IRISH BLENDED WHISKEY SPECS & REVIEW
IRISH | 40% ABV
WEST CORK
NON AGE STATEMENT
WEST CORK DISTILLERS
£25.90 AVG PRICE
FILTER: Chill Filtered (Assumed)
COLOUR STATUS: Colour Adjusted (Assumed)
MATURATION: Ex-Bourbon Barrel
COLOUR STATUS: Colour Adjusted (Assumed)
MATURATION: Ex-Bourbon Barrel
St Patricks Day 17th March 2022
REVIEW
Having quite a few whisk(e)y samples to choose from, I was hard pressed to decide which whisky to review, the choice was of course made easier given it's St Patricks Day 2022, but since I didn't do a review to co-incide with St Davids Day earlier in the year, I did wonder whether I should bother reviewing an Irish Whiskey.
Scanning down my samples I realised that I was embarassingly short of Irish Whiskey, even my full bottles are limited to just 3 different Irish Whiskeys, 2 of which I have already reviewed.
The decision was made a little easier when I remembered I had two miniatures of West Cork Bourbon Cask which were a christmas gift from some family friends.
Choice made.
West Cork isn't a distillery I hear mentioned much, I can't recall seeing a social post from them or any online talk.
Formed in 2003, West Cork Distillers (WCD) were the enterprise of 3 childhood friends, in 2014 they moved to their new distillery in Skibbereen, a 12.5 acre site with an annual production of 4 million litres. You can find out more by visiting the official website using the link above.
This the Bourbon Cask that we are reviewing is a blend of 75% grain and 25% malted barley. Matured in ex-bourbon casks for an unspecified time, this non-age statement is bottled at 40% ABV. They don't state if the whiskey is chill filtered or colour adjusted, however, with regard to the latter, it's pale gold in colour which suggest no added caramel here, however, since there is no statement, with regards to the value score points are deducted giving West Cork Bourbon Cask 78.27 out of 100. It retails at Master of Malt for £25.90, at the time of checking few stores carry this particular expression.
On the nose, it is spirity, a sign of some youthfulness, there is a sweet grain note as you would expect given the percentage of grain in the blend, vanilla and citrus marry with a creamy butter to give the sense of a rich lemon frosted cream sandwiched between a light sponge cake. There is only the slightlest hint of alcohol.
The palate starts sweet with some oil in the texture. Citrus, Coconut and pepper are the first takeway notes, then some vanilla and oak arrive that lead to a bitterness, some mouth drying before a peppery finish which lingers before a hint of creamy lemon into the fading finish. The alcohol suggests 40% and there is a slight hint of raw spirit, but this doesnt detract from the flavour.
On the negatives it reminds me too much of Haig (if that is not your thing), however, on the positives, it is a very every day sipable and not at all disappointing whiskey.
It does invite you to take another sip and more importantly make you want to try more from the distillery.
I do think it is maybe a few pound overpriced, around £20 would make this a more enticing buy and one I would get if it was nearer that price.
Scanning down my samples I realised that I was embarassingly short of Irish Whiskey, even my full bottles are limited to just 3 different Irish Whiskeys, 2 of which I have already reviewed.
The decision was made a little easier when I remembered I had two miniatures of West Cork Bourbon Cask which were a christmas gift from some family friends.
Choice made.
West Cork isn't a distillery I hear mentioned much, I can't recall seeing a social post from them or any online talk.
Formed in 2003, West Cork Distillers (WCD) were the enterprise of 3 childhood friends, in 2014 they moved to their new distillery in Skibbereen, a 12.5 acre site with an annual production of 4 million litres. You can find out more by visiting the official website using the link above.
This the Bourbon Cask that we are reviewing is a blend of 75% grain and 25% malted barley. Matured in ex-bourbon casks for an unspecified time, this non-age statement is bottled at 40% ABV. They don't state if the whiskey is chill filtered or colour adjusted, however, with regard to the latter, it's pale gold in colour which suggest no added caramel here, however, since there is no statement, with regards to the value score points are deducted giving West Cork Bourbon Cask 78.27 out of 100. It retails at Master of Malt for £25.90, at the time of checking few stores carry this particular expression.
On the nose, it is spirity, a sign of some youthfulness, there is a sweet grain note as you would expect given the percentage of grain in the blend, vanilla and citrus marry with a creamy butter to give the sense of a rich lemon frosted cream sandwiched between a light sponge cake. There is only the slightlest hint of alcohol.
The palate starts sweet with some oil in the texture. Citrus, Coconut and pepper are the first takeway notes, then some vanilla and oak arrive that lead to a bitterness, some mouth drying before a peppery finish which lingers before a hint of creamy lemon into the fading finish. The alcohol suggests 40% and there is a slight hint of raw spirit, but this doesnt detract from the flavour.
On the negatives it reminds me too much of Haig (if that is not your thing), however, on the positives, it is a very every day sipable and not at all disappointing whiskey.
It does invite you to take another sip and more importantly make you want to try more from the distillery.
I do think it is maybe a few pound overpriced, around £20 would make this a more enticing buy and one I would get if it was nearer that price.
OUR SCORES
NOSE50%
PALATE60%
VALUE78%
OVERALL63%
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