The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes — in a million years I wouldn’t have come up with a name for a line of whiskey like this one.

This collection of four new Irish whiskeys (named after soldiers forced out of Ireland during hard times) all share a common DNA, but offer some subtle differences when put to the test.

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Classic Blend Irish Whiskey – This is a typical Irish blend, offering a clean spirit with a mild palate and minimal complexity. Perfectly palatable, it offers only hints of wood and nutmeg but finishes hot. Not a whole lot to it, but a decent Irish on the whole. 80 proof. B / $38 

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Rare Irish Whiskey – A considerably smoother whiskey, with smoky notes and a big caramel body. Also hot on the finish, but with spicy layers that mitigate that considerably. 86 proof. A- / $50 

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Single Malt Irish Whiskey – Constructed of single malt, as the name indicates, this is the most Scotch-like of the bunch, a charcoal-inflected, massively malty Irish with a ton of woodiness to it. Peat character like this is rare in Irish. You’ll do better with a single malt Scotch but this isn’t bad. 86 proof. B+ / $48 

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Limited Edition Fourth Centennial Irish Whiskey – Celebrating 400 years since the Wild Geese set sail, this is the top shelf expression from the Wild Geese, huge in its body, extremely malty, and with a good amount of citrus in it. The whiskey is mouth-coating, thick and viscous, with honey on the finish. I like it a lot. 86 proof. A- / $67

The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Limited Edition Fourth Centennial Irish Whiskey

$67

9

Rating

9.0/10

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