Killowen 5 Year Signature Rum & Raisin Single Malt

This young spirit is bottled at cask strength. While these can be excellent, they can also be disappointing. I'm hopeful for a positive outcome. Nose: This Irish whiskey has more grain funk than usual, reminiscent of American whiskey made in an Irish style. Beyond the funk, there's fruit, particularly the raisin noted in its name. An oily nuttiness emerges from the American-style funk. The rum influence is suggested by a vegetal quality like rhum agricole, with floral sweetness and mineral water notes. The alcohol is noticeable due to its proof but doesn't introduce off-notes, apart from the general funkiness. A hint of burnt grass smokiness accompanies the funk. Palate: It's rich, full, and has a substantial texture. It feels somewhat syrupy; however, reducing the proof closer to 43% ABV would make it thin, so it's not simply packed with flavor. There's a slight burn and harshness, but it's manageable. A distinct dried fruit flavor, like a clean PX sherry finish, is present throughout, with raisin and possibly dark cherry notes. Upon further tasting, the fruit recedes, revealing grain, subtle wood, and spice. Faint burnt grass notes reappear. The harshness unfortunately intensifies. The dark fruits have a bitterness that surprisingly resembles a sweet dark rum with noticeable but uncomplicated hogo. Vegetal and oily notes are present, along with walnut. The ethanol is evident, but no off-flavors are detected. There is less funk than anticipated and a more prominent dark rum character. This is a positive attribute given its rum and raisin designation. Finish: The harsh burn persists, overshadowing the lingering dried fruit and a touch of dark rum hogo with light vegetal notes and burnt grass. - Conclusion - This is an intriguing spirit to sample. It has many appealing qualities, and the execution impressively conveys the rum and raisin profile. Rarely has a dram so clearly demonstrated its advertised flavors. However, it lacks significant character and exhibits considerable harshness, clearly indicating its youth. Frankly, without the rum and raisin naming, my opinion would be less favorable. When compared to Ransom The Emerald (rated 14/23), it shares similarities. The Ransom is funkier, but also more complex, balanced, and potentially more mature. The Ransom is also considerably less harsh. Between the two, this spirit is clearly inferior. Monkey Shoulder (rated 14/23) also feels fuller and is certainly more complex. Compass Box Hedonism (rated 12/23) highlights its wood influence in contrast. While I don't prefer its flavor as much, I appreciate its fuller mouthfeel relative to its proof and its lack of burn. Flavor-wise, this one is superior. To compare harshness, I'm placing this alongside Ry3 (rated 9/23). The harshness is comparable, but the Ry3 is intensely spicy, giving this spirit an advantage (plus, this has better flavor, despite the clear ethanol). This ranks below Compass Box Hedonism but above Ry3. Since it surpasses Hedonism in flavor, I'm assigning an 11 instead of a 10. Despite a relatively low score, the prominent raisin and rum flavors were striking. The aging process was expertly handled, and further maturation would likely result in an outstanding product. This bears a resemblance to Càrn Mòr's Cambus 27 (1991) (rated 13/23), which was aged in a sherry butt. It exhibits significant sherry funk but presents a more refined profile typical of Irish whiskeys. The Cambus is fuller and more complex, but also has more flawed flavors. Nevertheless, the youth and harshness here make the Cambus the superior dram. My current view of the Cambus is that it's an excellent dram for palate cleansing. When its harshness is reduced and funk is managed, the Cambus can be quite enjoyable. However, my opinion of the Cambus is secondary. What matters is that this still tastes like an 11 to me. My gratitude to the individual who shared this with me!

The nose begins with a blend of canned peaches, fresh pineapple, and apricots, followed by dark chocolate-covered raisins, shredded coconut, and vanilla macarons. Then come white grapes, poached pears, and figs, leading to lightly charred sourdough bread with a moderate ethanol burn. The taste has a medium mouthfeel, starting with a slightly sour spice with hints of lemon and lime zest, plus mild black pepper that fades into baked peaches and pineapple upside-down cake, then cocoa powder-dusted figs, followed by nectarines, lychee, and prunes. This transitions to candied ginger and lightly charred sourdough bread with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is medium in length, with lemon-lime candy, chocolate-covered raisins, ginger, black pepper, and charred sourdough bread. Overall, this is a delicious whiskey from the folks at Killowen, harmonizing flavors of rum, sherry, and single malt with excellent balance. However, the youthfulness of the 5-year malt is evident with a noticeable sourness that would benefit from more aging to smooth out. Killowen appears to be releasing older rum and raisin expressions, with the latest being 6 years old, and I believe they will be outstanding with more time. Currently, the 5-year is a pleasant and enjoyable youthful malt, but it doesn't really justify its premium price of over $70 for a 375ml bottle.

The youthful character of this whiskey presents as a spirited dram. Allowing it a few minutes to breathe enhances the experience. The nose offers sandalwood and citrus with a faint trace of tobacco ash. At five years old and 55% ABV, this whiskey is a bit fiery but bursts with sweet, spicy notes reminiscent of baked apples and cinnamon, with a moderate amount of raisins. The finish is moderately long, featuring hints of orange peel and cinnamon. If you appreciate young whiskey, this is definitely worth trying.