Connemara Peated

This review is based on 4 months of researching from top to bottom of a (initially) full bottle looking for answers. Always intrigued, always a little baffled. This peated Irish whiskey met me from the beginning with a nose that was peaty yes, but not in a smoky way, but more in a "motor oily" kind of way. Interesting but also a little off-putting. I didn't find myself transported to a campfire from days long gone, but rather to the insides of an engine. However, on the palate it took me to a beautiful vanilla sky; I might be down some engine, but it got vanilla juices flowing down here instead of oil! Absolutely brilliant, sweet, smooth and attractively peaty at the same time. The finish is mellow, smooth and a little short (probably down to the (used too) typical Irish 40 %). All in all an intriguing whiskey, that kept me coming back. I never quit "got" the nose, but the vanilla-peat mix on the palate did it for me (and, at least for me, the taste matters more than the nose (if I'm forced to choose!)). The more I got used to the short finish, the more I liked it. The feel of vanilla stayed even after the peat has died out... This was my first (of a hopefully long) exploration of Irish whiskey. I know I started off a little unusual with a peaty departure, but I'm looking forward to head into more common Irish gound in the near future with their unpeated Pot Stills.

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