Showing posts with label Connemara Peated Single Malt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connemara Peated Single Malt. Show all posts

Connemara Peated Review



Country: Ireland
Brand: Connemara Peated
Type: Single Malt Whiskey
Age: NAS
Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Amber

Nose: Peat, Earth and Smoke but significantly lighter and somehow less Organic and more Metallic than your average Islay Malt. These first impressions are followed by Rubber, Heather, Burnt Sugar, Oak and Apple. Hints of Leather and Honey and a bit of young Medicinal Alcohol

Taste: Not very attractive. A combination of Burnt Rubber, Earth, Caramel and bitter Herbal Tea with very faint hints of chocolate.

Finish: Sweet (Think more of Sugar than of Honey) and Bitter Almonds. Dry in the end with that same medicinal off note that I found on the Nose. The Wet Earth stays for quite a while and it’s rather unpleasant

With a couple of drops of water the Nose becomes very light. The Peat retreats a bit and some Malt and Grass appears. The Oak and Leather are coming through as well. On the Palate it all gets very watery and the Finish becomes very short indeed. Still, you can experiment with a few drops here.


Rating: 74,5

Nose: 20 – Taste: 19– Finish: 17 – Overall: 18,5

General Remarks: In the old days all Irish whiskey was dried with peat but today Connemara is the only Peated Irish Single Malt. This whiskey is double distilled to improve its smoothness. It’s a blend of a 4, a 6 and an 8 Years old whiskey. The Cooley Distillery where Connemara is produced was bought early this year by Beam Inc.

Drinking Experience Straight: Average

Conclusion: The Nose is the best part of this whiskey despite the rubber and medicinal off-notes. But on the Palate this Malt is disappointing and the Finish is rather unpleasant. I’m sure that Connemara wanted to provide an Irish alternative for Islay malts but I’m sorry to say that this whiskey is no match for the Islay Single Malts. And since it’s also not as smooth as other Irish whiskies despite the Double Distilling, it’s rather a Black Sheep in the family if you ask me. It’s drinkable but I can’t recommend this.

Jan van den Ende                                                                     May 3, 2012