The Wild Geese Single Malt NAS

Whisky: The Wild Geese Single Malt NAS, 43%
Producer: Cooley Distillery, Ireland
R600 ≈ £54

In South Africa this is a “premium” Irish whiskey, and based on the asking price it sets high expectations. Not sure if the price is as high in other countries (maybe someone can comment?),  but Master of Malt have two other expressions available which are much more reasonable.

Nose: Very grainy, although not a rough grain. A strong vanilla sweetness. Very similar to the sweet notes of a bourbon. Ripe fruits, banana bread, and plenty of smooth malt.

Taste: At first its smooth with toffee and more banana coming through, but flavour fades fast to what seems like a water-alcohol-sugar mixture with hints of burnt plastic and wood.

Finish: Medium with the sweetness toned down and some subtler wood, but on the rough side and raspy.

My Score: 68

The spirit has potential and isn’t all bad; at first there is some refinement and varied notes at play, but the casks used during maturation have not been generous with flavour,  and another few years is sorely needed to smooth out the fairly jagged edges. There are cheap blends that offer a better value proposition than this whisky, and how it gets the below score from Mr Murray I just can’t understand. Brand website here.

Other Scores: JM’09 85.5