Connemara 12 Year Peated Single Malt

Smoked Irish whiskey? Sounds intriguing. I previously sampled the basic Connemara at a tasting event. It was late in the evening, so my recollection is limited. Years later, I decided to purchase a bottle. The shop was out, but they had this instead. I suspect a comparison to some peated Speysides I've had before would be appropriate. Let's see. Smell: Peat with earthy, mossy tones. Rubber and a touch of iodine. Vanilla, toffee, caramel, and apple. Jelly. Black pepper and baking spices. Lemon and orange. A faint hint of smoke, but more sulfuric. No salty sea air. Reminds me of a particular West Cork bottling but much better. An intriguing, Scotch-like aroma. Taste: More earthy, vegetal peat. Vanilla icing, honey, caramel, and milk chocolate. Pear, apple, strawberry, lemon, and orange. Cucumber and spearmint. Chestnut and walnut. Black pepper and baking spices. A very satisfying taste. Aftertaste: Chestnut and walnut. Apple and pear. Lemon and grapefruit. Black pepper and cinnamon. Vanilla and caramel. Rubber turf. The aftertaste is slightly shorter than average. An interesting spirit. A good one, too. The rubbery and sulfuric notes are reminiscent of a specific West Cork Cask Strength bottling, even though it's not officially peated. This bottling avoids the significant flaws and obvious youth of that one. It's quite balanced. The taste is certainly the best part. It remains engaging throughout, and the twelve years in the barrel are beneficial, especially considering how many Irish spirits suffer from immaturity. The character is unique. The aroma is like a peated Speyside, but the taste is entirely different. Let's call it a peated Irish whiskey. The 40% ABV doesn't detract too much due to the peat, but a higher proof would certainly improve it. Intriguing work from that distillery. Rated 3.5 out of 5.

Not sure how much this costs as I'm sipping this one courtesy of a sampler. I like it. It starts very sweet and peaty. Peaty! Vanilla! Peaty! Vanilla!! Boom!!! It's screaming it at the top of its lungs. I get it! The nose is warm and friendly. That buttery hint of an aired-out bourbon. Not much going on though. It's more in the sips, but it's not bad. The taste lingers long enough. Since I don't know how much it costs for a full bottle, I'm going to guess this is somewhere between $30-$100, and I haven't drank a whisky in a long time so maybe I'm being generous or cheap.... if you're normally into Irish and about to try Scotches, this might be a perfect transition into the world of peatiness.

The expert review mentioned Japanese nori. I did not know what that was until I looked it up. It's dried seaweed sheets like what are used to wrap sushi. My wife and daughters love that stuff and will eat it with tuna and mayo. Now that I know what it is, I can confirm that I get that on the nose too, along with peat, vanilla, biscuits, a hint of damp campfire and iodine, all mingling in a strange potpourri. It's slightly silky on the palate with some honey, vanilla, nori, sea salt, and raw peat. The finish is medium length, with all the flavors interplaying until the end. It's interesting, different, strange, weird, and I think I love it.

Nose: Smoke, rubber, typical Irish herbal notes of sage, basil, and parsley. Strong peach and orange creamsicle once you adjust to the smoke aroma. Caramel, butterscotch, and toffee also emerge. It then shifts to violets and bluebell flowers alongside some charcoal and light green apple. A very dynamic and active nose. Palate: Very strong herbal and floral with moderate smoke. The finish erupts in fruitiness with honey, pear, apples, peaches, plums, and light orange and lime leaf. Maltiness also appears with some dense caramel and orange syrup. A light minty finish also occurs on some sips.

If you appreciate both fine Irish whiskey and peated Scotch single malts, this is the one for you. It has a uniquely intriguing profile for an Irish spirit. Peated, but not excessively, with delicate flavors that combine to offer an Irish taste experience similar to a premium Japanese bottle. The only drawback is the cost; I've never seen it priced below £55 plus shipping, so a slight price reduction for international customers might help promote it. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to find in England. I first tasted it in Cork City.

Nose: Underwhelming peat smoke on the first smell, followed by notes of red apple and subtle cream. Final notes of peat linger, but hints of vanilla can be smelled from beginning to end. Palate: The peat smoke is significantly more overpowering on the palate, but gives way to vanilla and bitterness from charred oak. After some time, notes of stone fruit appear, but the bitterness remains throughout the taste along with spices, mostly pepper. Finish: The smoke and oak persist through the finish, with slight bitterness of lemon rinds.