Irish Matt Irish Matt

Review - The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

...truly "unique" in nose and flavor profile compared to many Irish whiskeys we have sampled. A touch too funky for our taste but we would encourage you to pick up a bottle and try it for yourself.

 
 

Rating 2.5 Glasses

WShalfglass

 

Tasting Notes

  • Color & Consistency: Pale goldenrod with slowly developing legs
  • Nose: Rubber cement, moth balls, dried fruit, vanilla & oak
    • Taste: Reminds us of an old ladies house filled with potpourri and apricots
    • Finish: Medicinal, vanilla & spice that lingers on the tongue

Conclusion: The Quiet Man 8 Year is truly "unique" in nose and flavor profile compared to many Irish whiskeys we have sampled. A touch too funky for our taste but we would encourage you to pick up a bottle and try it for yourself. Leave us a comment with what you think of this dram, share your new found knowledge with your friends and enjoy sampling the good life.

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Irish Matt Irish Matt

Review - Jameson The Cooper's Croze Irish Whiskey

While we would love to enjoy it again due to the extra depth of flavor and aromas it provides, the premium price tag is hard to justify.

 
 

Rating 3.5 Glasses

Rating

 

Tasting Notes

  • Color & Consistency: Sun dried hay with thin dancing legs
  • Nose: First hit brought us back to junior high all over again. Where the big mean 8th graders cornered you in the locker room, held you down & rubbed their stinky gym socks in your face. Luckily it transforms into light citrus & toffee, with a lingering floral aroma.
    • Taste: Tastes nothing like it smells. Undeniably Jameson with a little more heat which adds to the depth with hints of vanilla & spice
    • Finish: Chocolate, fruit & oak

Croze Plane - Photo Credit; Web

Conclusion: Cooper's Croze does exactly what it claims by showcasing how flavors can be influenced by the barrel. While we would love to enjoy it again due to the extra depth of flavor and aromas it provides , the premium price tag is hard to justify. For now we will leave it as a maybe and let you decide for yourself.

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Irish Matt Irish Matt

Review - Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey

...the entire experience becomes quite pleasant and after many potentially deal-breaking initial reactions all of the Sidekicks eventually enjoyed this dram completely.

 
 

Rating 3.5 Glasses

Rating

 

Tasting Notes

  • Color & Consistency: Yellow with a hint of Leprechaun (green suit and all). Super thin with no visible legs. It actually beads up on the side of the glass
  • Nose: Josh said it smells like non-aromatic petunias and the longer you keep your nose in it the less offensive it becomes... oh, and hints of toffee
    • Taste: A lot better than we thought it would be. Nothing like the nose as it fades away to buttered popcorn jelly bellies, floral, toffee
    • Finish: Very minor hints of sherry with a mild short finish, sweet

Conclusion: Very close to Jameson in its flavor, slightly sweeter with a broader profile overall and rumor has it that some of Midleton's distillate has made its way into this blend. Soon after tasting the nose completely dissipates, the entire experience becomes quite pleasant and after many potentially deal-breaking initial reactions all of the Sidekicks eventually enjoyed this dram completely.  Although this may be a potentially sacrilegious comment, we think Jameson Original definitely has a contender at this price point in Tullamore DEW.

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Irish Matt Irish Matt

Review - Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey

Being aged an average of 12 years it is significantly more diverse than Jameson Original or Caskmates but only a slight deviation from center...

Rating 4 Glasses

Rating

 

Tasting Notes

  • Color & Consistency: Thin and yellow like the villain from an old Spaghetti Western
  • Nose: Slightly medicinal with hints of sherry and vanilla
    • Taste: Vanilla & a little bit nutty with low heat but still very smooth.
    • Finish: Short & sweet. Very bourbon-esque.

Conclusion: Taking the place of the very popular 12 year Select Reserve, Black Barrel fills the shoes well. Sweet, spicy & fruity notes appear throughout thanks to the pot still and grain whiskies hanging around in sherry casks & twice charred bourbon barrels (hence the name). Being aged an average of 12 years it is significantly more diverse than Jameson Original or Caskmates but stays true to its namesake.

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Japanese Matt Japanese Matt

Review - Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky

Definitely no Yamazaki 12 but a good solid whisky nonetheless

Rating 4 Glasses

Rating

 

Tasting Notes

  • Color & Consistency: Golden Hay, This is a whisky that skipped leg day one too many times
  • Nose: Das fruity ya! Medicinal, little bit of toffee, floral
    • Taste: Sweet, smooth with a bite of youth
    • Finish: Short sweet and to the point

Conclusion: Tastes and feels exactly like you would expect a Japanese whisky to taste and feel. It's much more about the liquid itself than where the liquid came from and being grain forward with only a hint of the barrel there is not a lot of heat but its still very drinkable. Definitely no Yamazaki 12 but a good solid whisky nonetheless. For what is available in this price range we would spend the $10-20 more for a Suntory and call it a day.

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