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KWM 2020 Whisky Calendar Day 6: Connemara Peated Irish Whiskey

Posted on March 19, 2025

by Evan

Behind that Sixth Door in your 2020 KWM Whisky Calendar awaits something Irish: The Connemara Peated Single Malt.

I should probably dive into the background on this whiskey but given what it is, this seems like a great opportunity to dismantle some of the myths and BS that seem entwined with Irish Whiskey. The Connemara breaks a few of what some people think are the "rules" of Irish Whiskey. These falsities need to be dispelled now more than ever, given how booming and varied the Irish Whiskey category is about to become.

Here are a few of those Irish myths that people often parrot. It is not really their fault, it is simply due to outdated information and an industry that has relied on them for far too long:

  • Irish Whiskey is smoother than Scotch Whisky because it is triple distilled.

We all know this is complete nonsense by now, right? Yes, there are Irish Whiskies that are triple distilled, but not all of them are. The one we will taste today likely isn't. Plus, there are triple distilled Scotch Whiskies available as well.

  • Irish Whiskey is not as rough as Scotch Whisky because it is not peated.

The peated Irish Whiskey we will be tasting today completely undermines this notion. You CAN make a peated Irish Whiskey. Plus, there is more unpeated Scotch Whisky produced than actual peated Scotch Whisky, even in this era of smoky renaissance that Scotch Whisky finds itself in.

  • All Irish Whiskey contains unmalted barley.

There are indeed Irish Distilleries that use this distilling method that emerged in the late 18th century as a creative form of tax evasion, but not all do. While the origins of this style are Irish, not all Irish Whiskey is Single Pot Still and other whiskies from around the world utilize some unmalted barley in distillation as well.

  • Irish Whiskey is better/worse/different when compared to Scotch Whisky.

At least the 'different' part is true - geographically. Irish Whiskey has to be made in Ireland just like Scotch Whisky has to be made in Scotland. Beyond that, you could make the same style of whisky in both countries if you wanted, or in many other parts of the world. That would not make it better or worse. It would just make it different.

  • Irish Whiskey is made by Leprechauns.

I don't know who brought forth this idea, but it needs to be stopped. It is patently untrue. Not only is it demeaning to every hard-working, true-blooded, red-headed Irish person, it also belittles the hard work that all Leprechauns do 'round the world. This message may or may not have been sponsored by the Society for the Ethical Treatment of Leprechauns. I can neither confirm nor deny that a pot of gold was left on my doorstep - if it was likely just an Amazon order that I forgot I placed.

The above myths may sound silly if you have been into whisky for a while, but they do exist (except for that last one). There is a reason for their existence too, and even more surprisingly, those that spout them aren't entirely wrong. At least, they weren't entirely wrong up to two or three decades ago.

You see, from 1966 to about 1987, there were only TWO companies producing Irish Whiskey. While these two companies didn't produce the exact same Irish Whiskey, much of what they did produce was triple distilled, all of it was unpeated, and some of it as Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. This is why some of the ideas about what Irish Whiskey persists to this day. It wasn't necessarily all homogeneous and the same, but it was definitely similar. That started to change in 1987 when a potato alcohol plant was converted and Cooley Distillery was revived by John Teeling.

Since then, Irish Whiskey has slowly increased in prominence to the booming enterprise it is today, in which more than 30 distilleries either producing spirit to eventually become Irish Whiskey or in planning. Many of these distilleries will be producing Irish Whiskey in that triple distilled style, unpeated and even using the Single Pot Still tradition. But many of them won't and will experiment with different styles of Whiskey as well. And our conceptualization of what is Irish Whiskey will continue to expand and change and become more multifaceted because of this - just like it has with Scotch Whisky and other Whisky made 'round the world.

Now, back to Connemara. The Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey is produced by the Kilbeggan Distilling Company, which includes Cooley Distillery. The company also makes the Tyrconnell Single Malt and Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey bottlings.  Connemara is not only peated, it is also only double distilled. Shall we give it a go?

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey - 40%

Evan's Tasting Note

Nose: Light smoke, tinned peaches in syrup, mango, pineapple jolly ranchers, shredded coconut, angel food cake with chocolate frosting and a dash of freshly mowed lawn.

Palate: Creamy and fruity. Peach tea, dark chocolate coated almonds, light roast coffee, granny smith apple, cantaloupe, Pina Coladas and lightly astringent smoke with just a hint of iodine.

Finish: The smoke sticks around but blends into bitter dark chocolate and tropical fruit notes.

Comment: I had forgotten how good Connemara was. It has all of the peach, pineapple, and mango fruit hallmarks of Cooley Whiskey, but with a pleasant addition of light peat smoke. It is a shame we only get this 40% version currently, but it is a treat nonetheless.

Day Six gave us our third different whisk(e)y country in the calendar, and our second peated single malt. What will tomorrow offer? See you soon for Day Seven!

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sagelikefool

 

This entry was posted in Store, Whisky, Tastings, KWM Whisky Calendar 2020, Whisky Calendars

 

 

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