A few nights ago was up on the 42nd floor of one of Mumbai’s few truly ‘high rise’ residential buildings to sample… what else? Whiskies.
Our host admitted to enjoying an Irish whiskey or two, however the other gents dismissed drams from this land completely. There were decidedly STRONG views in favour or against whiskies from Ireland. Sure the country is known for pot still whiskies, for triple distilling (or 2 1/2 depending on who you ask!), and using less or no peat. Once upon a time, Irish whiskey was the most popular spirit in the world!
What I’ve found is it all depends on what you expect. If you are looking for a sociable dram, a whisky that may not be massively complex but eminently approachable and, let’s be honest here, also more in the affordable category, then some Irish offerings may be right up your alley!
The January host for our original tasting group’s spouse travels to Ireland quite often. So I’ll admit I was expecting a purely Irish night! As this group strictly samples blind, we had no idea what we were in for… and this Cooley distillery offering kicked off our tasting.
- Nose – Very sweet, floral, some fruit, light clover honey – all a clear sign matured in ex bourbon cask. As it aired, light banana and coconut, vanilla and toffee emerged. Caught of a whiff something softly sour like hung yoghurt, then citrus spice – like sweet cinnamon. Has a beautiful nose that keeps opening and evolving.
- Taste – Initially a bit of cardboard, slightly chewy, bitter, astringent… realised it actually is quite smooth and not in the least bit harsh
- Finish – Has some capsicum, melons, a bit bitter then simply peters away
- With water? A bit dry, doesn’t do much and wouldn’t recommend adding
- Overall – Light, elegant whisky with a dry finish
However did it really DO it for us? To be honest the nose was far more promising than the palate. While pleasant, simple and straight forward, there wasn’t much substance and none of the complexity most of our merry malt group prefer.
What do the distillery folks have to say about their whisky?
- Nose: Full and fruity aroma with a citrus – spiciness taste
- Taste: Well structured with honey notes hanging from the nose. A tang of oranges and lemons, a strong malt presence that balances well with the oily sweetness
- Finish: A long finish with the malt becoming more dominant to the end without the soft fruits and honey, which helped make up the middle.
It would be interesting to sample this flagship Tyrconnell NAS 40% with the 10 year Madiera Cask we tasted nearly a year ago. After properly recalibrating expectations for something simple, light and above all – affordable, wonder how the two would compare?
For me though, I must admit that of the Beam Suntory Irish stable under the overall Kilbeggan family, my preference leans more to the peated Connemara…
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