Cooley Irish Collection 4 x 0.05

Volume: 0.2 litres | Alcohol content: 41.5% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: Yes

Special Features:

The Cooley Irish Collection brings together four different whiskey styles for direct comparison. The gift box contains Connemara Original Peated Single Malt and Kilbeggan Traditional Irish Whiskey at 40% each, alongside Kilbeggan Single Grain and The Tyrconnell Single Malt at 43% each. Every miniature contains 0.05 litres, giving a total of 0.2 litres. The selection offers a side-by-side introduction to Blended Whiskey, Single Grain and both smoky and non-smoky Single Malt.

The differences begin with production and maturation. Kilbeggan Traditional is distilled twice and matures for at least four years in former bourbon casks. The grain mixture for Kilbeggan Single Grain consists of 94% corn and 6% malted barley. Single Grain refers to production at a single site, rather than the use of just one type of grain. Its maturation combines new American oak, Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and former bourbon casks. The new oak contributes spice and tannins, while the PX sherry casks bring sweet notes of red berries and fruit jelly. The former bourbon casks add pastry and vanilla notes. Coconut, red fruit and drying spice shape its character.

The two Single Malts offer another contrast. The Tyrconnell combines roasted nuts, nougat and oak with honey and citrus fruit; malt and honey sweetness come together on the finish. Connemara Original introduces peat smoke, sweet barley, smoked fish and baked apple with crumble topping. On the palate, honey sweetness, vegetal peat notes, gentle spice and vanilla-scented oak complement the restrained smoke, which is clean rather than sooty.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Kilbeggan Traditional has a fresh nose with delicate hints of lemon, honey and barley. Kilbeggan Single Grain combines coconut cream and vanilla with fruit jelly and red summer berries.
• Palate: Kilbeggan Traditional feels smooth and silky. Sweet honey meets a spicy malt note. Kilbeggan Single Grain has a wafer-like sweetness, accompanied by hazelnut and gentle spice. Oak tannins leave a drying sensation along the sides of the mouth.
• Finish: Kilbeggan Traditional leaves a malty finish. Kilbeggan Single Grain finishes cleanly with fruit and glazed cherries. The finish becomes drier while the spice persists.

Distillery/Bottler:

Cooley and Kilbeggan connect two chapters of Irish whiskey history. John Teeling opened Cooley in 1987 on the Cooley peninsula in County Louth, having converted a former potato spirit plant into a whiskey distillery. That same year, he acquired the assets of the historic Kilbeggan Distillery and revived the Kilbeggan and Locke's brands. Cooley produces both peated and unpeated malt whiskey as well as grain whiskey; these different spirits underpin the collection's range of styles.

The historic Kilbeggan distillery stands on the River Brosna in County Westmeath and was founded in 1757 by Matthias McManus. Following its closure, local residents began working on its restoration in 1982, including the steam engine, mill buildings and waterwheel. Distillation resumed at the old site in 2007; additional mashing and fermentation equipment made the full production process possible there again in 2010. The two sites serve different purposes: Kilbeggan Traditional and Single Grain are made at Cooley, while the revived Kilbeggan distillery produces Single Pot Still and Small Batch Rye, among other whiskeys.

Facts: