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Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey

March 31, 2021 Ireland

Name: Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Malt, cream, honey citrus, flowers

Taste: Malted blend, honey, white fruit, light pepper

Review:

Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey is produced by the Midleton Distillery which is the largest distillery in Ireland and produces many whiskeys such as Jameson, Midleton, Powers, Redbreast, and Yellow/Green/Blue/Red Spot (aka “the Spots”).

The name “Paddy” in Irish means “Patrick” but is also a derogatory term for the Irish. In my hometown of Boston, the “Paddy Wagon” is your worst nightmare after a night out drinking or leaving a Patriots game. The name originated from the cops rounding up drunk Irishmen to clear the streets back in the day, hence the name.

Paddy’s is a malted blend, triple distilled, aged for up to 7 years in oak casks, and bottled at 40% abv. The body and cost per bottle are similar to Bushmills Original or Famous Grouse for light flavor profile and cost per bottle. There is not much, if any, of a cream finish that many Irish whiskeys tend to have. This one is just a simple slugging whiskey.

Priced around $25 and a summer slugging whiskey on the rocks or a budget bottle for a party.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson Cold Brew

March 24, 2021 Ireland

Name: Jameson Cold Brew

Color: Dark Brown

Nose: Coffee, nuts, cocoa, chemical notes

Taste: Coffee, nuts, little chemical finish

Review:

This review is going to be short…..not a good sign for a whiskey here at NYC Whiskey Review.

Jameson Cold Brew has a very strong coffee noses with a lot of chemical taste. It is not for straight drinking. It is a mixer for a coffee. If you want Irish Whiskey for an Irish Coffee, buy something else. Maybe Jameson Crested.

Priced around $35 and tastes Holy Fuck Balls dipped in dog shit.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition

March 20, 2021 Ireland

Name: Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition

Color: Golden Brown

Nose: Jameson, beer barley, citrus, lemon grass

Taste: Beer flavor, Jameson, lemon finish

Review:

It is Saint Patrick’s Day this month! In honor of the Irish I will be reviewing all Irish Whiskeys this month!

Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition is a 40% abv, aged 3+ years, and finished in ex-bourbon and ex-IPA casks. The beer casks are provided by Eight Degrees Brewing from Cork Ireland. Eight Degrees bottles look familiar to me from my trips overseas to the United Kingdom, but I have not drank their brew. If you are not familiar with what “IPA” is let me help you out.

IPA beer is defined as: Hoppy beer styled pale ale and is an export style of pale ale. It was developed in England around 1840’s and became popular with East India Company traders because the brewery location was near their ships docks. Hence it became known as “India Pale Ale”.

At first sip the whiskey is nice and a has a smooth finish. It is medium bodied and surprising decent, but not amazing but good. As of this tasting this is the only Jameson I have actually enjoyed drinking. I am not a fan of Jameson Whiskey flavor profile. I prefer Scotch over Bourbon and Japanese Whiskey fights for second place with Kentucky mash. I have met many Irishman/women who do not like to drink scotch as it is too rough for them. To each their own.

Priced around $45 and decent stuff for Jameson at the price. These expressions are basically Jameson doing something to add more product to the market. I do not see them lasting forever in the market place.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson – Black Barrel

March 18, 2021 Ireland

Name: Jameson – Black Barrel

Color: Copper

Nose: Jameson, white fruit, flowers, citrus (lemon)

Taste: Jameson, nuts, caramel

Review:

Jameson Black Barrel is an expression from Jameson that is the best whiskey I have tasted so far from the Jameson Distillery. I found it better than the IPA and the Stout Editions and gives Red Breast a run for its money. Black Barrel is bottled at 40% abv and has a higher amount of single pot still aged whisky in it. It is also aged in double charred first fill bourbon cask, hence the name “Black Barrel” due to the char level.

At first try the taste is same as the nose. On the second sip you get the caramel finish and a good balance of flavors. The balance is well crafted and you can sip this one neat. It is not the best Irish Whiskey I have ever had but it is good for its price point.

