Irish Manor Irish Whiskey is a blended whiskey that uses a triple distilled irish single malt which leads me to believe that it’s most likely sourced from Bushmills and doing a side-by-side with a glass of Bushmills White Label shows some incredible similarities. Which would be rather rare because Bushmills isn’t really known for doing private bottlings, but then again, they did do it for the 2015 Trader Joe’s Irish Single Malt so it’s not like they don’t exist.
Being a private bottling, and not a very popular one at that, there isn’t much to know about it or even to go on. However, based on taste I have a theory that It’s an off batch of Bushmills white. While it has striking similarities it isn’t quite as good. It’s a bit more cloying and biting with stronger alcohol notes and an overall weaker flavor and aroma composition. It’s like a weak version of what Bushmills puts out and since we’ll never get the real story behind this bottle that is my conspiracy theory and I’m sticking to it!
Irish Manor Irish Whiskey Review
Distiller: Likely Bushmills (3x distilled)
Bottler: Irish Manor LTD.
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $30
EYE
Pale Yellow
NOSE
Vanilla, fruit, spice and malt come out lightly with hints of honey and alcohol. It’s a light aroma without a whole lot going on. Not foul, just really uninteresting.
PALATE
The flavor is as uneventful as the aroma. Malt, honey, dried fruit and spice with an even stronger alcohol note than on the nose. Like the nose it isn’t a disgusting mix of flavors it’s just so light and boring I’m in danger of falling asleep mid sip.
FINISH
Short and malty with notes of caramel, spice, vanilla and grain whiskey.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not much to balance, but the alcohol (grain whiskey) notes do show a little heavy knocking it off center. A thin body and watery texture complete the lackluster profile of this whiskey.
OVERALL
Irish Manor is about as boring of a whiskey as I’ve ever come across. It’s not bad in the sense that there are any strong foul flavors or aromas but it’s so light and lacking in dimension, personality or character that I can’t believe I’m drinking whiskey and not whiskey flavored water. If someone said “here try this” and I had it without knowing what it was I would think they took some Bushmills White Label, put an ice cube or three in it and let it sit till they melted. It’s just… so… boring.
SCORE: 77/100
