Ardara Single Malt 2025 Release

Ardara Single Malt 2025 Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Ulster
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, raisins, pencil erasers, fresh cut grass, farmyard, hints of charcoal ash. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, thickens, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peanuts, peat, charcoal ash, vanilla, pencil erasers, fresh cut grass, gentian, smoke, hints of tarry rope. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla, dark chocolate, raisins, charcoal ash, peat. 

Comments: 

Peated Irish whisky. This is rather thick and heavy, upending the Irish whisky stereotype. The bitterness is herbal and vegetal, with quite a big lick of sulphur.

Verdict:

I like this.

Killowen 3yo Barantuil Pinot Noir Firkin

Killowen 3yo Barantuil Pinot Noir Firkin

Official bottling 
Single pot still - Ulster
Amber gold
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, malted grains, icing sugar, lemon zest, yoghurt, hints of raisins. With water, white pepper, icing sugar, persimmons. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, mouth coating, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Raisins, damson jam, yoghurt, lemon sherbet, icing sugar, cola nuts. With water, icing sugar, damson jam, persimmons. 
Finish: Short. Cloves, lemon sherbet, damson jam, raisins. 

Comments: 

Fruity, spicy, lots of deeply sweet notes. But there’s also a lactic note that’s quite prominent. Water brings out a powdery sugariness and persimmons. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Bushmills 21yo Rare

Bushmills 21yo Rare

Official bottling
Single malt - Ulster
Amber 
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, malted grains, icing sugar, orange peel, white pepper, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. White pepper, raisins, sultanas, icing sugar, caramel, coffee, strawberry jam, gooseberries. 
Finish: Medium. Grapefruit, coffee, sultanas, gooseberries, parchment paper. 

Comments: 

Jammy and light, with a big glob of coffee on the tongue. On the finish, it’s bitter sweet with citrus notes. Very pleasant indeed, it’s also not overly woody.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Killowen 3yo 2020/2024 Barantuil Kult Blackberry Rum Finish

Killowen 3yo 2020/2024 Barantuil Kult Blackberry Rum Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ulster
Very pale yellow
61.12% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blackberries, malted grains, cloves, strawberry jam, cola nuts, hints of black pepper. With water, cola nuts, marmalade, white grapes, ume. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cola nuts, blackberries, leather, strawberry jam, sarsaparilla, black pepper, malted grains. With water, ume, blackberries, watermelon rind. 
Finish: Medium. Cola nuts, coffee, sarsaparilla, leather. 

Comments: 

Sweet and malty, lots of herbal and jammy notes that pop in the mouth. The high ABV is slightly off-putting, but adding water helps a lot. The ume note appears instantly with a few drops of water.

Verdict:

I like this.

Echlinville 7yo The Beginning

Echlinville 7yo The Beginning

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ulster
Bright yellow
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: New plastic, photocopy paper, pears, limes, honey, white pepper. With water, new plastic, jasmine, limes, pencil lead. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, photocopy paper, limes, pears, white grapes, white pepper, hints of honey. With water, brown paper, pencil lead, malted grains, honey. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, limes, malted grains, honey. 

Comments: 

New whisky from the distillery owned by the company that owns the Dunville brand. It’s distinctive - malty, floral, citrusy, and with a feinty edge that is especially apparent with some water. There’s a faint papery note that reminds me of bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.

Killowen 3yo Barantuil Quarter Bourbon Cask and Tawny Port Finish

Killowen 3yo Barantuil Quarter Bourbon Cask and Tawny Port Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Ulster
Rose
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Damson jam, ume, sourdough bread, black pepper, oatcakes, raisins, persimmons. With water, strawberry jam, ume, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, sticky, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, ume, barley sugar, sourdough bread, black pepper, dark chocolate, rye bread. With water, black tea, yoghurt, black pepper, strawberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Rye bread, black pepper, dark chocolate, red wine. 

Comments: 

Cask KD202. The sweet sour, ume flavour that seems characteristic of Killowen goes really well with a port cask finish. Lots of sweet and jammy notes, with a good strong cereal spine.

Verdict:

I like this.

Killowen 4yo 2019/2024 Barantuil Funky Ale Finish

Killowen 4yo 2019/2024 Barantuil Funky Ale Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ulster
Straw
52.35% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, limes, new plastic, malted grains, oatcakes, hints of ume. With water, new plastic, winter melons, soor ploom sweets.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Soor ploom sweets, ume, oatcakes, peaches, limes, lemon zest, hints of cough syrup. With water, soor ploom sweets, peaches, limes, ume. 
Finish: Medium. Ume, oatcakes, peaches, cough syrup. 

Comments: 

Cask KD211. Deep and sweet flavours, with a bit of funk alongside it. There’s a lot of cereal (largely not malty ones), but it’s a good counterpoint to the fruitiness.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Killowen 3yo

Killowen 3yo

Redacted Spirits
Single pot still - Ulster 
Pale silver
62.45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toast, oatcakes, bran flakes, vanilla, sultanas, honey, hints of nutmeg. With water, toast, peaches, apple juice, yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Gooseberries, apple juice, orange peel, vanilla, tutti frutti, nutmeg, hints of oatcakes. With water, apple juice, green tea, vanilla. 
Finish: Short. Green tea, gooseberries, apple juice, tutti frutti. 

Comments: 

A rather cereally, lactic young whisky from one of the new crop of distilleries in Ireland. It’s young and strong, and needs a bit of aging.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bushmills The Original

Bushmills The Original

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ulster
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil erasers, honey, orange peel, green tea, cucumbers, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, pencil erasers, fresh baked bread, orange peel, golden syrup, vanilla, white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, golden syrup, vanilla, white pepper, hints of cucumbers. 

