Connemara 12 Year Old Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Connemara · Cooley Distillery
Connemara 12 is the rare Irish whiskey that uses peat as a structural beam rather than a wrecking ball. Twelve years in wood have softened the smoke into something almost creamy, making it the ideal bottle for anyone curious about peated Irish whiskey without the Islay intensity. A bridge dram with genuine character.
Nose
Gentle turf smoke opens to orchard fruit — green apple and pear — with a honeyed malt sweetness. There's a subtle floral note and a trace of vanilla from the bourbon cask maturation.
Palate
Smooth and medium-bodied, with the peat arriving more as warm earth than acrid smoke. Honey, buttery malt, and a hint of citrus zest weave through the mid-palate. The 12 years of aging have rounded every edge.
Finish
Medium-long with a gentle peaty warmth, fading into vanilla and dried heather.
- Distillation
- Double distilled
- Maturation
- Aged 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels
- Single Pot Still
- No
- Chill-Filtered
- Yes
Food Pairing
The earthy peat and honeyed malt complement the char on herb-crusted lamb, while the whiskey's gentle smoke mirrors the rosemary's resinous quality.
Cooley Distillery in Dundalk revived the tradition of peated Irish whiskey with the Connemara line, double-distilling peated malt in column and pot stills to create a style that had all but vanished from Ireland.
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