The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey Review

By Father John Rayls

Rating: B

Luxco (who brought Quiet Man to the U.S. from Niche Drinks in Ireland) struck me as a marketing juggernaut when they produced Blood Oath, obviously savvy in the ways of the world. It was an interesting whisky surrounded by overwrought marketing materials and background story, as well as over-pricing.

So, when I received their The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey I was somewhat skeptical. The packaging and materials are superb, head and shoulders above most anything thing else I get to see in the whiskey world. Also, while I like Irish Whiskey, it’s far from my most desired category.

The Whiskey
This is a four year old, blended Irish whiskey bottled at 80 proof (40% abv).The whiskey has a golden appearance both in the bottle and the glass. The legs are there in the glass, with thin to medium viscosity, but it reflects the light beautifully.

This is a pleasant, subtle whiskey. It contains a higher malt percentage than many others. As a result, you will probably find it to be a very mellow and smooth finish. The aromas in the glass are a light floral fragrance with sweet under currents drawing you into the experience. A Glencairn Glass helps focus this part of the experience and is highly recommended.

The distillery suggests you will find smokey notes, but they escaped me. It seems odd that they would suggest this in that the Irish aren’t noted for their use of peat, Connemara excepted.

The feel in the mouth is very pleasant. It’s a soft, unobtrusive experience. However, you must slow down and focus to get the best out of this whiskey, all part of what I think of as the normal Irish Whiskey experience. There is a very nice balance of spice and oak in the mouth with an extremely subtle sweetness leading to the spicy finish. There isn’t much burn here, but a pleasant, mellow finish that provides a medium finish.

The Price
€36 in Ireland, but only $39.99 in the U.S.