2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 11

Hey! Hump ... DAY ! ! ! Day 11 of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y ... what are we drinking tonight? As usual, I've been going into this 'blind' - I know what 24 bottles I bought, but the order was random except for the final day, and at this point there are fewer and fewer left. So you would think I'd have a good chance of knowing what I'm drinking, right?

On the nose, this one is malty and orange, a bit sharp from the alcohol, and a get a light chocolate frosting. Not a good rich chocolate frosting, one that you're disappointed that it doesn't have more chocolate. I also get some butterscotch too.

The taste is certainly sugary sweet, some wood, some spice, chocolate, buttery, with some malt. The finish is spicy and lingers, it has a warmth that builds. This is really nice overall. But....

for whatever reason it didn't strike me as Irish, and it didn't strike me as this one - which is something I've had many times in the past, including this batch.

After I knew what it was - of course it was easy to see. High proof, malty, fruity, chocolaty, butterscotch... yeah, Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength. With water it's still a bit sharp on the nose, but there is more wood there. Less spice on the taste and finish, really good overall. This one is batch B1/22, 58.1% ABV, currently it costs about $110. It used to be one of my favorites, but these days it's getting hard to pull the trigger at that price. I was curious how it would fare drinking it blind. It's good, and likely the best Irish Whiskey of the bunch... but there are so many other things that can be bought for less, it's hard to justify. Still, without regards to the price, I rate it 4.0/5.0.