The Whistler - Blog post by Steven Kramme

The Whistler Honey

This is not whiskey but a liqueur, at 33% alc. It is completely bonkers how sweet it is on the nose and the palate. Caramel and honey dominate. You are obviously meant to mix drinks with it. Drinking it neat is far too much. Their website has various drink suggestions. My recommendation is a Beekeeper's Garden. https://thewhistlerwhiskey.com/cocktail/beekeepers-garden/

The Whistler Dark Symphony

The nose is packed with fruit. Mango, apple and kiwi. The smell you get when you open a bag of wine gums. It is not synthetic, just pleasant.
The palate carries plenty of sweetness. Biscuits and honey in balanced amounts without becoming cloying. The whiskey is 43.14% alc, which is enough to hold the flavour together without being dull, though not enough to make it truly exciting.

The Whistler French Oak 10 years.

A lovely nose, though a more restrained one. It fades quite fast and you have to go back several times to hold on to the impression. It is 46% alc, which is a good thing, because any lower and it would turn dull. A little pear, vanilla and fresh baker's bread. To me this is very classic Irish whiskey. Quiet and calm in both nose and palate. It matured first in first-fill bourbon casks and was then moved to used cognac casks infused with red wine. I can just barely sense the red wine. For me this would be an everyday bottle. A daily drinker.

The Whistler 16 years

This is the whiskey that stands out most. It is obvious it has been given more time to mature. On the nose there is sherry from the cask. It is 46% alc. The colour has moved up a notch as well. You also get sweet toffee, orange peel, cherry and raisin. On the palate there is a little salted caramel, hazelnut, pecan and some herbs. It also has the longest finish: dried fruit, dates and raisins. Superb. A whiskey that really shows what Irish whiskey can do at its best. My favourite of this tasting.