Irish Whiskey

Limavady Single Malt Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Limavady Single Malt Whiskey
Single Barrel Irish Whiskey

46% ABV
$50
Website
Limavady Single Malt Whiskey
We would like to thank Limavady and R\West for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

SINGLE BARREL, meet Irish Whiskey.

WITH A NOD TO THE PAST and a great vision for the future.
Darryl is fulfilling his lifelong dream to craft his own exceptional whiskey, by combining the precision of a whiskey Master and the spirit of Limavady’s namesake.

Limavady will satisfy serious whiskey lovers but fits the bill for everyday enjoyment with whomever you choose to bring to the table.

THE DETAILS
100% Irish Barley
Small Batch Triple Distilled Copper Pot Stills
Aged in Bourbon Barrels & Finished in PX Sherry Casks
846 Bottles Per Barrel

TASTING NOTES
The sherry casks deliver warm, inviting dried fruit and spice notes, adding richness to a toasted vanilla base; smooth at first with a satisfying warmth on the finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Malty grain, honey, porridge, vanilla, dried fruit, hint of caramel, grassy and a bit vegetive.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel with vanilla, fruit notes, grainy barley malt, honey, dash of pepper, touch of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, honey with malted grain.
Comments:  Nice mouthfeel, and quite easy to drink. It tastes young on the young side to me, with the PX sherry influence being there, but mild. Single barrel product brands have a challenge of wanting to deliver consistency (while acknowledging that single barrel carries with it some uniqueness; arguably that’s the point!) I asked if Limavady would share any details on the age (are they targeting a particular flavor profile, and keeping the age to a narrow range, etc). Appreciate their providing the following details in response:

“Limavady sources all barrels from Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky and focuses on getting first fill bourbon casks exclusively. Darryl only uses them once for each barrel – because he really loves the spicy/vanilla flavor profile that is imparted from that initial aging. He is constantly tasting and going back to the liquid, but on average for 4 – 4.5 years minimum for every barrel. From there, its then finished in PX Sherry Buttes for roughly 3-6 months leaving us with a rich burst of fruitiness and sweetness.”

Contrasted with some other Irish whiskies which might mature rather than finish in Sherry, this has a more subtle fruitiness. The bottle is hefty and interesting, although I found the glass topper to be so tight that it was difficult to remove. This takes water well, and retains the nice mouthfeel. While not overly complex (and you wouldn’t expect it to be given the age details provided), it is a really nice sipper.

Rating: Stands Out

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McConnell’s 5 Year Old Irish Whisky

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

McConnell’s Irish Whisky Aged 5 Years

42% ABV
$30-$35
Website
McConnells 5 Year Old Irish Whisky

What the Producer Says

It’s all in the Blend: Creamy, Citrus, Floral, Fruity & Smoky.
The perfect blend between malted barley & grain and the special handpicked bourbon barrels add a delicate and subtle sweetness with a deep oak woodiness & light char to the finish.
Nose: Light citrus notes, peppered spice and vanilla undertones.
Taste: Earthy fruits, butterscotch & vanilla sweetness from the bourbon casks, white pepper followed by an oak woodiness.
Finish: Sweet, spice, oak, with lingering ripe fruits.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla sponge cake, orange creamsicle, cereal grains, touch of oak.
Palate:  Creamy vanilla, sweet malty grain, subtle lemon candy note with honey.
Finish:  Short with a bit of pepper, honey and a salty, sour oak note.
Comments:  Not objectionable, but also not particularly memorable. Both the nose and the palate have a thickness to them which I do appreciate, as well as the age statement (even if 5 years old isn’t that old – I always appreciate transparency). I enjoyed this, although the maturation in ex-bourbon casks only does leave it with less complexity. In a blind side-by-side with Jameson, whose blend includes some ex-sherry casks, I preferred the Jameson personally as it brought some fruit to the party. And given that Jameson is less expensive, I’d go that route (although if you value the packaging, this is a more attractive, heavy bottle). You may be wondering “Hey, don’t they use the ‘e’ in whiskey for Irish?”  You wouldn’t be wrong, but either is acceptable, and their site explains that the ‘e’ was added to differentiate Irish whiskey in the 1900s and their brand didn’t need such nonsense.  That’s not what Irish Distiller’s purports here, but regardless – at this point it’s really just marketing.

