Oh Taste & See: Clontarf 1014 Irish Whiskey

St. Paddy's day is coming, and will hopefully bring spring weather with it. Although I'm not a big Irish Whiskey drinker I do like to try a few this time of year, especially since their lighter flavors tend to go well with the arrival of spring and make for a nice break after a winter of rich, heavy bourbons and Scotches.

Clontarf 1014 is a whiskey that's been around for a few years, but is still not super common in bars or liquor stores - at least in my area. This is the first time I've tried it, and I have been pleasantly surprised with a more complex dram than you'd expect from a $20 Irish blend. The name was a bit clunky to get used to since I couldn't figure out what the 1014 stood for, but after a little research I now know that it was the year that the Vikings were driven from Ireland - sounds to me like something worthy of a celebratory drink!

Color: Clontarf 1014 has a deep, honey-amber color with light legs. It's a bit dusty or opaque when you hold it up to the light, giving it a nice weighty look in the glass.

Nose: When you have this whiskey neat, the nose is mostly solvent and boozy smells. You can pick up some grain notes and faint honey and lemon rind. Water brings out a bit more oak and honey, but it really opens up with a cube or two of ice. Once it chills you lose the boozy solvent aromas in favor of some good malty heft that's much more interesting.


Flavor: Again, this one improves with ice - not because it's overly strong (it's only 80 proof), but the chill just seems to bring out better flavors. Neat it's super light with a pine nut and almond flavor and some faint oak notes. The solvent aroma is more like polished leather on the tongue. Adding water brings out burnt nuts and sliced apples, but I recommend going all the way to ice and getting a maltier, richer dram.

Finish: The finish is quick and vapory, but does have some nice fruit notes like orange and other citrus, a hint of jam, and cooked pears or apples. It's a clean, polished finish that gets out of the way without any fuss.

Overall, I like this for a $20 Irish whiskey, and while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for slow sipping, that's not what most Irish whiskeys are best for. Instead, the Clontarf 1014 really shines on the rocks or mixed with ginger ale and honey, and it's a nice, under-the-radar alternative to some of the usual suspects that you'll be sick of well before St. Patrick's day is over.