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Description
A Study in Patience and Proportion
Everything about this whiskey is deliberate - from the slow, triple distillation to the decision to use nothing but first-fill bourbon barrels for its full twelve-year maturation. No wine finishes. No second woods. Just pure malt spirit and American oak, allowed to develop over time without intervention.
The Irishman 12 isn't trying to reinvent Irish whiskey. It's trying to do it right. And that's exactly what it delivers.
The nose opens with the kind of quiet complexity that comes from proper cask management. Vanilla bean and toasted almond arrive first, layered with butterscotch, dried pineapple, and a subtle thread of banana bread. It's not overly sweet, and it doesn't lean into oak for its weight - it builds its aroma from integration, not embellishment.
On the palate, the texture is where the age shows. It's composed, balanced, and remarkably well-structured for 43%. The first wave is bourbon-cask led - caramel, creme anglaise, honeyed grain - but that gives way to more intricate detail. Orange peel, marzipan, a trace of clove. Everything arrives in time. No crowding, no blur.
The finish is slow and dry. Oak tannin, cocoa powder, and lemon balm taper off cleanly. No stickiness. No drop-off. It fades with rhythm and precision - like a spirit that's been in no hurry for the past dozen years, and still isn't.
This is the kind of whiskey that benefits from context. Not because it needs defending, but because its strength lies in the things it doesn't do. It doesn't chase sherry drinkers. It doesn't climb the ABV ladder. It doesn't wrap itself in secondary casks to signal complexity. It simply relies on the core elements: quality distillate, high-grade oak, and enough time to let the two speak in full sentences.
There's an honesty to that. And it's what makes The Irishman 12 such a compelling bottle - particularly for those looking to understand how Irish whiskey handles age when left unforced.
It's not a trophy bottle. It's a listening whiskey.
One that shows exactly what happens when patience is the plan - and nothing gets in the way.AWARDS
- Best Spirit of the Year - The London Spirits Competition 2018
- Best in Show from Ireland - The London Spirits Competition 2018
- Gold Medal Award - The London Spirits Competition 2018
- Double Gold - San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
Description
A Study in Patience and Proportion
Everything about this whiskey is deliberate - from the slow, triple distillation to the decision to use nothing but first-fill bourbon barrels for its full twelve-year maturation. No wine finishes. No second woods. Just pure malt spirit and American oak, allowed to develop over time without intervention.
The Irishman 12 isn't trying to reinvent Irish whiskey. It's trying to do it right. And that's exactly what it delivers.
The nose opens with the kind of quiet complexity that comes from proper cask management. Vanilla bean and toasted almond arrive first, layered with butterscotch, dried pineapple, and a subtle thread of banana bread. It's not overly sweet, and it doesn't lean into oak for its weight - it builds its aroma from integration, not embellishment.
On the palate, the texture is where the age shows. It's composed, balanced, and remarkably well-structured for 43%. The first wave is bourbon-cask led - caramel, creme anglaise, honeyed grain - but that gives way to more intricate detail. Orange peel, marzipan, a trace of clove. Everything arrives in time. No crowding, no blur.
The finish is slow and dry. Oak tannin, cocoa powder, and lemon balm taper off cleanly. No stickiness. No drop-off. It fades with rhythm and precision - like a spirit that's been in no hurry for the past dozen years, and still isn't.
This is the kind of whiskey that benefits from context. Not because it needs defending, but because its strength lies in the things it doesn't do. It doesn't chase sherry drinkers. It doesn't climb the ABV ladder. It doesn't wrap itself in secondary casks to signal complexity. It simply relies on the core elements: quality distillate, high-grade oak, and enough time to let the two speak in full sentences.
There's an honesty to that. And it's what makes The Irishman 12 such a compelling bottle - particularly for those looking to understand how Irish whiskey handles age when left unforced.
It's not a trophy bottle. It's a listening whiskey.
One that shows exactly what happens when patience is the plan - and nothing gets in the way.
AWARDS
- Best Spirit of the Year - The London Spirits Competition 2018
- Best in Show from Ireland - The London Spirits Competition 2018
- Gold Medal Award - The London Spirits Competition 2018
- Double Gold - San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity