Irish

Whiskey Review: Kilbeggan 18-Year-Old

We review Kilbeggan 18-Year-Old, a rather old blended whiskey from a recently revived historic Irish distillery.

OVERALL RATING

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Tasting Notes

About:

18 years old, 80 proof, made from “selected casks of the oldest grain and malt Irish whiskey,” currently selling for around $200 on the secondary market.
Appearance:
Packaged in a handsome presentation case, including a slick inner frame with a magnetically operated closure, this sure looks good on the bar top. Inside, the spirit is a warm, rosy apricot.
Nose:
Gentle yet defined. Warm pineapple, egg custard, deeply integrated oak, green grass, honeysuckle, and a touch of dried coconut make for a plush nose, while the modest proof keeps things approachable.
Palate:
The overarching impression I get from this whiskey is easy sweetness, punctuated in a few places by unusual notes that keep the whole thing from straying too far towards saccharine. In the front, there’s a botanical quality—a bit of tomato leaf, wet greenhouse, and herbal salve. In the finish, I get a wisp of sandalwood incense, dry and perfumed. Between those two flavors, there’s a warm, buttery expanse of baked goods and roasty grain, with a slightly tart edge that reminds me of inexpensive apple juice. Final Thoughts & Score/Buy A Bottle: Score: 84/100 Overall, this is very friendly whiskey, easy to like and effortless to sip. Relatively light and somewhat thin on the palate, I’d never guess it was 18 years old, and it’s a bit milder than the kinds of things I generally gravitate towards—but, if you’re looking for something that’s special without being the least bit challenging, this might hit the spot.
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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