The Whisky Agency Irish Malt 1990

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This is a 1990 vintage Irish single malt, like many of the other Irish mystery single malts, this one is also likely from the Cooley distillery. Bottled after 27 years at 48.1% from an Ex-Bourbon Barrel. Scored 90pts by both Angus and Serge @WhiskyFun and 91pts by Whisky Notes.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: doughy and creamy, clotted cream, floral with flambeed banana, and vanilla pods; some tart fruits, grape licorice shoelaces with midori melon liqueur. 

Palate: big, bright, creamy and unctuous; the vanilla pods, clotted cream and flambeed banana are layered on thick and heavy; jammy fruits: strawberry preserves, more midori melon liqueur and waxy grape shoelaces; as the oak tones settle down it becomes more floral and spicy even as the oily oak tones cling on.

Finish: long, coating, creamy and increasingly spicy; toasty tones linger with jammy fruits, thick oils and floral vanillans.

Comment: this is a top notch Irish single malt with respect to quality, and very old by the standards of Emerald Isle whiskies; the distillery it was produced at only opened 3 years before this was distilled; in that light, it is a rare gem indeed! 

90pts Serge @ Whisk Fun: "Angus has already tried this one, so just for the record… Colour: white wine. Nose: really, this is banana liqueur, ‘improved’ with sunflower honey and pineapples. Loads of pineapples. Mouth: more a sin than whisky. Full fruit mode, with perfect touches of dried herbs, and massive bananas and pineapples, plus a little coconut. Then pears and guavas. I wouldn’t say it’s the most complex old Irish from this vein ever, but of course it’s perfect whiskey. Finish: rather long, a tad more candied, and frankly tropical. The kind they would pour you on Kuta Beach, Bali. Comments: very very very very very very good, but the Maltbarn was even deeper in my opinion. As for the scores, I do agree with young Angus (not Angus Young, mind you). Some brilliant Irish. SGP:651 - 90 points."

90pts Angus @ Whisk Fun:"Colour: Light gold. Nose: These batches are starting to become a kind of category all their own these days now that quite a number of casks have been bottled. This one is atypical with plenty of fresh grassiness overlying some very luscious and fresh green/tropical fruit notes. Gooseberry, gorse, tinned pineapple and some sharper citrus notes as well. With water: goes more in the direction of orange peel and tangerines now with a pleasing coal hearth note as well. Mouth: A slight sharpness on the attack but otherwise we are rolling in all kinds of tropical and green fruits again. Lots of guava, mango, lychee and fresh pears. It’s quite simple but also very beautiful as well. With water: the fruit becomes a little more rounded and less separate along with a slightly dryer edge which emerges alongside some nice mineral notes. Finish: Good length, some nice notes of assorted citrus peel and perhaps some more ‘generic tropical stuff’. Comments: Another boringly great old Irish Whiskey. The kind of whisky you can quaff with friends all afternoon. SGP: 761 - 90 points."

Whisky Notes Tasting Note - 91pts: "Nose: luscious fruits, ranging from gooseberries to tangerines, lime, pineapples and fresh banana. Also a warmer side of guava and tiny hints of vanilla ice cream. Hints of rapeseed oil. Mouth: pretty stunning (again). Always a pleasure to find so much pineapple, bananas, coconut, mango and lychee in whisky. Simple pleasures. There's a slight herbal edge which becomes rounder with a drop of water. Finish: long, still tropically fruity but with a drier feel to it now, more coconut and an almost mineral finale."

700 ml