Knappogue Castle 12 Year Bourbon Cask Matured

Appearance (no score): Deep gold color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs form quickly. Nose: 14/20 Primarily I detect overripe pears and vanilla with a faint grain cereal note in the background. It lacks complexity but is still pleasing. Palate: 30/40 Honey, baking spices, vanilla, wheat bread, and a hint of butterscotch. It's very smooth with minimal to no burn. Finish: 26/40 A medium-short finish, mostly repeating the palate notes but now with a mild alcohol burn. Honey, vanilla, shortbread, and crisp pears, leading to baking cocoa which concludes it on a bitter note. With Water: A small amount of water makes the palate taste saltier and adds some black pepper to the finish. Total: 70/100 Final thoughts: An easy drinker but not much else is happening. Likely suitable for individuals new to Irish whiskey but not something I'll repurchase once the bottle is empty. Price: $39 Would recommend: perhaps Would buy: no

Knappogue Castle is a favorite whiskey line of mine. Seeing I only had a brief note from years ago, I decided to revisit this flagship offering, which I consider an underrated Irish classic. Nose: Classic Knappogue Castle character with notes of Honeycrisp and green apple, even like a Green Jolly Rancher. Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee are present, along with macadamia, coconut, walnut, and cashew. There's also plenty of oak, black pepper, and other spices. A nice start. Palate: More of both apple types, and the Green Jolly Rancher. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Raisin. Milk chocolate. Grapes: green and red. Chinese pear and apricot. Macadamia, walnut, almond. Bran and cereal grain. Sugar cookie. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla, toffee, and milk chocolate. More apple. Fig and raisin. Almond, walnut, macadamia, cinnamon, black spice, clove, nutmeg, and oak. The finish is of moderate length. Still excellent. It's well-balanced with a strong palate, offering a traditional Irish profile but with enhanced nut and oak notes. At $43, it's an absolute steal and likely the best value flagship Irish whiskey available. It has enough character for a single malt Scotch drinker. 4.25/5.

The aroma is very subtle. Oak, vanilla, cereal/grain/corn husk, and a touch of red fruit spice. The taste is gentle, but red fruits and baking spice emerge first, followed by vanilla and some honey. It's spicier than the aroma suggested. This is not a complex experience, but it is enjoyable. It's one-dimensional but has pleasant flavors and is easy to drink. The finish is short to medium. It's very similar to the taste, and everything fades relatively equally. The spice might linger slightly longer. This is decent. It falls right in the middle. Not great, but definitely not bad. It's a light, easy-drinking Irish whiskey. I primarily detect three flavors: vanilla, honey, and baking spices. It doesn't offer a lot, but what it does offer is enjoyable. Depending on the price, it's worth considering. Overall Grade: C+ (Above Average)

Knappogue Castle 12 year was my initial Irish whiskey purchase, following earlier shots of Jameson at bars. I recall being pleasantly surprised by it then, and I believe it still holds up well. The aroma is fruity, with notes of green apple and banana. On the palate, I detect peaches, cereal, and oak. It has a mild sweetness, not excessive. The finish is of decent length, with minimal burn and a hint of spice. At approximately $40, it represents good value for an Irish whiskey. While it may not match Redbreast, few Irish whiskies do. It also performs admirably in mixed drinks. For its price, this is a solid choice.

I wouldn't say it's highly complex, but I'm content with that. Crisp and smooth, each time I open this wonderful whiskey, I experience the same profile: fresh pears on the nose (along with a light grassy aroma), chewy dried pears with a light mouthfeel, and a burst of fresh pear juice on the finish. It's not excessively sweet. At one point, I detected a hint of Spaghetti-Os on the palate, which was quite enjoyable. It felt like being a 5-year-old having a snack. That was a good year for me; I had my first kiss with my babysitter's daughter. In any case, there's nothing consistently unpleasant about drinking this whiskey.

Nose: Lemon and Menthol with a hint of grainy sweetness. A subtle spicy oak note is in the background. Taste: Dominant notes of banana cream pie and overly ripe peaches come to the forefront. These notes give way to a sweet maltiness with figs and a deep earthy character. The whiskey concludes with a hit of ethanol, bitter oak, and white pepper. This finish is somewhat metallic, very dry, and leaves a lingering herbal spice. A small amount of water enhances the malty notes while reducing the fruit notes. Excellent value for the price. It strongly resembles some highland single malt scotches, but it clearly has an Irish mouthfeel and finish.