"Heavily spiced and not much fruits, I guess a bourbon lovers take on Irish whisky"
(Photo from Whiskybase)
David Stirk founded the Creative Whisky Company in 2005 after working multiple years for the Whisky Magazine and running global sales for the independent bottling company Wm Cadenhead. The company thrived for 13 years with honest and sought-for ranges like “The Exclusive Malts”, “The Exclusive Range” and “The Single Cask Exclusives”. In 2018 David suddenly (for most of us) sold the company and in particular the collection of stored casks, allegedly to Chinese investors. This obviously caused the brand to slowly disappear from the store shelves. He moved on to found Stirk Consultancy to help new and existing companies with all matters that concern the buying, moving and storing casks of whisky in and from Scotland. You can still find him occasionally on a whisky festival or attend one of his well-appreciated tastings.
Nose
Starts very bourbon-like with lots of cinnamon and a hint of aniseed, then it becomes more fruity with apples and pears. The spices play the largest part on the foreground with ginger, more cinnamon, while the fruits now also include almost ripe bananas and a hint of lychees. Water settles it down, but does not provide more depth.
Taste
Lots of spices for starters, spicy oak, fresh ginger followed by a grapefruit bitterness. Then it gets sweeter with sweet liquorice and unripe bananas. It is rather sharp, a bit weird, and I would say out of balance. Some figs, more liquorice, tinned pears and spicy apple, but furthermore it is rather shy. The aftertaste continues with the woody spices and a hint of fruits.
Overall
This really be a bourbon’s take on Irish whisky (well they both write it with an extra “e”). That is those heavy bourbon with a large pack of wood influence. Unfortunately the heavy spices does not leave much room for the delightful Irish fruits, which must be somewhere behind this wooden wall. Not really my cup of tea.
- Review 2020-045
- Single malt
- Cooley Distillery
- Creative Whisky Company (sold)
- Distilled in 2002
- Bottled in 2015
- Undisclosed type of cask
- Natural colour
- Non chill-filtered
- 51.8
- 336 casks
- ±80-100
- Not available anymore
- Whiskybase #138431
What others say
A sample of this was purchased from !
Scores
• these are my personal views, so do not take them too seriously… nothing beats tasting these for yourself •
- Cinnamon
- Spiced apple
- Unripe banana