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An Irish Tip of the Hat
March 2009
by Rick VanSickle

It's one of the world's biggest parties. St. Patrick's Day is set aside to paint the world green and to celebrate Ireland's patron saint and their country's National Day on March 17.

Around the world there are events that celebrate everything Irish with music, dance and other cultural events. But, most of all, the day is noted for the wearing of the green ... green faces, beer, clothes and, in Chicago, they even dye the river green.

It is a party of over-indulgence and more than a few special libations are hoisted while chanting 'Slainte! Slainte!' to whoever happens to be sitting next to you at the pub.

But if green beer's not your thing, it's a great time of year to sip some of the famous Irish whiskeys made on the Emerald Isle.
So grab a whiskey glass, pour yourself three fingers and enjoy the peaty and rich flavours of any of these wonderful tipples.

There are plenty of popular Irish whiskeys to enjoy — Jameson and Bushmills are two of the most famous brands — but, just recently, I tasted through the whiskey portfolio from the award-winning Cooley Distillery, Ireland's only independently owned distillery, and was impressed with the exciting single grain whiskeys, single malts and everything in between. The range in tastes from using different oak casks to the actual distilling creates a diversity of styles and price points. Here's what's available:

Inishowen Peated Blending Irish Whiskey ($38 for 700 ml)

This is a smooth, subtle and lightly peated whiskey with sweet vanilla-wood and fruit flavours. It's made from malt, grain and peated malt whiskey.

Greenore 8 Year Old Single Grain Irish Whiskey ($66 for 700 ml)

This grain whiskey is made from corn. It's quite light and unusual with a creamy, sweet nose. The palate shows intriguing fruit and vanilla on a smooth frame. This is the only grain whiskey made in Ireland.

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($64 for 700 ml)

A peaty, earthy, vanilla-soaked and smoky nose. It fills the palate with spice, nuts, smoke, glycerine and peat. The kind of whiskey you can sip all night long.

The Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($53 for 700 ml)

This single malt is made from natural fresh barley and spring water and shows clean fruit aromas and flavours that are smooth as silk on the palate.

Connemara 12 Year Old Single Malt ($154 for 700 ml)

From a small batch bottling of Connemara 12 year old whiskey handpicked by Cooley's master blender Noel Sweeny. It has a beautiful nose of vanilla spice, peat and fruitcake. It's hedonistic on the palate with lush, mature fruits, peat, almonds and figs. The taste lasts for minutes on the finish.

The Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($89 for 700 ml)

Cooley makes three cask-finished whiskeys that are aged in previously used wine oak barrels. These barrels give the whiskey another dimension in terms of flavour. The sherry cask finished whiskey is a lovely fruity-spicy offering with some fine smoke and peat notes.

You can also try the Old Madeira Cask Finish Whiskey (same price) that adds marzipan, butterscotch and charred oak flavours or the Old Port Cask Finish whiskey that has a citrus-lime edge with loam, peat, spice and a lasting finish.

If you have any questions, email me at: rickwine@hotmail.com