I’m a huge fan of bourbon, but I live in the boonies and sometimes it is hard to find new bottles to try. Lucky for me this emerald green bottle of Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey caught my eye and ended up coming home with me.
I had no idea when I bought the bottle that it was Conor McGregor’s entry into the Irish Whiskey world or that it was named after his hometown, which has a postal code of 12.
The honest truth is that I wouldn’t have bought the bottle if I knew that. I tend to stay away from “celebrity” brands as I feel like you pay for the name versus the quality.
In this case, that would have been a mistake. My bottle of Proper Twelve was actually quite enjoyable. As a lover of bourbon, I don’t try many Irish Whiskeys, but I did enjoy Proper Twelve and will keep a bottle on my shelf. It had a nice mouth feel, a flavor that reminded me of a nice red wine and bourbon, but in a good way.
I read some less than positive reviews of Proper Twelve, but I think they may just be Irish Whiskey Snobs to be honest with you. They saw Conor McGregor’s name and fell for the same thinking I am sometimes limited by – discounting any product that has a celebrities name attached to it. For me Proper Twelve is a great budget bottle of whiskey and earned a respectable score of 71/100.
Pros
- If you drink enough you can see leprechauns.
- Has an enjoyable mouth feel with a rich flavors that reminded me of red wine and bourbon.
Cons:
- May get discounted because it is a “celebrity” branded bottle.
- It’s not a bourbon, but you can only hold that against it so much.
- May make you speak with an Irish Brogue.
| Bottle | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bib & Tucker | 91 | $75 / 750ml |
| Angels Envy | 90 | $65 / 750ml |
| Tin Cup | 85 | $30 / 750ml |
| Jameson Blender's Dog | 82 | $67 / 750ml |
| Old Forester 1870 | 80 | $55 / 750ml |
| Michters US 1 Small Batch | 79 | $45 / 750ml |
| Old Forester 1897 | 79 | $55 / 750ml |
| Yellowstone | 78 | $35 / 750ml |
| Basil Hayden's | 75 | $35 / 750ml |
| Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Bourbon | 75 | $35 / 750ml |
| Hirsch Small Batch | 74 | $35 / 750ml |
| Stillhouse Black Bourbon | 73 | $20 / 750ml |
| Proper Twelve | 71 | $30 / 750ml |
| Teeling Whiskey | 70 | $50 / 750ml |
| Cruzan No. 9 Spiced Rum | 67 | $20 / 750ml |
| Four Roses Small Batch | 66 | $30 / 750ml |
| Beer Barrel Bourbon | 66 | $35 / 750ml |
| Gentleman Jack | 65 | $35 / 750ml |
| Kraken Rum | 64 | $25 / 750ml |
| Jefferson | 60 | $25/ 750ml |
| Elijah Craig | 57 | $27 / 750ml |
| Bulleit Bourbon | 56 | $28 / 750ml |
| Buffalo Trace | 55 | $25 / 750ml |
| Jack Daniels` | 51 | $25 / 750ml |
| Widow Jane | 45 | $70 / 750ml |
| Redemption | 40 | $30 / 750ml |
| Rowan's Creek | 39 | $30 / 750ml |
| Woodford Reserve | 30 | $13 / 50ml |
| Winchester Extra Smooth | 15 | $23 / 750ml |
| Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey | 10 | $20 / 750ml |
| Hill Billy | 9 | $20 / 750ml |
| Fireball | 5 | $18 / 750ml |