The Quiet Man Blended Irish is a decent Irish blend, though it doesn’t really stand out in the current Irish whiskey market. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good example of an Irish blend, but it’s just nothing truly new or different. Sure it’s finished in “first-fill bourbon barrels for an unmistakable Irish flavor”, but it’s not massively different from a other bottles of Irish Whiskey I have on my shelves. It’s definitley better than some, but is it worth $16 more than a bottle of Jameson? That’s the big question.
While there’s notthing wrong with the whiskey, it’s on the upper end of the young Irish blends for sure, I would love it if they did something, anything, to make The Quiet Man Blended Irish stand out from the rest of the blended Irish pack.
Blend the grain and single malt together and let them marry for 6 months in an ex-wine, madera, Oloroso or any other kind of grape-based beverage cask; age all of the the grain whiskey in an ex-Islay barrel to give it a light smoky punch; heck, even just heavy up on the malt and let it marry a few months in a refill sherry barrel to add more malty sweetness and some creaminess to it – anything at all to makeThe Quiet Man Blended Irish really stand out from all the other Irish blends out there. I want an interesting drink more than an interesting story.
The Quiet Man Blended Irish Info
Region: County Louth, Ireland (possibly)
Distiller: Cooley (rumored)
Bottler: Luxco
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $40*
The Quiet Man Blended Irish Review
EYE
Straw
NOSE
Buttery fruit and graham mix with notes of caramel and malt. Light notes of honey, citrus and Almond Roca add a nice dimension to the whiskey and give it a solid structure. This is a decent Irish blend. A bit limited in depth, but nice.
PALATE
Caramel, malt, honey and fruit make up the majority of the flavor. Light notes of butterscotch, cinnamon, buttered popcorn and cocoa up the complexity a tad.
FINISH
A short jump of buttered popcorn, toffee and malt.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, medium body and a light soft feel that borders on watery.
OVERALL
The Quiet Man Blended Irish is a decent Irish blend and I’d say for the category of traditional Irish blends (80 proof & chill-filtered) it’s on the upper end. It’s a great example of what’s traditionally been known as Irish whiskey and I even like it bette than their Quiet Man Irish Single Malt. The blend is crisper, a bit denser and has more character than its single malt companion and that’s a weird turn of events.
I know on the whole “whiskey guys” don’t care much for Irish Whiskey, especially in today’s cask-strength-or-die whiskey culture, but I’ve always had a fondness for it. 10+ years ago low proof bourbons and Irish blends are what started me down my whiskey journey and still today I find subtle charm and nuance in Irish whiskey and drink them year-round. Luxco might have played it safe by releasing another 80 proof chill filtered Irish blend to the market, but at least The Quiet Man Blended Irish is a well executed example of that safe approach.
SCORE: 83/100
