McConnell’s 5 year old Blend
McConnell’s 5yr old blend is a resurrected brand from the Belfast Distillery Company who recently secured planning permission for a distillery in Belfast. This 5 year old blend is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for about €38.
Omar Fitzell Notes
Light floral nose that is very approachable. Some orange peel with some white pepper.
Palate
Surprisingly creamy mouthfeel. A lot of milk chocolate and vanilla sweetness here that is complimented by a nutmeg spice. Honey, white pepper and some green apples all make an appearance.
Finish
Short to medium. Finish does linger slightly as the pepper spice becomes slightly more pronounced.
Overall
First time trying this and if I am honest, I had not expected much. But it has delivered far more than I expected, and I must say, I am a fan. It is a very well blended whiskey.
Al Higgins notes
Nose
Lots of fresh first fill Bourbon cask character. Lemon and lime, cloudy lemonade, lemon curd, a hint of pencil shavings, pineapple, old school cologne/aftershave and maybe even some old recipe Irn-Bru.
Palate
Soft, juicy and polished. Quite impressive so far for a 5 year old blend. The Bourbon cask matured single malt takes the stage first with flavours of vanilla, orange oil, lemon cake and grilled pineapple. The grain whiskey becomes more prominent as the palate evolves.
Finish
Light, wispy and grainy. Some slightly green and bitter notes pop up but nothing to worry too much about.
Overall
Impressive for the age of the whiskey. A whole lot better than some unblended whiskeys on the market be they single grain, single malt or single pot still. A good aperitif style whiskey, or dare I say, one to have over a little ice.
Omar Fitzell
Omar has been lurking in the background of the Irish Whiskey Industry since 2010 when he started his journey through tasting, enjoying and collecting whiskey. In January 2018 he launched the online blog “That’s Dram Good” which, in those few short months, has become one of the most popular whiskey blogs in Ireland.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @thatsdramgood
• Facebook – ThatsDramGood
Al Higgins
Over 20 years of experience in drinks retail and a member of the team at the Celtic Whiskey Shop since 2003. Alastair is chief tester and taster at the shop and is also coordinator for the Irish Whiskey Awards. When he is not working he is either training for ultra-marathons, parenting or drumming with his band Le Galaxie.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @mostlydrinking