Cooley whiskies

History

In 1987 the businessman John Teeling bought an old state-owned potato alcohol plant and turned it into a whiskey distillery. At the time only two working distilleries were left on the whole island, and both belonged to the same group. Cooley began distilling malt and grain and launched its own brands, including Connemara, made with peated malt, and revived the historic Kilbeggan brand. For years it was Ireland’s only large independent distillery. In 2011 it was bought by Beam, which later became part of Suntory, and the Teeling family founded another distillery in Dublin.

House style

Cooley breaks with the idea that all Irish whiskey is triple distilled and unpeated. Its malt, distilled twice, is fruity and full-bodied, and in the peated version it combines gentle peat smoke with honey, fruit and cereal. It is a sweeter, less maritime smoke than Islay’s, and the whole is friendly and easy to drink. The house also produces grain whiskey and unpeated malt for other brands, including Kilbeggan.

Where to start

Connemara Peated Single Malt is the catalogue’s expression and a rarity within Irish whiskey: gentle smoke, honey and ripe fruit. It is a good option if you like light smoky whiskies or want to try a different Irish whiskey. If you like it, compare it with a gentle peated Scotch malt such as Caol Ila to notice the difference in style. Drink it neat or with a few drops of water to bring out the honey.

• Connemara Peated Single MaltSingle malt · 40% ABV