One could be forgiven if you think this Irish whiskey is masquerading as a Scottish whisky. Only twice distilled, unlike the usual triple distillation of Irish malts, with the barley peated, Connemara is a relatively new whiskey that seems to hearken back to an Islay more than anything. It has done well, winning nearly a dozen competitive awards over the past decade. When the Irish whiskey industry was in full flower a century and more ago, though, there were some that incorporated peat smoked barley (the Scots never had the market cornered on using peat for a fuel source, after all) and it is not horribly unusual to find an Irish whiskey double distilled today, even if it is not the norm. Still, this Connemara expression out of Kilbeggan Distillery, which is owned by the Cooley Distillery, bears the imprint of John Teeling before he sold Cooley to Beam Suntory in 2014. There are cask strength and 12 year offerings available in the United States and other expressions elsewhere in the world.
Distillery: Kilbeggan
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 40%
Price: $49.99
Location: County Louth, Ireland
Type: Single malt pot stilled
Nose: Peat, brine, perfume, grass, wood smoke
Palate: Floral, honey, peat, spice
Finish: Oak, floral, smoke
Comments: Water is not needed.
Adam – This is one interesting character. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first, especially after sipping a Knappogue Castle 12, but I’ve slowly come around. I think part of the challenge is to disassociate it from peated scotch, such as the kind common to Islay. There’s the familiar sweet and freshness I’ve found in many good Irish malts, coupled with the peat, brine and smoke that are surprisingly complimentary. Floral notes that are almost perfume like coupled with a little spicy zip. There is a bit of a jolt between the rather bold nose and the subtler palate, with a fast-fading finish. A great spring or summer whiskey, perhaps, not ready to blow your socks off but still a refreshing companion amongst the green rolling hills of the Irish countryside.
Smoke turns into brine, and then peat, and then fruit, and more.
Meghan – The Connemara has more a charcoal smell rather than smoky. It tastes sooty too. This might go well with food since it wouldn’t overpower what you were eating.
Michael – Having tasted a fair number of whiskies, I’ve found that they tend to fall into a few different camps for me. Many are good. I would happily drink them again if they were offered, but I wouldn’t seek them out. Some whiskies are surprising and evocative. And a few evoke more emotional responses. These whiskies are deeply satisfying and can be tough to render in words. They are more than the sum of their parts. Connemara, thank God, falls into the last camp. And, frankly, it is the first Irish whiskey I’ve had that does so. It is rich and balanced and multifaceted. Smoke turns into brine, and then peat, and then fruit, and more. Each note playing its part unselfishly. An achievement that is cause for celebration I think. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Caitlin – This is like the next door neighbor’s slightly more exciting friend. It’s sooty. I don’t really like this that much, to be honest.
Ben – This is layered. I feel like sometimes when I’m having a really peaty scotch, that I miss the scotch while I’m having the glass because of the overwhelming peat. I miss all the woody and smoky flavors because of the peat. This peat doesn’t bosses me around at all.
Henry – It has a unique quality of peat that reminds me of soot and green olives, which almost reminded me of the Cragganmore 12 year. Just goes to show you that all peat is not created equal. I call it ‘smoked terroir’.