Rating: Average

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Bushmills 25 Year Old Marsala Cask

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Bushmills 25 Year Old Marsala Cask
Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Flaviar’s Bushmills “Rare Cask Series” Tasting Box
Sample ‘B’

50% ABV
Bushmills Potential Rare Cask Bottle
We would like to thank Flaviar and Bushmills  for the opportunity to try these rare whiskies!
NOTE: The samples were provided as part of a lottery through my personal Flaviar membership, and not provided directly for purposes of a review.

Wait – What is This?

In the summer/fall of 2020, Flaviar offered an opportunity to members to enter a lottery, the winners of which would have the opportunity to sample some rare Bushmills and vote on what would be the next ‘Rare Cask’. I was fortunate enough to be picked to participate, and received a 5 sample kit from Flaviar which included:

  • Bushmills 10 yr Single Malt
  • Bushmills 16 yr Single Malt
  • Sample A (Bushmills 28 Year Old PX Sherry Cask, 1992)
  • Sample B (Bushmills 25 Year Old Marsala Cask, 1995)
  • Sample C (Bushmills 23 Year Old Crystal Malt, 1997)

Flaviar stated that they would announce the winner with Bushmills. If that happened, I missed it (and as of Feburary 2022, Bushmill’s website only lists the initial Rare Cask release – although I saw some stores that had labels for ‘Rare Case 02’, so not sure if they released it quietly, or if they planned to but then changed course, or what happened). Regardless, I was waiting for such an announcement before posting these reviews – but as that may never happen – here they are!

The details below were compiled from what was provided by Flaviar with the samples, and the NightCap Live streaming event they hosted – which included the Bushmills brand ambassador Jack Ferris who provided additional details about the whiskies.

Includes whiskey first matured in bourbon casks for 10 years and Oloroso sherry casks for 10 years, combined and finished in Marsala casks for 14-15 years. Has notes of dried fruits, bit of anise, and more viscous sweetness.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, Marsala wine, honey, figs, dates, roasted walnuts, oak, tapioca, nutmeg, subtle cinnamon.
Palate:  Thick and rich mouthfeel, honey with spices, nutty, slight pepper bite, brown sugar, bit of tobacco, orange, apricots.
Finish:  Long with honeyed ginger and tobacco.
Comments:  An amazing dram (if you like Marsala, which I do – in fact this is only the 2nd whisk(e)y I’ve had with a Marsala cask maturation)! Compared to Sample A (28 yr PX Sherry Cask), this was more spicy, which I like. Love the high ABV and non-chill filtering, which is evident in the mouthfeel. This is the sample I voted for the next Bushmills Rare Cask offering, as I think we need more Marsala maturation offerings, and it is really delicious.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Bushmills 23 Year Old Crystal Malt

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Bushmills 23 Year Old Crystal Malt
Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Flaviar’s Bushmills “Rare Cask Series” Tasting Box
Sample ‘C’

50% ABV
Bushmills Potential Rare Cask Bottle
We would like to thank Flaviar and Bushmills  for the opportunity to try these rare whiskies!
NOTE: The samples were provided as part of a lottery through my personal Flaviar membership, and not provided directly for purposes of a review.

Wait – What is This?

In the summer/fall of 2020, Flaviar offered an opportunity to members to enter a lottery, the winners of which would have the opportunity to sample some rare Bushmills and vote on what would be the next ‘Rare Cask’. I was fortunate enough to be picked to participate, and received a 5 sample kit from Flaviar which included:

  • Bushmills 10 yr Single Malt
  • Bushmills 16 yr Single Malt
  • Sample A (Bushmills 28 Year Old PX Sherry Cask, 1992)
  • Sample B (Bushmills 25 Year Old Marsala Cask, 1995)
  • Sample C (Bushmills 23 Year Old Crystal Malt, 1997)

Flaviar stated that they would announce the winner with Bushmills. If that happened, I missed it (and as of Feburary 2022, Bushmill’s website only lists the initial Rare Cask release – although I saw some stores that had labels for ‘Rare Case 02’, so not sure if they released it quietly, or if they planned to but then changed course, or what happened). Regardless, I was waiting for such an announcement before posting these reviews – but as that may never happen – here they are!

