Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey (40%, OB, 2015)

• Irish single malt whiskey
• 40% ABV, £28 for 70cl
• Score: 83/100

What they say:

Inspired by Ireland’s ancient distilling traditions, Connemara’s smooth sweet malt taste and complex peat flavours makes it a truly unique Irish whiskey. Connemara is the most decorated Irish whiskey with a huge collection of Gold Medals and has been honoured as the “Worlds Best Irish Single Malt”. Connemara allows you to unearth the Peated Pleasures of Ireland.

What I say:

To represent Ireland in our World of Whiskies tasting presented to the Water of Life Society we selected this Peated Connemara expression. In truth this was to satisfy having a peated expression in the line-up, and to represent Ireland from whence the Scots likely learned their distilling art from. Currently Irish whisky and distilling in Ireland is experiencing a great resurgence

Colour:

Amber gold (6/20) medium tears with medium trails

Nose:

Vanilla, coconut, cereal malted barley, oak wood, peat, gentle smoke, musty and a little phenolic.

Taste:

Oily, buttery and mouthfilling, cake, honey, malted milk biscuits, vanilla crème brulee, coconut, madeira cake, gently earthy and chewy peat.

Finish:

Medium-long, drying, earthy honeyed peat

Overall:

Delicate and much more complex than expected, this doesn’t rely on the peat rather it presents as a gentle, subtle and beautifully constructed malty cereal-filled whisky with an earthy chewy peaty nature that is slowly revealed. Delicious.