Lambay Single Malt
This triple distilled single malt is wholly finished in oak cognac casks from the French cognac house of Camus. Partly matured on Lambay Island where the casks been exposed to the sea air and maritime winds. Bottled at 40% ABV and non-chill filtered. RRP €49.99.
Omar Fitzell Notes
Light and soft nose to this. Decent amount of malt complimented with some pear drops, unripe bananas and floral notes.
Palate:
I was expecting some heat but there is none for me. Real soft, delicate mouth fell that makes this easy to drink. Touch of coconut in there that’s overpowered by malt.
Finish:
Sweetness enters with a very slight dryness to reveal hints of brown sugar and vanilla. An unusual note of pencil shavings towards the very end. Overall a short to medium finish.
Overall:
An easy to drink, uncomplicated whiskey. The cognac casks that we’re used were obviously top class. They have just the right finish that didn’t overshine the West Cork distillate.
Al Higgins notes
Nose:
Wood workshops, sappy oak, pear, citrus, jasmine, lychee and rose water. There’s something here similar to Gewurztraminer wines which must be from the Cognac casks.
Palate:
Sweet and fruity with a pronounced tropical character. Pineapple, guava and banana with some grape flavours similar to Muscat or Gewurztraminer.
Finish:
Quite lively and spicy.
Overall:
A decent start from one of the new breed of whiskey bonders. Using Cognac casks for the finishing seems to work well and has added some interesting fruit flavours.
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