Cooley 1999/2012 Thosop

Irish whiskies are all the rage right now. Small independent bottlers are finding it harder and harder to get quality casks of whisky, and so they now sometimes look at Emerald Isle for whiskey. In the past year or so we’ve seen some interesting Irish stuff hit the market, mainly from the late eighties and early nineties, but also sometimes from around the turn of the century.

Today’s Irish whiskey was released a couple of years ago. Small independent bottler Thosop seems to have been ahead of the curve on the popularity of Irish whiskey.

Cooley 1999/2012 (53,3%, Thosop, 179 bts.)

Nose: Super sweet vanilla, marshmallows and wine gums. Fruity with banana and nectarine, but also something grassier in the background. There’s just a tiny hint of peat smoke noticeable in the background.
Taste: Much peatier and smokier now, a lot more than I expected based on the nose. Salt and pepper also. Some vanilla and wine gums, along with citrus, but not nearly as dominant as on the nose. Slightly dry.
Finish: Subtle peat and spicy pepper.

Rating: 89

A very interesting profile, with lots of different aspects. Wonderfully delicious. Thanks to Arjan for the sample.

Image: Whiskybase