Connemara Peated Single Malt (NAS though 4,6 & 8yo) 
ABV: 40% ABV
Price: £33.99
Distillery: Cooley Distillery
Whiskey:
The only Irish Peated Single Malt Whiskey widely available today. Inspired by the 18th century art of drying malting barley over peat fires.
It's a style of whiskey that had died away in Ireland after the 19th century, when small distillers would probably have dried their malt with whatever fuel was available at the time.
Originally the peat for Connemara was sourced from Banagher (banks of Shannon) but now comes from Scotland. These days they tend to mix heavily peated malt (Scottish) with unpeated malt (Irish)
Double distilled – not triple as most other whiskeys - Aged in ex-bourbon casks
Connemara is a blend of aged whiskies: a 4 year, a 6 year, and an 8 year.
- 4-year-old gives the whiskey a level of vibrancy
- 8-year-old adds depth to the whiskey
- and the 6-year-old is needed to marry them together.
Several versions are produces:
Single Malt, Cask-strength, 12-year, and a high-peat version called "Turf Mór." (Alan!)
Nose: Well-smoked and peated, heather freshness and floral notes with a honeyed sweetness and a little wood.
Palate: Full and smooth with notes of malt and peat, honeyed smoke and barley sweetness.
Finish: Long and pungent with honey and peat smoke.
Peated whiskies are gauged on their level of smoke by something called "phenols per million" (or ppm), which is an indication of just how much smoke has been added to the single malt barley. Islay, a region of Scotland renowned for big, peaty whiskies, averages about 30 ppm while Connemara comes in at a milder 13 to 14 ppm.
What this means is that while there is an element of smoke inherent in this whiskey, the smoke plays more of a supporting role than being front and centre on the palate.