What Does John Know?

The new Kilbeggan 15 yr. old blend will also be getting in its way to circulation in August in the U.S. I have a review sample and have already tasted it. My review is below, which will appear in the next issue of Malt Advocate, due out in a few weeks. In short: a decent whiskey, but the extra oak on the finish takes away from what would have been a really good Irish blend.

79 Kilbeggan, 15 year old, 40%, $100
Cooley distillery’s oldest blend to date. Packaged in what looks like a very large perfume bottle. Elegant and creamy on the nose, with vanilla, coconut, grass, and suggestions of bourbon. Similar on the palate, but more reserved. Becoming dry on the finish with lingering charred oak. I think the slightly austere oaky finish detracts from what otherwise would be a very nice blend. The best part of this whiskey is the nose.

I’m on a roll reviewing new Irish whiskeys, so I might as well keep it going. Here’s my review of the new Tullamore Dew 10 year old which will be working its way into circulation. This review will appear in the 4th Quarter issue of Malt Advocate magazine.

81Tullamore Dew, 10 year old, 40%, $35
This whisky is in between the “Original” Tullamore and Tullamore Dew 12 year old in age and price range, and it also fits in between the two in flavor and quality. I thought that maybe this whiskey would have a more distinctive character to it (sherry cask aging, different proof, etc.) compared to the other two, given that it is a limited edition of only 900 cases and so close in age to the others two, but it doesn’t. It’s not that this is a bad thing, but rather just “more of the same”. I’m told that the other two will remain in the portfolio, so I am missing the point of why this whiskey was introduced.

It certainly is a pleasant enough whiskey—well balanced, not aggressive, yet with enough maturity and pot still content to make it “sip worthy” if one chooses to do so. So maybe that’s the benefit I see here. Rather than buy the standard Tullamore Dew for mixing (or drinking on the rocks) and also buy the 12 year old for sipping, you can reasonably cover your bases with just this one bottle of 10 year old.

There aren’t too many Irish grain whiskeys around and, if you want one, you’ll want to seek out the Cooley distillery releases. The new limited edition Greenore 15 yr. old grain whiskey will go into circulation in the U.S. in August. How does it compare to its younger sibling, the 8 year old? I have a bottle of each and just tasted the two side-by-side.

Below are my reviews of the 8 and 15 yr. old that will be published in the 3rd and 4th Quarter 2008 issues of Malt Advocate, respectively. (It was too late to sneak the 15 in the 3rd quarter issue, which just went to the printer.) Regarding the two whiskeys, it really comes down to what you’re looking for. Both are nice.

84 Greenore Single Grain, 15 year old, 40%, $100
Cooley distillery’s oldest grain whiskey to date, and marketed as a limited edition. Similar in personality to Greenore 8 yr. old—rather light and gently sweet—but deeper, more oily in texture, not as crisp, with enhanced spice notes. You’ll also find soft creamy vanilla, lemon meringue, cut hay, orange rock candy, teasingly subtle bitter chocolate, and a dry, spicy finish. Whether you like the 8 or 15 year old depends on mood and time of day. I find them equally pleasant in personality.

82 Greenore Single Grain, 8 year old, 1997 vintage, 40%, $50
Light, crisp, and gently sweet. Notes of vanilla, cut hay, honey, and lemon, with a grainy, dry bourbon-oak finish. A warm weather whisky, or as an aperitif. Perhaps a way to introduce a vodka drinker to whiskey?