Comments: 

The new entry level Bushmills (or new-ish? Not sure). It’s decent - some flinty, malty notes in a sea of sweet stuff. Enjoyable and a session dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Irish Single Malt #1 13yo Batch 3

Irish Single Malt #1 13yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Northern Ireland
Sunshine yellow
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, mangoes, cedar, white grapes, hints of pears. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slightly astringent, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon juice, lime zest, cedar, white grapes, pear drops, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, fresh cut grass, hay, lemon juice. 

Comments: 

I believe this is Bushmills. It's got the white grape notes, slightly herbal, that I associate with the distillery. Sometimes this is rather appley, but for this expression, it's most definitely white grapes. It's also grassy and spicy, rather good, actually.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teeling 24yo Sauternes & Bourbon Casks (bottled 08/17)

Teeling 24yo Sauternes & Bourbon Casks (bottled 08/17)

Vintage Reserve, Teeling
Single malt - Northern Ireland
Dark gold
46% ABV
Teeny taste

Nose: Plums, prunes, raisins, peaches, leather, dragon fruit, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, airy, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, cooked bananas, prunes, peach preserves, peat, hints of slivovitz. 
Finish: Short. Peach preserves, green tea, white grapes, prunes. 

Comments: 

Supposedly sourced from Bushmills. This is slightly peated, and it offsets the Sauternes sweetness. There's plenty of plums, fresh dried, even distilled, but there's also a leathery, cooked fruit note that must be the peat. A pleasant little taste.

Verdict:

I like this.

Gelstons 12yo Rum Cask

Gelstons 12yo Rum Cask

Gelstons
Single malt - Northern Ireland
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ginger, cardboard, apple juice, lemons, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Gingerbread, raisins, lemon zest, honey, hints of photocopy paper. 
Finish: Short. Ginger, raisins, lemon juice, apples. 

Comments: 

A light, uncomplicated dram. Some ginger, maybe shading to toasty gingerbread, but also a lot of wet cardboard and paper. One dimensional, not too pleasant, and definitely not a dram to follow two others. I believe the spirit is sourced from Bushmills, unless I misread the clues on the website.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Bushmills Black Bush

Bushmills Black Bush

Official bottling
Single blend - Northern Ireland
Buttercups
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, red grapes, raisins, chocolate, honey, tobacco leaf, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, disperses. 
Tasting: Sweet salty. Vanilla, red grapes, raisins, chocolate, sea salt, white grapes, green tea. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, chocolate, honey, green tea. 

Comments: 

Light and drinkable, quite a lot of grape and chocolate. Slightly astringent in the finish. There's not a great deal of grain in here I reckon, it's mostly malt. Very fairly priced, with good complexity and great flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bushmills 1608 400th Anniversary

Bushmills 1608 400th Anniversary

Official bottling
Single blend - Northern Ireland
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, butterscotch, honey, maraschino cherries, red grapes, cucumber. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily, static. 
Tasting: Sweet. Toffee, maraschino cherries, red grapes, honey, orange peel, ginger. 
Finish: Long. Honey, coffee, cucumber, orange peel 

Comments: 

Blended whisky from Bushmills - all from Bushmills, grain included - made from regular malt, grain and crystal malt. The crystal is meant to give it some chocolatey notes. I must say that it's not much in evidence. Instead it's fresh tasting, with huge notes of honey and maraschino cherries, with a biting coffee note in the finish. Very nice, very drinkable, almost quaffable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Bushmills 16 yo Three Wood

Bushmills 16 yo Three Wood

Official bottling 
Single malt - Northern Ireland
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tobacco leaf, red grapes, oak, vanilla, cedar, black pepper, orange peel, hints of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, chewy.
Tasting: Sweet sour . White grapes, red grapes, orange peel, honey, roast carrots, vanilla, hints of cloves, hints of cinnamon.
Finish: Long. White grapes, red grapes, orange peel, sherry.

Comments:

Fruity and rich, yet light and drinkable. This is pretty good triple distilled whisky, but I note, rather similar to the Auchentoshan Three Wood in texture, if perhaps not in flavour. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

Verdict:

I like this.

Knappogue Castle 1995 (12 yo 1995/2007)

Knappogue Castle 1995 (12 yo 1995/2007)

Knappogue Castle, Castle Brands
Single malt - Northern Ireland
Pale yellow
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, yoghurt, apples, lemon sweets, honey, hints of cranberries.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, a little astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Apples, apple juice, raisins, honey, lemons, cranberries, hints of barley sugar.
Finish: Short. Toffee, caramel, lemon sweets, apples.

Comments:

Light, refreshing and very sweet. Appley, almost cidery in its intensity, and there's a certain tartness in the mouth and in the finish. If Magners Irish Cider were a whisky, maybe it would be like this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bushmills 10 yo

Bushmills 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Northern Ireland
Pale amber, tinge of green
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sherry, condensed milk, yoghurt, raisins, orange peel, hints of plums, hints of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns to egg white consistency.
Tasting: Sweet. Yoghurt, raisins, plums, orange peel, vanilla, hints of lemon meringue.
Finish: Long. Orange peel, lemon meringue, plums.

Comments:

Unusual colour, I had to look carefully to make sure it wasn't the lighting. Fruity, and very sweet. Light notes of fermented milk (yoghurt, curds?), making it interesting. A long, lingering sweet finish, not really to my taste, even though the fruit notes enhance it.

Verdict:

Not bad.