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Connemara peated single-malt Irish Whiskey

Price

$44.29/750ML (taxes included)

Bought at

Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (Halifax)

Connemara is one of the star brands, if not indeed the star brand, produced by Cooley Distillery, first introduced in my review of their Tyrconnel single malt. Two things are particular about this Whisky, however, the first concerning the Whisky itself, and the second being concerned with this review. The first thing of interest is that this Whisky differs from the traditional Irish single malt in that it is made with peated malt, that is, malt which has been dried over peat fires. Now, though I suspect that most readers sufficiently interested in spirits to follow the ramblings of this blog will already be aware of it, it is important to put down here that peated malt is used practically only in the production of Scotch Whiskies: this then makes Connemara a very special Whisky in that it is bound to have the body of an Irish Whisky but still sport some characteristics prominent in certain Scotches. The second thing of interest is that, at about the same time I purchased a bottle of this Whisky--- around Christmas--- a sweet present was made to me of a Connemara tasting set, which includes, besides the standard product, samples of a twelve years and cask strength version of the Whisky, not to mention a wonderful tasting glass which I have been using ever since. This will allow me to review this Whisky in greater depth than the others, and hazard some surmise as to how it might mature: something which, unless I should suddenly get rich, I probably will not have the opportunity to do very often.

The smell already promises a very interesting Whisky: imagine a smell somewhat typical of an Irish whisky, all fresh (the freshness being emphasised with lemon), sweet and fruity, but overlaid with peatiness and smoke. The general effect could remind one of some old-fashioned preserves, or of eating tinned fruits around the campfire; in any case, the scent certainly brings me nostalgia. The taste works in a somewhat similar manner, starting fruity and sweet before turning all peaty and smoky (in that order). Some other tastes are noteworthy, however: The fruitiness is supported by a maltiness I don't remember ever experiencing this strongly in any other Irish; as the taste evolves in the mouth and the peatiness kicks in, one can taste something remarkably sea-like. I had heard of certain Scotch Whiskies tasting of the sea, but had not so far been fortunate enough to taste one; well, one, but it was closer to the shallows. This Whisky tastes like the sea, right down to a certain saltiness and some hints of seaweed: the effect is strange, but refreshing. The complex structure is nicely finished with a touch of hazelnut just strong enough to be intriguing. Between the pear-tree, the bog, the fire and the sea, the effect is quite staggering to the palate and it takes some time to appreciate it fully: in fact, it amazes me that it should all work to such a beautiful end. I don't know whether the people at Cooley engineered this Whisky or stumbled upon it by chance, but, if the former, they deserve great praise for playing against such great odds and pulling through. The effect of this ballet of contradictory tastes is further promoted by a light, slightly fizzy texture which tickles the tongue with expectation. The overall impression this Whisky produces is of a well-crafted, characterful, refreshing, and easy-drinking, if a little bewildering at times, spirit. I would recommend it very highly indeed.

Cask Strength

When the Whisky is done maturing, the product from different casks is usually blended together in order to obtain more constant characteristics for taste, colouring, and, of course, alcohol content, the latter often being achieved through the addition of water. A cask strength Whisky is a Whisky which has not undergone this last process and may be anywhere between around 40 and 60% in alcohol content; it may as a result bring out characteristics which are milder or even almost absent in the regularised product. The Connemara cask strength has, as one might expect, a much stronger smell of alcohol, but this somehow contrives to bring out the fruitiness of the standard product, defining it to something closer to blue grapes and ripe bananas on a hot day than the lighter pears and peaches of its regularised counterpart--- strangely enough, this new characteristic almost completely overrides the smoke and peatiness which one might still expect to prevail--- though a hitherto indistinguishable hint of oak has appeared. The taste is all the contrary: where the smell sees the alcohol mask some of the peatiness in favour of the fruits, the taste does not let one taste the fruitiness discerned in the standard version; it's all peat, wood and smoke (very salty too), to the point where it reminded me, at least just before swallowing, of Islay malts (which I love). There is definitely an extra burn here, as far as I'm concerned, and the end is pleasantly charcoal-like and lingering, though a little dry. I would have much difficulty telling which of the standard and cask strength is my favourite: my love of Whiskies of strong presence, such as Islay malts, means that I thoroughly enjoyed the cask strength version, but, to be honest, the standard version offers much more by ways of smelling and tasting experience, and is far more refreshing. Ultimately, it would probably depend on my mood…

Twelve Years

The 12 years version is something else again. The smell is much lighter than the standard version, the peatiness being reduced to a vaguely organic smell and the smoke being residual; as one might expect, this means that the fruity side takes over, although perhaps not as lushly as hinted in the original version: the smell which ends up foremost is once again that of bananas. The taste is lighter as well, the reduced peatiness once again letting the fruits shine through more clearly, but, perhaps most interesting of all, malt and a certain spiciness are very clearly present in the mouth. The aftertaste is probably where the more mature version differs significantly from the standard version: the sea is here very, very light, and is replaced by that mix of sweetness and coffee so typical of Irish Whiskies. Because of this, as well as other characteristics described above, this version is much more on the Irish side of the fence, while the standard version straddles it almost perfectly, though perhaps leaning on the Scotch side now and then. This is very pleasant to drink, but I cannot yet discern the level of complexity present in the standard version; but, as I have had the opportunity to taste a whole bottle of the latter and only a sampler of the former, I suspect this might be liable to change with time and experience, as Whiskies, and especially so with very good ones, require some time and thought in the understanding, not unlike human beings. I would be very curious to taste further matured versions of Connemara: I have a feeling it would get lighter and lighter as time passes, and it would be very interesting to find out what might happen with its most peculiar characteristics (especially the peatiness) once 18 years have gone by.

Conclusions

Connemara is a product which I am sure practically any lover of Whisky will enjoy: it is well-made and very original in its taste. Of the three kinds I have tasted, the standard one is still the one I find most fascinating, but some further acquaintance with the 12 years might change my mind regarding this. Try it whenever you have an opportunity… If you're unsure about it, I would definitely recommend the tasting set.

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