Irish Whiskey from Cooley Distillery

I got to attend a tasting today of, among other things, the whiskeys made by the Cooley Distillery, the only independent distillery in Ireland. Cooley was started in 1987, and actually consists of two distillery locations; the original Cooley distillery in County Lough, and the Kilbeggan distillery in the middle of the country, the oldest distillery in the world, but which has only recently undergone renovation to bring it closer to modern standards and into production.

First up were the line of Finnegan's Whiskey. This is a line that is made for Total Wine and More; but they are distinctly different from their regular whiskeys, and not just re-packaged forms.

The basic Finnegan's is a blended whiskey, with about 20% malt, made from whiskeys 4 years old and older. It is quite light on the palate, with a touch of spice. The finish is a little hot, the only negative about it. Still, for a whiskey priced well under $20, this is quite good.

Finnegan's 8 Year Old Blended is much nicer. The additional age is evident in the color, and on the palate, it is much smoother, with a little less spice, and a pleasant finish. Nothing hot or rough here!

There are also two Finnegan's Single Malt Whiskeys, one with no age statement that is about 4 years old, and an 8 year old version. Both display a nice touch of sweetness on the nose, more so than with the blends, and a slight sweetness on the palate. Flavors of sweet toffee and clove dominate, with only the faintest touch of spice. As with the blends, the 8 year old version is noticeably smoother, although the difference is not quite as great, as both the regular and the 8 year are both free of any harsh or hot finish.

Greenore is a unique product; a Single Grain Irish Whiskey. The name is slightly confusing, as it is made from a blend of corn and malt; it's a "single" because the resulting whiskey is not blended. In the US, this is similar to what would be called a "Straight Whiskey".
The nose is very different from any other Irish whiskey, displaying notes of grass. Being made from corn, it's not surprising that this drinks somewhat similar to a Bourbon, but because it is aged in a used barrel, it is considerably less sweet than most Bourbons. I was not a fan of this drink, but it did seem to be popular among those who are not whiskey drinkers.

Kilbeggan is the name not only of a whiskey, but of the oldest whiskey distillery in the world. For the time being, this spirit is being made at the Cooley distillery until the old Kibeggan distillery is brought up to speed and its whiskeys have a chance to age. It is a blended whiskey, about 20% malt, but it is not as spicy as the Finnegan's. A nice whiskey, but a little light and ordinary. Probably great for mixing, or for making an Irish coffee.

The Tyrconnell. This is a very nice single malt, fairly rich, with a very fruity nose, much of which transfers to the palate. Perhaps a touch less smooth than the Finnegan's 8 year old single malt, but the additional fruitiness and complexity more than make up for it. This was my favorite whiskey of the tasting.

Connemara is another oddity; a peated single malt Irish whiskey. Generally, Irish whiskeys are made from malt that is dried in a closed kiln; unlike Scotch Whisky in which the malt (or at least some of it) is dried over a smoky peat fire, giving the malt a distinctive taste. Connemara uses malt that is dried and smoked in Scotland. This gives it a very smoky nose, although the smoke is a little more subdued on the palate. But because of the peat, the finish is by far the driest of any of the Irish whiskeys I've tasted.