The Whiskyphiles

Cooley

Cooley Distillery

Cooley_distillery_logo

Cooley Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery, located on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth, Ireland, converted in 1987 from an older potato alcohol plant by John Teeling. On 16 December 2011 Beam Inc. announced plans to purchase Cooley for around US$95 million (€71 million). The sale closed on 17 January 2012. Beam was then purchased by Suntory Holdings on 30 April 2014, and became its Beam Suntory subsidiary.

History

John Teeling bought the former State potato schnapps distillery in 1985. In less than two years, Teeling converted the distillery to have two column stills. In 1998, Cooley received a trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) for outstanding quality, and for earning an impressive reputation over time. Cooley was the first distillery to be awarded the trophy.

Cooleys_copper_pots

Distillation process

The distillery features both column stills and pot stills for distillation. Unlike most other Irish whiskeys, which are usually distilled three times, Cooley’s products are generally distilled twice, as the third distillation is thought to remove some of the flavour components.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

  • cadenheads-irish13yo Cooley 13 Years Old Peated Single Malt (2016) – Cooley 13 Years Old Peated Cadenheads (56.7%, WM Cadenhead, Bourbon Barrel, 198 Bottles, 2011) Category: Irish peated single malt whiskey Origin: Cooley Distillery Bottling: Cadenhead’s ABV: 56.7% Cost: £? What they say: Aged 13 Years Distilled at Cooley Distillery Bottled: June 2011 Wood Type: Bourbon Barrel No. of bottles: 198 70 cl. / 56.7% Tasting Note: Nose: […]
  • Jack-Ryan-Beggars-Bush-12-Year-Old-Single-Malt-Irish-Whiskey Jack Ryan Beggars Bush 12 Years Old (2015) – Jack Ryan Beggars Bush 12 Years Old (46%, OB, 2015) Category: Irish single malt whiskey Origin: Cooley Distillery Bottling: Jack Ryan ABV: 46% Cost: £51.83 What they say: Our very own Limited Release Irish Whiskey, Celebrating 100 Years of the Ryan’s at the Beggars Bush Jack Ryan ‘Beggars Bush’ 12 year old Single Malt Irish […]
  • the_irishman_12_year_old_single_malt The Irishman 12 Years Old Single Malt (2016) – The Irishman 12 Years Old Single Malt (43%, OB, 2016) Category: Irish single malt whiskey Origin: Cooley Distillery Bottling: Walsh Whiskey ABV: 43% Cost: £55.43 What they say: At The Irishman we pride ourselves in continually raising the bar on the quality of Irish Whiskeys released, as well as offering something new and excitingly different. […]
  • writers-tears-copper-pot Writers Tears Copper Pot (2016) – Writers Tears Copper Pot (40%, OB, 2016) Category: Irish blended single malt and single pot still whiskey Origin: Cooley Distillery Bottling: Walsh Whiskey ABV: 40% Cost: £28.99 What they say: Writerṣ Tears” is a unique old Irish Pot still Whiskey. It is a vatting of Single Malt and Single Pot Still whiskeys. Distilled from 60% […]
  • wrtiers_tears_red_head Writers Tears Red Head (2016) – Writers Tears Red Head (46%, OB, 2016) Category: Irish blended single malt and single pot still whiskey Origin: Cooley Distillery Bottling: Walsh Whiskey ABV: 46% Cost: €48.99 What they say: This exquisite, triple-distilled single malt is matured only in select handpicked Spanish sherry butts which have previously been seasoned with the finest Oloroso sherry. It […]