Connemara 22 Year Peated Single Malt

June 28, 2022 at the Irish Times located in Victoria Canada. The whiskey was excellent the peat was not overpowering I would definitely drink again.

An excellent smoky Irish whiskey

Nose- Honeydew, subtle peat, spray of sea salt, hibiscus tea, honey, notes of baking spices in the foreground Palate- Wave of tropical fruits, honey, subtle-yet aged oak, cinnamon, caramel Finish- Long, oily finish with notes of subtle peat, cinnamon spice, creamy caramel, and honey The nose is very subdued, albeit enjoyable. The peat comes through, with notes of honeydew and hibiscus, but the other notes are a hard search. The palate is light and oily. Not incredibly complex, but refined and sends the drinker through wave of light peat, sweet honey notes, and cinnamon spice. The finish is surprisingly long, and the highlight of the whiskey. Lovely peat (still subtle), sweet caramel and honey, and closes out with cinnamon spice and aged oak.

Smokey as all hell but in the right way. Smooth finish so it's easy to drink neat.

Ireland's answer to Islay. This 22-year-old has been drawn from some of the earliest barrels filled at the Cooley Distillery and has been matured exclusively in first fill bourbon barrels. It is the oldest whiskey in the core Connemara range, famous for its peaty signature, which has somewhat softened in the barrel over the years to produce a beautifully balanced malt. Indeed, at the moment it's the oldest age statement core whiskey produced at any of Ireland's distilleries. Connemara 22 is non-chill-filtered, has not been coloured Nose - Light peat smoke with strong fruit - orange peel, pear and pineapple. Taste - Full bodied and smooth. Fresh fruit, vanilla - plus spicy elements. Finish - Fresh - lots of smoke from Connemara and the fresh fruit flavours from the ex-Bourbon barrels. (credit to published reviews - on which I built mine)

Usually i find this style too light to ascertain the flavour profile but it this case the blend is beautifully balanced. Soft velvet peat and vanilla marry perfectly. 4.