Blackwater Starburst Spicebag Rye Rye Irish Whisky

Zoe Chen — Interesting but polarising

7/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did, even if it won't be an everyday pour. The rye bite is legit and there's a curry-spice warmth underneath that's clearly the spicebag influence. I think it's fairly priced for what it is — a 50% cask strength oddball that actually delivers on the gimmick.

Marco Andretti — Interesting but polarising

7/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did, even if it won't be an everyday pour. The rye bite is legit and there's a curry-spice warmth underneath that's clearly the spicebag influence. I think it's fairly priced for what it is — a 50% cask strength oddball that actually delivers on the gimmick.

Natalie Ford — Interesting but polarising

7/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did, even if it won't be an everyday pour. The rye bite is legit and there's a curry-spice warmth underneath that's clearly the spicebag influence. I think it's fairly priced for what it is — a 50% cask strength oddball that actually delivers on the gimmick.

Priscilla Nunes — Solid Irish rye with a twist

7/10

The spicebag thing sounds like a gimmick but at 50% ABV this has real substance behind it. Neat, you get a lovely warm spice that sits somewhere between a classic rye and mulled wine. I'd say it's worth trying at least once at the price point, especially if you're bored of standard Irish whiskey profiles.

Petra Novak — Solid Irish rye with a twist

7/10

The spicebag thing sounds like a gimmick but at 50% ABV this has real substance behind it. Neat, you get a lovely warm spice that sits somewhere between a classic rye and mulled wine. I'd say it's worth trying at least once at the price point, especially if you're bored of standard Irish whiskey profiles.

Tariq Hassan — Solid Irish rye with a twist

7/10

The spicebag thing sounds like a gimmick but at 50% ABV this has real substance behind it. Neat, you get a lovely warm spice that sits somewhere between a classic rye and mulled wine. I'd say it's worth trying at least once at the price point, especially if you're bored of standard Irish whiskey profiles.

Suki Patel — Spicebag in a glass, no joke

8/10

I was sceptical but this is properly good. On the nose you get cinnamon and star anise straight away, then the rye kicks in with black pepper and a bit of dried chilli heat. Tried it with a single ice cube and it opened up beautifully. Blackwater have done something really original here.

Mei-Lin Wu — Spicebag in a glass, no joke

8/10

I was sceptical but this is properly good. On the nose you get cinnamon and star anise straight away, then the rye kicks in with black pepper and a bit of dried chilli heat. Tried it with a single ice cube and it opened up beautifully. Blackwater have done something really original here.

Victor Osei — Spicebag in a glass, no joke

8/10

I was sceptical but this is properly good. On the nose you get cinnamon and star anise straight away, then the rye kicks in with black pepper and a bit of dried chilli heat. Tried it with a single ice cube and it opened up beautifully. Blackwater have done something really original here.

Farah Abboud — Fun novelty, not sure I'd rebuy

6/10

Look, it's clever. The spice notes are genuinely there and the rye backbone holds it together at 50%. But for nearly £94 I expected a bit more depth on the finish — it fades quicker than I'd like. Good for a tasting night with mates, not one I'd keep on the shelf permanently.

Isla McCallister — Fun novelty, not sure I'd rebuy

6/10

Look, it's clever. The spice notes are genuinely there and the rye backbone holds it together at 50%. But for nearly £94 I expected a bit more depth on the finish — it fades quicker than I'd like. Good for a tasting night with mates, not one I'd keep on the shelf permanently.

Rafael Santos — Fun novelty, not sure I'd rebuy

6/10

Look, it's clever. The spice notes are genuinely there and the rye backbone holds it together at 50%. But for nearly £94 I expected a bit more depth on the finish — it fades quicker than I'd like. Good for a tasting night with mates, not one I'd keep on the shelf permanently.

Sara Lindstrom — Wild ride in the best way

8/10

This is unlike anything I've had from an Irish distillery. The spicebag concept actually works — you get this warm mix of five-spice and rye pepper that hits different at 50% ABV. Had it neat and kept finding new things in the glass. At £94 it's not cheap but it's a genuine conversation starter.

Nils Bergman — Wild ride in the best way

8/10

This is unlike anything I've had from an Irish distillery. The spicebag concept actually works — you get this warm mix of five-spice and rye pepper that hits different at 50% ABV. Had it neat and kept finding new things in the glass. At £94 it's not cheap but it's a genuine conversation starter.

Celeste Moreno — Wild ride in the best way

8/10

This is unlike anything I've had from an Irish distillery. The spicebag concept actually works — you get this warm mix of five-spice and rye pepper that hits different at 50% ABV. Had it neat and kept finding new things in the glass. At £94 it's not cheap but it's a genuine conversation starter.