I picked up a bottle of Connemara 12 on a recent trip and decided to give it a try right away. In case you haven’t had this before, it is traditional Irish whiskey. What makes it so traditional, you ask?  Well, the peat. Need I say more?

Peated whiskey is made from barley that has been kilned over peat fires. Connemara 12 year old peated whiskey hails from Ireland’s Cooley Distillery and has already been awarded several distinguished prizes around the world.

I find this single malt to be very powerful on the nose. What starts as strong peat evolves to more perfumed notes of dried apples and chamomile blossoms. At this point, you know you’re in for a very unique whiskey experience.

The palate is, again, quite unique. There’s a clear evolution from fruit notes to bittersweet spices. First I get something like lyche fruit that goes to nutmeg, almonds, and cedar. There is a very distinguishable undertone that reminds me of banana flavored starburts. A very smoky cedar finish lingers elegantly for a good while.

I decided to pair this with a lighter bodied cigar, as I thought that anything too pungent might just clash with the strong aromas of the whiskey. I ended up picking up a Davidoff Serie R and it was a great choice. All in all, it was a fine evening.