Before we get into the new collection of drams I gained from my travels, we have a loose end I want to tie up in the form of this sample bottle I was sent from my fellow Antonia mentee: Sarah McAvinchey. She works for Tipperary and sent me this bottle free of charge to review, so I want to sincerely thank her for that. As usual, this won’t bias the content of the review itself, it will still be my true thoughts.
Bottled at 50% ABV, this particular dram has a very unique aging technique about it since, as the name implies, the end of the maturation process was completed in an ex-sake cask. A very unusual technique indeed, especially for an Irish whiskey! This was part of the reason I was so excited to be sent this sample but, due to my busy schedule as of late, it unfortunately sat waiting to be tasted for almost exactly five months. Sorry for taking so long Sarah!
The smell is unusual for a whiskey, with a prominent aroma of rice and grass with undertones of fermented grape and rosemary. The front is equally as eclectic as the notes of coffee, lilac and even roast port hit the tongue! The body eases into more cohesive tastes of mildew, grains of paradise and hints of thyme. The finish is quite oily compared to the rest of the palate, with heavy handed plum and cocoa powder and light tobacco influence to round it out. The dram clings to the back of the throat tightly, almost feeling as though the moisture is being sapped from you. This palate is bloody intense all the way though, even during the seemingly milder notes!
Diluting this dram causes the nosing to reveal new notes of toasted oak, pumpkin and dandelion to replace the previous aromas. The taste overall becomes surprisingly gentle; mainly general vague notes of oak, herbs and grains raise their heads here.
Personally I believe this is best drunk with a small touch of water, and I really do mean a touch. When drunk neat this dram is simply just too intense, even for me, but slightly too much water causes the flavour to just dissipate entirely.
Overall this dram simply just… confuses me, which really does frustrate me. I love experimental spirits and, as a massive fan of Irish whiskey, this dram just called to me in all the right ways. Sadly, I don’t think this flavour profile is for me. This is through and through a whiskey for enthusiasts as this palate would be far too weird for a casual drinker, but even with that being said I find the palate falls short for me due to a lack of balance in flavour intensity. This was a limited time release and, as far as I can tell, it’s not impossible to still get your hands on. If this dram sounds appealing to you and you find yourself in a position to try it, go for it. As for me, I want to try some of Tipperary’s more signature range to see what they feel represents them best, mainly because this experimental dram, while ambitious, hasn’t quite been the best first impression for me sadly.
This post’s recommended song is: “Whiskey, You’re the Devil (Live)” – The Clancy Brothers
