Review #43: Lambay Whiskey Small Batch Blend
The last few years have seen a surge in upstart Irish whiskey brands. Eager to capitalize on the burgeoning world whisky market, new brands have been pouring into the US market. Started in 2018, Lambay Irish whiskey is one of these new entrants.
We recently tried Lambay’s Cognac Finished Irish Whiskey. The whiskey carries no age statement, but you can garner from the fact that the distillery opened under a year ago that it must be sourced from somewhere else. Irish whiskey law stipulates spirit must be aged for a minimum of three years to be called Irish Whiskey. The whiskey is a blend of malt and cereal grains, aged in Bourbon, and finished in Cognac casks. Their distillery is on an island (Lambay Island) and although their single malt boasts sea air notes, we did not detect any saline qualities in the small batch blend.
- Score - 4/104/10
Overall
Tasting Notes
Nose: Honey, flowers, ginger, orange slice candy, citrus, cobbler and vanilla.
Palate: Peaches, oranges, ginger spice, spring water, honey, light malt, little oak. Definitely a sweet, floral Cognac back palate.
Finish: Unremarkable, nondescript woody finish. Summary: Easy sipping Irish whiskey that’s probably good for newcomers.
Bought for: Free pour from the bartender :)!
Summary
TLDR: Smooth Juice.
Overall: Fruity but a bit one-note and non-descript, and I wish there were more of something – perhaps the salinity they discuss in their single malt would have differentiated it more.
Quick overview of our scoring system – our “average” review is 5
Additional Information
- ABV: 40%
- Non age statement (NAS) Irish Whiskey, so it’s at least 3 years.
- Aged primarily in ex-bourbon casks, finished in ex-cognac at a warehouse on Lambay island, Ireland, close to the sea
- Triple distilled
About Lambay
- New startup Irish whiskey distillery started in 2018
- Started by Maison Camus, family-owned Cognac producer
- Has released two whiskies: a single malt and the small batch blend, both finished in cognac casks