As I have mentioned in the past, I am not a big fan of Jameson whiskey. The flavor profile and the baseline taste are just not my thing. I do shit on them a lot, but it really drives me crazy is when people get excited for basic Jameson. It is like the low-quality whiskey produced by Jim Bean, John Walker, Dewar’s, Four Roses, etc. All major distilleries has the bottom barrel crap whiskey to “keep the lights on” as the expression goes. Black Barrel is surprisingly good stuff. I might put it on my bar to have one Irish bottle on the ready for friends and family that come over for a drink

Priced around $60 and the best of the Jameson expression line I have tried for the month of St. Patrick’s Day.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson Irish Whiskey

March 11, 2021 Ireland

Name: Jameson Irish Whiskey

Color: Light Gold

Nose: Grain, alcohol, citrus

Taste: Light, malt grain, light wood

Review:

Yes, its is that time of year again in NYC. It’s St. Patrick’s Day this month, so let’s all go out and get shit faced and not really understand what Patrick did to become a Saint.

I am not a big fan of Jameson Whiskey. This whiskey has no special nose, a rough finish, and tastes cheap. Jameson is a triple distilled blended whiskey and it is what it is, a baseline product to be used in other version the distillery produces.

Everyone in NYC knows Jameson because regular bars offer it at $4-5 a shot (a very small shot) which makes it one of the most drank whiskey in NYC based on recent statistics on Facebook. Let us assume Facebook news is accurate with this statement, and it probably is because a few years ago, Bloomberg News ran a story about Jameson was ramping up production to match Jack Daniels. Today it appears to be true as Jameson is on the shelf of almost every bar in America.

Jameson is very affordable but nothing that special. It goes good in Irish coffee, in mixers, or if you want to get drunk affordably. If you like Jameson I would recommend you increase your budget and purchase one of their aged stated whiskeys or their Red Breast 12 Year Old.

Priced around $35 and I am not a fan of this expression from Jameson.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

March 4, 2021 Ireland

Name: Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

Color: Light brown

Nose: Sweet cream, vanilla, nuts

Taste: Cream, vanilla, honey

Review:

You might have recently heard of the new Proper 12 Irish Whiskey. If you have not, you must not be a fan of whiskey or sports. Proper 12 is owned and created (and by others) by the “Notorious” Conor McGregor of UFC & MMA fame.

On the first nose of Proper 12 it reminded me of Jameson. On the first taste I got a Bushmills/Jameson-esq creamy blended taste that is a lower quality but still decent whiskey. Proper 12 is 80 proof, triple distilled, and finished in American Bourbon barrels.

McGregor owns Eire Born Spirits which “makes” the whiskey, but it is clearly a sourced blend. He tried to call it “Notorious Whiskey” but that name was already taken so he had to come up with a new name. McGregor is from “Crumlin” in Dublin and the postal code for that area is #12. Hence the name.

As I thought more about this whiskey I recognize the brilliance of what has been created. It is affordable, drinkable, marketed heavily, and comes from a man who comes from humble beginnings. If you did not know, McGregor was working class guy who was on and off the “dole” (welfare) when starting out in the UFC. Today, he is one of the wealthiest and most recognizable sports figures in the world. It makes sense he makes whiskey for the masses, not the elites.

At the time I wrote this review (November 2018) Proper 12 had pretty much been sold out completely. McGregor announced they were fixing the supply issue and would be shipping out soon.

The old saying holds true, “There are no bad whiskeys, some are just better than others”. Conner has a good whiskey just other ones out there might beat his in the whiskey world.

Priced around $35 a bottle (or $12 for 2oz. at American Whisky, NYC) and decent, but more of a shooter or mixer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Knockmore Irish Whiskey

March 25, 2020 Ireland

Name: Knockmore Irish Whiskey (Batch 14)

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Malt, grass, fruits

Taste: Malt, cream, vanilla, coconut, light oak

Review:

I am going to close out this months Irish Whiskey review with the opposite of a BANG. I like to keep it real and review everything that I can taste regardless of quality or status.

Knockmore Irish Whiskey Batch #14 is a non-aged started whiskey aged in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 80 proof. Blend of aged single malts around 8-10 years but does not smell or taste like that length of time. Batch 14 is the title, but I don’t think it matters.

It has been created by Southwest Spirits and Wine (from Texas) due to a merge between Southwest Distillery and Prairie Creek Beverages. Knockmore won a award in 2017. I wonder what major spirit company was sponsoring an award show….hint hint.

Hard to nose, and has a light cream taste and noncomplex taste profile.

