McConnell's Irish Whisky 5 Year

Nose: Vanilla langue du chat with a touch of orange essence. A subdued, musky cereal note. Palate: A semi-sweet, watery cereal arrival. Almost flavorless apart from a hint of citrus and a trace of salt. The texture is soft but weak. Finish: There is no finish. This is the least flavorful whisky I've encountered in quite some time. I considered the "Pure Scot" from Bladnoch, tasted recently, to be poor, but this... The nose is virtually absent. A shy grainy vanilla presence and a sweet, vaguely musky overtone, and that's all. The palate is equally bare. There's a bland cereal arrival with no discernible development. Then it abruptly stops and vanishes. The only significant aftertaste is the sweetness of grain spirit. I am astonished this is claimed to be 5 years old; I've tasted new-make spirit with SIGNIFICANTLY more flavor. This resembles neutral column-distilled spirit aged in steel drums with a couple of old oak staves added for character. This bottle was just opened, and I'm only on my second pour from the neck, so I will allow it a day or so before scoring, in case it miraculously evolves. -------------------------------- UPDATED WITH RATING After 48 hours, its profile has shifted somewhat, for better and worse. Initially, it was bland but inoffensive, as there was hardly anything to cause offense. However, as it has oxidized, distinct notes have emerged on both the nose and palate. Lightly buttery, creamy cereal, vanilla - a typical generic Irish blend profile. The issue is that alongside the improvement, there's a harsh, bitter, almost sour note in the finish. This is noticeable even when mixed with Coke. I am assigning it the same rating as The Dubliner, as it's very similar, and like The Dubliner, it is also overpriced. "Inferior": 69/100 (1.75 stars)

Pale yellow color. The legs are as expected. The aroma is like vanilla cake frosting and non-dairy coffee creamer. Musty wood. Some broccoli and cabbage water sulfuric notes. There's a chemical magic marker scent, or jet-black car exhaust fumes. The taste is vanilla, the same creamy cake frosting. Just a hint of lemon drop. I'm detecting a menthol coolness, with an ashy tobacco smoke following close behind. It's dark and dry, like burnt charcoal briquettes. The finish is astringent and metallic. There are abundant barrel tannins. Salt and white pepper, charred cigar box wood and a dry, chalky feel. Charred wood and tobacco ash with more minty coolness. There is a distinctly inky finish too, like a pen you were chewing that exploded in your mouth. McConnell's is a decent, nicely-priced Northern Irish offering. It possesses a dry, ashy quality that is mellowed by some vanilla sweetness. It improves slightly with a large ice cube to soften some of the sharper edges.

Nose: Shortbread biscuits and cracked wheat in milk, a subtle smokiness, charred plantain, sweet fresh caramel, soft sweet cornbread, green apple candies, lemon peel and lemon cream, ripe Bartlett pear, manukah honey, cocoa powder, French toast, lemon brioschi, sour cherry, red liquorice, baking spices (black pepper, clove, and nutmeg), wheat breakfast cereal, jalapeño and habanero peppers, chocolate syrup, atole, toffee, faintly grassy and spearmint, play dough, caramel and buttercream icing, aged but sweet American oak, butter pecan pie Palate: Honeyed wheat cereal, spicy apple skins, smoky barley, buttermilk, toffee sweetness, faint spicy oak, cream of wheat, spearmint with a hint of peppermint and sage, a touch of fresh maltiness and fresh barley Finish: white chocolate cookies with dark chocolate chips, wheat cereal with honey, spicy apple skins, aged caramelized oak

This is clearly not a Redbreast or Spot. It's an affordably priced Irish spirit, yet it's much better in flavor and value than the common, mass-produced, grain-heavy white label versions from Jameson and Bushmills. Considering it's only five years old, this whisky has totally shed the nausea-inducing rubbing alcohol taste that's prominent in Jameson white label. If you want complexity, look to Scotch single malt. If you prefer simple, yet enjoyable drinkability, McConnell's delivers. Spend an extra $5 to get this over the usual choices. You will not regret it.

This has notes reminiscent of both Irish whiskey and Scotch. It's earthy and carries a faint smokiness. It's a fine starter whiskey for those new to Scotch, and also a solid choice if you're seeking an Irish whiskey that offers a distinct profile. It's quite smooth considering its cost.

The earliest to emerge FROM Ireland. Imagine anyone departing Belfast in 1776 carrying a bottle of this. Similar to Bushmills, it's a quality base whiskey from Ireland. Fresh, Grainy.. good for sipping.