The first component of the Busker Triple Cask we’re looking at is the Busker Single Grain Irish Whiskey. The backbone of moat non-blended malt blend in the world, grain whiskey is a workhorse in the whiskey industry and rarely gets the spotlight.
While Ireland isn’t traditionally known for single grain whiskey, it’s a category of growing interest thanks to releases like Egan’s Vintage Single Grain and Teeling Single Grain. While none of these releases touch the 20, 30, 40+ yo releases that we regularly see from the Scotch world, they are interesting thanks to the casks used.
Busker Single Grain Irish Whiskey – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Region: Ireland
Distiller: The Busker
Mash Bill: Mixed grains (mostly corn)
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Marsala
Age: NAS (4+ years)
ABV: 44.3%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: $30*
Tasting Notes
EYE
Honey
NOSE
Coppery/metallic/mechanical, green apples, honey candy, taffy, cocoa, cereal sweetness, touch cinnamon and white chocolate.
PALATE
Banana chips, white chocolate, dried orchard fruit, ash, earthy/grainy and touches of spirit, oak, dried coconut and metal.
FINISH
Short -> Dried apples and bananas with a subtle dessert sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Ok, light, simultaneously watery and sharp
Busker Single Grain Irish Whiskey – Overall
Aroma has this strange fruitiness that goes from oily to dried to stale and back again while sitting on a metallic/mechanical platter with bits of dessert sweetness floating around; Palate is almost cloyingly sweet but pulls back from that line thanks to some of the earthy notes and loses most of that metallic ping; Finish is done in a flash and leaves a banana chips note.
It’s ok.
Busker Single Grain Irish Whiskey – Final Thoughts and Score
It takes a lot to make a grain whiskey stand alone. Even from the venerated grain distilleries in Scotland, the good ones don’t hit their stride till 20+ years. It’s not an easy spirit to make tasty, especially at a young age, so the fact that this is drinkable is… astonishing.
That said, I’m not a fan. I’m not getting any real richness and it has this sharpness and metallic quality to it I just can’t get over. It’s far from the worst grain whiskey I’ve had so I’ll say that they’re on a good path with the Busker Single Grain Irish Whiskey and leave it at that.
SCORE: 2/5
*Disclosure: The bottle for this Irish Whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Busker Single Grain Irish Whiskey Review $30
Summary
Grain whiskey is a tough nut to crack and so having it deliver as well as it does at this age is pretty remarkable. Though it’s still not something I’d reach for.
Overall
2- Nose (2)
- Palate (2)
- Finish (2)
- BBF (2)
User Review
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