What is peat? I've had a couple emails from readers asking that, since I've referred to it multiple times now. Peat is a tightly compacted level of earth that consists of decaying grasses, trees, plants, animals, moss, etc., that is cut by hand and then burned to dry out the malted barley (malting is done by soaking the barley in water until it partially sprouts) during the production of Scotch.
The composition of peat varies from location to location, which is why Islay peat tastes different from Orkney peat, which is different from the peat of Ireland or the Isle of Skye, etc.
That said, I'm taking a brief detour from the world of Scotch to cover this unusual bottle of Irish whiskEy. Why the capital E? All countries with an "E" in their name (IrEland and AmErica are the big two here) spell whiskEy with the extra E, while all countries without (Scotland, Canada, Japan are the most notable) use "whisky." This being mainly a Scotch blog, I tend to drop the E.
I'm not sure how the different spellings came about - maybe it's a color/colour gray/grey thing? There was a whole hullabaloo about this in the New York Times fairly recently, over their continued usage of the "E" variant to refer to Scotch, which - as any practiced Scotch drinker will tell you - is anathema.
As a general principal I now use whichever spelling the country of origin prefers. So for this Irish offering, it's "whiskey."
That said, Connemara - made by the Cooley Distillery, which is now owned by Beam Suntory - is a very heavily peated whiskey that is only distilled twice, like most Scotches. The vast majority of Irish whiskey, and a few notable Scotches like Auchentoshan, are distilled three times. Like almost everything in the world of alcohol this is cause for yet more debate.
Some people claim thrice-distilling a whiskey makes it smoother. Others claim it strips out some of the flavors. Some claim both, and some claim neither is true. I honestly have no idea.
Connemara comes in several iterations, and the No Age Statement variety is the only one available near me; someday I would like to try the 12 Year and especially the Turf Mor (I'm not even sure if those are available in the USA). Since this whiskey is so heavily peated and only twice distilled, I thought it would be an interesting counterpoint to the smoky Scotches I've reviewed from Ardbeg and Laphroaig and Bowmore and Talisker. Bottled at 40% ABV.
Nose: Smoke! Peat! Yet distinctly different from the thick smoke of an Islay Scotch ... this smoke is wispy and has much more pronounced coal tar and tobacco - LOTS of tobacco here. Underneath is an indistinct vanilla sweetness. Sour fruit also present, like sour orange or grapefruit or maybe sour pineapple.
Mouthfeel: Very thin, yet silky smooth.
Palate: Wow, this is interesting. The smoke is overpowering, despite the thinness. All three basic flavors from the nose come across the palate in the same fashion - coal and tobacco smoke, vanilla, sour fruit. It's pleasant, simple/pure, and very smooth. I actually wish for more complexity here - just a flavor or two more would really enhance this, hence my desire to try the 12 Year variety. The expected ex-bourbon wood notes are completely co-opted by the peat, and as a result the only ex-bourbon influence is the vanilla and possibly the orange aspect of the fruit. Tastes very young.
Finish: Good god this is a long finish. The smoke just takes up residence in your mouth like a hobo in a freight car. It honestly tastes like you've just smoked a cigar, and the taste does not fade. If you don't eat something or drink another glass, the smoke will just stay hunched up on your tongue for hours.
Verdict: If you ever wondered what pure Irish peat is like as a drink, this is it. This is a good drink to introduce someone to the taste of peat, because it's present and easily identifiable at every stage, yet not completely over the top and delivered in a smooth way. This bottle was only $28 or so near me, which is fair for this, so I will Recommend it. But I still wish it did a little more than it does.
Link to the website for Connemara: http://www.kilbeggandistillingcompany.com/our-brands/connemara
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