Review: Egan’s Irish Whiskeys – Conviction and Legacy Reserve IV 18 Years Old
Review: Egan’s Irish Whiskeys – Conviction and Legacy Reserve IV 18 Years Old
Two new whiskeys from Ireland’s Egan’s, each with quite the different approach. Conviction is a 10 year old blend that joins the Egan’s permanent collection, while Legacy Reserve IV a limited edition single malt, the final release in this four-year-long series. We tried them both. Here goes.
Both are 92 proof.
Egan’s Conviction Irish Whiskey 10 Years Old – A blend of single malt and single grain Irish whiskeys, each aged for at least 10 years, married together and finished in XO Cognac casks. It sounds appealing on paper, and it’s a solid whiskey in the glass. The creamy, nougat-laden nose overlays notes of fresh cereal grains, some citrus, and a fun dark chocolate note — perhaps the only real hint of the Cognac finishing. The palate surprises with more sweetness than expected, notes of almond nougat, honey, brown sugar, and tea leaf all landing quickly, before fading to a surprisingly savory, earthy finish. Surprising from start to finish and never short of exciting. A- / $100
Egan’s Single Malt Irish Whiskey Legacy Reserve Volume IV 18 Years Old – The final Legacy Reserve spends 17 years in bourbon barrels, then 1 year in Moscatel de Valencia sweet wine casks (both Legacy II and III are also finished in sweet wine casks). Like its last 2 predecessors, this unique whiskey is limited to 1000 bottles. The bourbon barrel does the heavy lifting on the nose, offering ample wood and char notes, infusing a nutty, woody aroma with more depth. The palate is where you see the Moscatel wine influence coming through more clearly, and it works: An almond and cashew base studded with a healthy amount of baking spice, milk chocolate, and vanilla give the body of the whiskey a creamy, mousse-like quality. It feels more like dessert the more you sip on it. Sharper on the finish, with more citrus elements in the mix, the whiskey makes a leisurely evolution to reach its eventual endgame — lightly earthy with a reprise of nuttiness. Hard to put down. A- / $200
Egan's Conviction Irish Whiskey 10 Years Old
$100
