Kilbeggan Single Pot Still

This might be the briefest review I produce. I aim for brevity. It's just that sometimes I tend to ramble. Back to the whiskey. My initial encounter with Kilbeggan was their Small Batch Rye. I can't recall my motivation for purchasing it, but I saw it highly praised somewhere, and with few bottles remaining locally, I decided to get it. I opened it during the 2020 Super Bowl, with the Chiefs playing the 49ers. I had invited my parents over, and my father brought a bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh, which my mother had given him for Christmas. Despite the A'bunadh being the better whiskey, the Small Batch Rye held its own remarkably well. It wasn't quite as good, but it had a unique character that made it memorable. Two years later, when it reappeared, I bought two more bottles, one for myself and one for my father. I ordered this Kilbeggan Single Pot Still online sometime after that Super Bowl, during the pandemic. It had been featured on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 the previous year, and it was reasonably priced, yet I found myself in no hurry to open it. So it remained in my collection. I kept contemplating it, never getting around to it, until last weekend, after a football game, with my brother-in-law, after we had sampled a Laphroaig Cairdeas, a Talisker Distillers Edition, an Ardbeg Beastie, a Nikka From the Barrel, and a small amount of Barrell Seagrass. It would have been unfair to judge the Kilbeggan Single Pot Still then, as it stood no chance against those others, but I wasn't enjoying it at all and decided to wait. Now, a few days later, I'm tasting it again. And I'm having the same issues with it on its own that I had when tasting it against the others. Here's the situation: it's very Irish. It has that cereal grain, apple, and vanilla. Imagine Jameson or Tully amplified. Don't compare it to other single pot stills. This is nothing like Redbreast or Green Spot. I'd even venture to say I prefer the candy-like cherry cough syrup flavor of the Busker to this. The issue is that the apple flavor isn't good; it's like an apple that's past its prime, and I quickly realized why that is. There's an underlying hint of talcum powder. And the underlying aroma brings to mind changing my newborn children's diapers. If you're a parent, you'll understand. There's a brief period where the stool is a light brown smear in the diaper (or an explosive mess that goes over the sides) instead of a fully formed stool. And it doesn't smell the same as solid poop. It's somewhat mustardy. While not necessarily a scent you'd want in your whiskey, it's not entirely repulsive, and that underlying talcum note here also reminds me of that newborn mustardy diarrhea scent. And it's really bothering me. Because I feel like I want to like this, but that underlying aroma is holding me back. It carries through to the palate and fades away on the finish. So, at this point, Kilbeggan has a mixed record with me. I'm considering their 19-Year-old. I haven't tried the standard Kilbeggan release either, but I don't think I will. To be honest, this whole mustardy baby poop association might just be my perception, but I can't shake it. I think I prefer the Jameson Barrel Finishes to this. I might even prefer the standard Jameson bottling just to avoid the talcum note. I know I said I intended to keep this brief, and I apologize. It's just that when I get started, I become...wordy. I probably could have just said, "Baby Diarrhea," and concluded it there. But I felt, given my experience with the Small Batch Rye, that I owed a more detailed explanation.

Smells like peaches past their prime in apple cider, with notes of white grapes, white wine, grass, hay, and bruised apple. Hints of stone and orchard fruit, fig newton cookies, prunes, maybe plum, and a touch of lemon. A faint vegetal and funky scent is present. Underlying these softer, slightly off-key fruit aromas are hints of earthiness and bread dough. The fruit notes are quite pungent individually, and the aroma is almost vinegary, but it treads the line skillfully. On the palate, expect smooth milk chocolate, honey, lightly toasted white bread, and slivered almonds. White grapes and mixed stone and orchard fruits reappear, along with grass and hay. Softer peach and pear notes emerge before the pot still spices assert themselves, reminding you it's a single pot still whiskey. The finish begins with a hot, generous dash of cayenne, joined by allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and coriander. This spice blend softens to a cracked black pepper note. Faint toasted coconut rises through the spice, confirming its Irish single pot still identity. The finish concludes with returning notes of chocolate and honey, accompanied by graham crackers. This whiskey isn't overly complex, but it's enjoyable and easy to drink, offering a crisp and almost refreshing quality. As a limited release, it's an interesting take on the style and reasonably priced. It's a good pick if you enjoy single pot whiskey. It shares similarities with Teeling single pot still but feels more refined and less sharp. It's quite different from the bold, full-bodied character of Powers or Spot single pot still expressions. It's like comparing white wine to red wine; while red might be preferred by most, a nice change of pace is sometimes welcome, and this fits that role perfectly. Hunting story: I learned about this release about a year ago and, being a fan of Irish single pot whiskeys, added it to my wishlist. I anticipated trying it soon after. However, finding a bottle proved to be a series of disappointments. I searched many websites and store shelves, finding plenty of other Kilbeggans but not this specific one. Then, one day, I spotted it on a shelf! I had to double-check the bottle and consult my phone's whiskey shopping spreadsheet (which I dislike using due to its phone interface) to confirm I wasn't mistaken. Following my 'immediate buy' rule, I purchased it right away. So, for those still hoping to find a special, hard-to-find dram, keep searching. And maintain a spreadsheet. (Unless your target is allocated bourbon; you're likely out of luck there, as a spreadsheet won't help.) (I suspect I might reuse this story for a Blue Spot review in about a year.)

Apricots and cream Aroma after pouring: heavy apricot, apple, and peach fruit notes with some vanilla trying to emerge. A hint of spice. Aroma after resting 10 min: apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, apricots, vanilla pudding, touch of grass, chocolate, raisin Taste: light and sweet on the palate, reveals flavors of peach and apricot, lemon, then vanilla cream, apples, spice, malt, grass, with a moderate finish.

The aroma is primarily characterized by bourbon aging notes: cedar and lightly charred wood, followed by fresh mint and muddled parsley. The palate is smooth and sweet, featuring flavors like snickerdoodles, grapefruit, orange zest, Granny Smith apples, and pear. The finish brings back black pepper and oak. A satisfying spirit that is savory, sweet, and suitable for sipping.

Remarkable! It's hard to believe this is solely aged in bourbon barrels; it presents as if it had a sherry finish. Upon opening, the initial scent suggested red wine. In the glass, it's all buttercream and fruit, but on the palate, it could almost pass for a scotch from the Glenfiddich/Glenlivet style.

Received a sample of this spirit. I really appreciate the aroma on this one, as it has a maple syrup/pancake syrup note that carries through to the palate. An easy-drinking spirit with creamy sweetness, but not excessively sweet. I believe $45 is a fair price for this one and appreciate that it doesn't seem as thin as many Irish whiskeys I've encountered.