery makes some unusual beverages.
Also, I realized I never really gave any info on my rating scale. I figured out awhile ago I don't need a lot of range to tell if a whiskey is bad, but many more levels to say how much I like a whiskey. Basically a 2/5 is my 'average whiskey', if there is such a thing, with anything below that as things I would avoid.
Try it with Club Soda or Tonic instead of Sprite.
For shame the mention of ugliness!
Evil lurks in the liquor bottle my friends, beware the wicked deceiver of men!
Now pills.........
That's a different story.
:-)
As a former partaker of fine beverage, I applaud your review for the wealth of information you presented.
Sort of makes me yearn for my younger days when drinking was a way of life!
PM to you, David.
:-)
Maybe after a few reviews a posting of my favorites at various price ranges? Any suggestions on those ranges? After talking to JDH when he offered this tasting, I found my thoughts on value pricing are not nearly universal. I was thinking:
less than $35
$35-$75
$75-$150
$150+