Last night my boyfriend and I attended Julio’s Liquors Go! Whisk(e)y Weekend 2018. For those in the Massachusetts area not aware of this event, it is held yearly and invites distilleries from all over for seminars and tastings. Many events are held through the course of about 5 days, we attended the Meet & Greet held last night. Tickets were $30 each and it allowed us the opportunity to sample whiskies from all over, while also, interacting with the distillery contacts.

One of the distillers we searched for was The Kilbeggan Distilling Company. Kilbeggan is Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery. Their brands include, Kilbeggan, Connemara, Tyrconnell and their newest addition, 2gingers. Connemara itself is distilled in their Cooley Distillery. Having been a fan of the Connemara peated single malt whiskey I knew I wanted to sample their 12-year expression, which is, Connemara’s oldest expression.

Connemara is unique because it is peated when Irish whiskies are known not to be. It is peaty like an Islay whisky, but it is still very much an Irish whiskey that truly holds its own.

Tasting Notes

Nose: peat, fruit and wood

Palate: sweet, spiced, wood, hints of salt, vanilla and then the peat

Finish: long peaty finish

What I found impressive about this whiskey is how it first starts sweet and then it leads you into its peaty path, both done smoothly and harmoniously. It is unexpectedly mild and the peat is easier on your tongue than the younger Connemara. The quality and craftsmanship is truly undeniable.

Looking around at prices, it ranges around $70-$80. This is a whiskey I wouldn’t hesitate to add to my collection. I loved the taste, the mildness and its uniqueness. If you were a person that didn’t enjoy the younger version because it was strong, this is truly an alternative.

Cheers!

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.