Price around $35 and tastes like dog shit with water. and I got to taste it for free. I would not buy a bottle.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Teeling Small Batch – Rum Cask Finish

March 24, 2020 Ireland

Name: Teeling Small Batch – Rum Cask Finish

Color: Yellow

Nose: Sweet Rum, apples, wheat

Taste: Oatmeal, apples, rum sweetness

Review:

I am not a huge fan of Irish whiskey, but I liked this release from Teeling. I joke about the Irish and their whisky because I am half Scottish but truth be told, the creamy finish on most Irish drams is not appealing to me. However, with Teeling Small Batch Rum Cask Finish I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the flavor profile.

Small Batch is non-chilled filtered with a blend of 35% malt and 65% grain and aged between 4 to 7 years. After the aging, it is finished in rum barrels for 4-6 months. The rum casks are supplied by Flor de Canan (“Sugar Flower”) Rum from Nicaragua. At the time of writing this review, Teeling states that it is the only distillery in Ireland that uses rum barrels to finish their whiskey. The black bottle made me think I was getting something heavier but I thought wrong. It is a lighter flavor and fresh tasting.

I recommend this whiskey for scotch and bourbon drinkers. I strongly recommend it for those who think Irish whiskey is $5 shots of Jameson here in NYC with a beer. I cringe every time I walk by a bar in Manhattan that as a black board with white chalk writing advertising Jameson shots. There is more to Irish Whiskey than Jameson.

Teeling Small Batch is a good Irish whiskey at a good price. Great stocking stuffer, good to bring to a party, or drink in the office.

Priced around $45 and worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Temple Bar Irish Whiskey

March 19, 2020 Ireland

Name: Temple Bar Irish Whiskey

Color: Yellow

Nose: Honey, spices, flower, red fruits

Taste: Vanilla, fruits, sweet cream

Review:

Temple Bar Irish Whiskey is an Irish whiskey named after a historic pub in Dublin, Ireland with the same name. The pub was founded in 1840 and the whiskey comes from the Cooley Distillery which is located in Ireland. Cooley produces a few other whiskeys which are the following; Kilbeggan, Greenore, Connemara, The Tyconnell, and 2 Gingers.

Temple Bar Irish Whiskey is a triple distilled, 100% malted barley (single malt), and is aged in ex-bourbon and port casks. I discovered this bottled because my sister used to be in liquor sales and left a bottle in my mother’s home for me. It should be noted; I usually need it on my trips (stress relief).

The Temple Bar having their own line of whiskey is “cool” but nothing new. Many individuals and businesses have their own brand of whiskey that is named after their bar, business, or ego. A few examples include; Dead Rabbit (NYC Bar), Kirkland (Costco), Total Wine (Grangestone), Proper 12 (Conner MacGregor), and Blackened (Metallica).

Price around $50-65 and ok for a drink on the rocks. Not bad, not good. You be the judge.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Teeling Single Malt Whiskey

July 25, 2018 Ireland

Name: Teeling Single Malt Whiskey

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Pear, white fruits, green grass

Taste: Barley, almonds, pear, sweet wine

Review:

Teeling Single Malt whiskey is a 100% malt whiskey aged in five wine casks and gives the spirit a unique flavor profile. These casks include; Sherry, Port, Madeira, White Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Single Malt is a non-aged stated, 46% abv, and no chill filtration whiskey. The Teeling Distillery states it contains whiskey up to 23 years old to make this expression, but I do not buy that statement. If it is true, then it is fractional amount of 23-year-old whisky. The more I sample of Teeling the more I become a fan. For my previous Teeling review click here.

As I tasted this expression from Teeling I kept getting a reminder of white burgundy wine. In my college days in the late 1990’s I worked a few summers as a sommelier and I sold (and drank) a lot of white burgundy. That was the best job I ever had…… Why did I become an engineer?

Anyhow, Teeling Single Malt is a great example of what a good whiskey can be an at a good price. It has a nice balance of flavor, body, and not being too Irish or creamy or sweet. It’s got enough body and taste while being light enough to drink in warm weather. It is a good summer scotch and I doubt it will last another 30 days on my bar.

I am glad I picked this one up on a chance instead of the Red Breast Lustau I was planning on purchasing.

Price around $60 and well worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey

Jameson Cold Brew

Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition

Jameson – Black Barrel

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

Knockmore Irish Whiskey

Teeling Small Batch – Rum Cask Finish

Temple Bar Irish Whiskey

Teeling Single Malt Whiskey

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