Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey 19 Years Select Batch

It's my birthday, folks! And in honor of me turning 19, just like this whiskey, I thought I'd open it. Just kidding. I'm approaching my mid-40s. Feeling that. So I suppose you could say I opened it so I could feel less like that tonight and more like that tomorrow. Ah, Kilbeggan. I really like their Small Batch Rye, but I'm not a huge fan of their Single Pot Still. However, I couldn't possibly pass this up: a 19-Year Single Grain that, thanks to a recent clearance sale, I snagged for $44.99 instead of the $89.99 list price. Can you really beat something like that? Also, my understanding is that this is a Pennsylvania exclusive. At least, that's what I read on the only site I found that reviewed this, WhiskyCast. So, a few preliminaries. It's been a lovely evening. I was vegetarian for about a decade but earlier this year started eating fish again, so my wife took me out for sushi tonight. She also baked a chocolate brownie cake with Oreo cookie icing that used about 10 sticks of butter and half a small carton of heavy whipping cream, so my arteries might need a little break going forward. The kids are now in bed, and I just cracked the Kilbeggan 19 and poured us both a dram (my wife loves Irish whiskey and bourbon). And the burning question (or maybe not so burning if you're not in PA and can't get your hands on it) is, how is it? The nose is a delightful blend of apple, butterscotch, and vanilla icing (though maybe that's the Oreo icing stuck in my beard). The apple aroma has a slight edge of fermented cider that elevates it beyond the usual apple found in Irish whiskey, a bit more tart than a ripe fresh apple. More like an apple dessert. And the apple seems to trade off, every time I take a whiff, with that strong vanilla cream, with the butterscotch sneaking in now and then. Overall, just lovely on the nose. The palate is nice, though I'm not sure I like it quite as much as the nose. We'll have to see how it develops. It's dry and tannic and spicy. A little bit of pear with a very light honey presence. A slight ethanol edge that leads to a finish that's mostly spice, I'm thinking white pepper. Overall, I'd say I'm glad I got it for $45 instead of $90 as I'm not in love with the palate, though I could nose this all day long. In the end, it's a worthwhile purchase if only to experience what a 19 Year Single Grain is like for this price. I'll be interested to see how the bottle evolves over time, as this doesn't strike me as a regular daily drinker, but I'm sure I'll bring it out the next time my dad and brother-in-law are over to get their thoughts, and since my wife was just brushing the kids' teeth before bed, she hasn't weighed in yet, and her opinions often differ from mine. But I get the sense she'll appreciate it as something new and different. And there goes another year, folks. Here's to another and another, I hope. 19 more and 19 more, if that's what I'm given. And hopefully many more tastings. Cheers! (Update 02 December 2022: downgrading this to a 3. My initial impressions were a bit off, likely due to a combination of my celebratory mood and the cake I had before drinking; my notes aren't incorrect, I was just being kind because, well, don't we all feel a little kinder on our birthdays?)

Quite good. The butterscotch aroma is fantastic. A subtle oak on the palate, with a pleasant sweetness. Butterscotch on the finish.