Irish whiskey

John Hansell recently asked what is Irish whiskey on his blog. It's a good question in some respects, because supposedly everyone "knows" what Scotch is or Bourbon (never mind that there can be quite a bit of variation within those categories). A generalization is that Irish whiskey is triple distilled, while scotch is double distilled (actually, several scotches are triple distilled, including Auchentoshan), and a much lighter, fruitier drink. Actually, Irish whiskey can have quite a bit of variation, including the Connemara from Cooley.

Connemara is a peated single malt that looks a bit like a rich chardonnay in the glass. I found it had an incredibly fresh, sweet nose like fresh apples and just a light undertone of smoke. It bursts on the tongue with a little spice and lots of fruit, maybe pear. At 40% abv, this is quite drinkable without any water added, but a little water does release some more floral notes in the background. The sweetness dominates, though, coming closer to a vidal blanc or similar white wine with some residual sugar. This whiskey is light and elegant, despite a short finish. Although peated, it is not anywhere near the levels of an Ardbeg, Bowmore or Laphroaig. That said, the peat is definitely there -- just enough to tease and please.