Review #: 4
Description: Coleraine Irish Whiskey
Spirit: Irish Whiskey
Background: More Irish, but this one is a bit different. The Coleraine Distillery in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, appears to have started in 1820 and was purchased by Bushmills in 1933 before shutting down just before WWII, in 1938. After the war, it started up again and was known for its malt whiskey but switched to distilling grain in the 1950s for Bushmills. The distillery closed in 1978 but Bushmills restarted the brand with this blended label.
Distillery – Bushmills
Bottler – Bushmills
Brand – Coleraine
Selection – N/A
ABV – 40%
Age – NAS
Nose – Floral, crisp, a little bit of orange peel
Taste – Caramel, toffee, cinnamon, vanilla
Finish – oaky, black pepper, medium length with soothing heat
Score: 4
Would I buy a bottle? Probably, as it is cheap and hard to come by outside of Ireland
Thoughts: I got this at a grocery store in Northern Ireland for around 15 GBP and I think for the price it’s halfway decent. My first opening of it I definitely liked it more than the staple Irish Whiskies. It gets that clean floral smell but has a soothing taste to it, decent for 80 proof. It definitely brings some nostalgia for me, but it’s interesting for the brand to be renewed and allow someone like myself to be interested and then search the history of it. If you get the chance to buy one for cheap, pick it up and share it with some friends to enjoy the history and it not being just another bottle of Jameson.