The details below were compiled from what was provided by Flaviar with the samples, and the NightCap Live streaming event they hosted – which included the Bushmills brand ambassador Jack Ferris who provided additional details about the whiskies.

23 yr old Crystal Malt; allegedly this is one of Helen Mulholland’s (Bushmill’s Master Blender) favorites.  They distilled this back in 1997 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Bushmills in 2008 – a one-time production run.  But, they didn’t use all of the whiskey, and left a bit to age longer.  Crystal malt is unusual for whiskey (usually used in beer), and is made by taking barley with a high moisture content and putting it through a deep roast which crystallizes the grain and enhances the natural sugars.  This was aged in a first fill bourbon barrel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Light, cotton candy, fresh cut apples, pears, hint of lavender and rose petals.
Palate:  Sweet with butterscotch, brown sugar, honey, chocolate, chili spice notes and baked apples.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with honey and spice.
Comments:  If I was given this blind to nose, I might have guessed it was a single grain whisky – it has that gentle, delicateness I associate with that style. On the palate it had a spicy bite that was a (pleasant) surprise! Of the 3 samples in the running for the next Bushmills Rare Cask, I found this much more mild and nuanced – although because of that it was my least favorite. Having said that, nothing at all objectionable and I’d certainly not turn away a pour if offered!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Bushmills 28 Year Old PX Sherry Cask

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills 28 Year Old PX Sherry Cask
Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Flaviar’s Bushmills “Rare Cask Series” Tasting Box
Sample ‘A’

53% ABV
Bushmills Potential Rare Cask Bottle
We would like to thank Flaviar and Bushmills  for the opportunity to try these rare whiskies!
NOTE: The samples were provided as part of a lottery through my personal Flaviar membership, and not provided directly for purposes of a review.

Wait – What is This?

In the summer/fall of 2020, Flaviar offered an opportunity to members to enter a lottery, the winners of which would have the opportunity to sample some rare Bushmills and vote on what would be the next ‘Rare Cask’. I was fortunate enough to be picked to participate, and received a 5 sample kit from Flaviar which included:

  • Bushmills 10 yr Single Malt
  • Bushmills 16 yr Single Malt
  • Sample A (Bushmills 28 Year Old PX Sherry Cask, 1992)
  • Sample B (Bushmills 25 Year Old Marsala Cask, 1995)
  • Sample C (Bushmills 23 Year Old Crystal Malt, 1997)

Flaviar stated that they would announce the winner with Bushmills. If that happened, I missed it (and as of Feburary 2022, Bushmill’s website only lists the initial Rare Cask release – although I saw some stores that had labels for ‘Rare Case 02’, so not sure if they released it quietly, or if they planned to but then changed course, or what happened). Regardless, I was waiting for such an announcement before posting these reviews – but as that may never happen – here they are!

The details below were compiled from what was provided by Flaviar with the samples, and the NightCap Live streaming event they hosted – which included the Bushmills brand ambassador Jack Ferris who provided additional details about the whiskies.

PX Cask, 28 years old, filled in 1992.  This isn’t a PX Cask ‘finish’ – it spent all 28 years in a PX Sherry cask and has toffee notes, dried fruit.  Noted that the sherry casks are toasted compared to bourbon casks which are charred.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, dark fruit with cherries and raisins, musky oak, vanilla, hint of barbecue, bitter orange, clove, pipe tobacco, honey, a bit of molasses.
Palate:  Thick and rich mouthfeel, heavy sweetness, fruitcake soaked in fine Irish whiskey, vanilla, toffee, cloves, nutmeg, dark chocolate.
Finish:  Long with lingering clove, cocoa and coffee notes.
Comments:  This is a really delicious dram, and was tough to not select in the voting. Just an exceptional, well aged single malt that is rich, thick and luscious. This takes water well, bringing more honey, fruit and chocolate notes. I love that this sample was at a high ABV, and it was non-chill filtered. While this didn’t get my vote, I would hardly be disappointed if this won as it is a truly delightful pour.

Rating: Must Try

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