Curraghmore Triple Cask Matured (bottled 2025)

Curraghmore Triple Cask Matured (bottled 2025)

Curraghmore Estate
Single pot still - Leinster
Amber copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, malted grains, cream, white pepper, hints of yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, foam shrimp, malted grains, white pepper, meringues, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, raisins, meringues, white pepper, gentian. 

Comments: 

Sweet, but also quite spicy and a little lactic. It’s the little pricks of white pepper as opposed to the richer pops of black pepper. It’s sweet and malty and also builds to a nice, slightly bitter finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Two Stacks Polaris 3.1 5yo Cab Franc Ice Wine Finish

Two Stacks Polaris 3.1 5yo Cab Franc Ice Wine Finish

Polaris, Two Stacks
Single malt - Leinster
Bronze gold
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, yoghurt, blue cheese, petrol exhaust, peat, tyre rubber, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, tyre rubber, soot, peat. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Petrol exhaust, raisins, apple juice, blue cheese, tobacco leaf, honey, peat, smoke, tarry rope. With water, apple juice, soot, tarry rope. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, soot, tyre rubber, apple juice. 

Comments: 

Well, I’m dubious about sweet wine finishes of peated whisky this menus odd, notes of blue cheese and tobacco appear, but they’re covered in a thick layer of soot and petrol. It’s fine.

Verdict:

I like this.

Killowen Rum and Raisin Single Malt (Great Northern)

Killowen Rum and Raisin Single Malt (Great Northern)

Killowen bottler
Single malt - Leinster
Yellow gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, yoghurt, sultanas, cocoa nibs, coffee, hints of butterscotch. With water, peanuts, farmyard, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, sultanas, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, cream, yoghurt, vanilla. With water, damson jam, rum, cocoa nibs. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, white pepper, cream, hints of butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Sweet and nutty, but with a bitter edge. Water brings out some interesting notes, mostly from the cask, but there’s a big whiff of farmyard smells on the nose.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Legendary Dark Silkie Cask Strength

The Legendary Dark Silkie Cask Strength

Silkie, Sliabh Lagh Distillers
Single blend - Leinster
Dark gold 
64.39% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, camphor, raisins, roast chicken, leather, magic marker, lemon zest, lemon sweets. With water, raisins, dark chocolate, cinnamon, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, brown paper, roast chicken, leather, strawberry jam, cinnamon, fresh baked bread. With water, leather, cloves, dark chocolate, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, coffee, roast chicken, strawberry jam. 

Comments: 

Batch 1/20. Highly sherried, extremely alcoholic blended whisky, distilled on contract by Great Northern. It’s spicy and meaty, heaping with chocolate and strawberry. Utterly delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Micil Earl’s Island

Micil Earl’s Island

Micil distillery
Single malt - Leinster
Pale amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, yoghurt, cinder toffee, malted grains, lemon zest, hints of green peppers. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, chalky, loosens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Yoghurt, lemon zest, malted grains, wheat, fresh cut grass, hints of hoppy beer. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh cut grass, lemon zest, malted grains, hints of tyre rubber. 

Comments: 

Spicy and butyric, with a vegetal undertone. The mouth feel is gritty and chalky, rather odd. There’s also some sulphur on the finish. This has been sourced from the Great Northern Distillery.

Verdict:

I like this.

Irish Reserve Single Malt Whisky

Irish Reserve Single Malt Whisky

Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Leinster
Pale yellow
44.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, lime zest, shortcrust pastry, lemon juice, green apples, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Vanilla, lime zest, lemon juice, greengages, fresh baked bread, malted grains, honey, hints of white grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, shortcrust pastry, fresh baked bread, lemon juice, hints of green tea. 

Comments: 

A new Irish distillery, from BBR. Quite tart and citrusy, lots of malty, slightly tannic notes. Promising, and worthy of the BBR label.

Verdict:

I like this.