Tyrconnell Malt Whiskey

...the 19th century. Evidently The Tyrconnell (horse, not whiskey) was the 100/1 winner of the Queen Victoria Plate; a classic Irish horse race, and Cooley Distillery promptly launched a commemorative malt with a commemorative label which has survived to this day. I can only suppose that the good Mr Cooley (if such a man existed) had a good few shillings on the horse in question!

It was the label that attracted my eye as I perused the ...
...they are aged, and while Tyrconnell is certainly aged, it’s almost certainly been in new casks, so the sherry, Madeira or whatever that lends many a complex malt that dark, sweetish and sultry edge is lacking here.

That lack of edge is not intended as a criticism, though, for this malt is a thoroughbred!

To test the character of the drink, I added a dash of water (just a wee dash…and it was very good water). Now this ... more

I thought it was time to set the record straight, and undertake an op that wasn’t about food or booze…then I thought ‘Nope, stick with what you know…drinking, falling over, feeling rough in the morning, alleviating hangovers by eating strange food combos…that manner of thing’ and so it’s an unapologetic, though slightly woolly-tongued Sleevie who sets out to describe, promote and hopefully generate some interest in…an Irish Malt Whiskey!

*Gasps of horror echo through the chambers* “Irish?” whisper the voices “Whiskey spelled with an ‘e’?” they murmur, questioningly. “Is this the queue for the toilet?” says one voice, distinctly, having stumbled into this op from a nearby private function.

Yes, ja, oui, si, hai, and other affirmatives…Irish Malt Whiskey!

There are those who say that whisky (whatever the spelling) actually originates from Ireland, but this of course is nonsense and lunacy…that way Madness lies!

Having said that, though, Scottish and Irish histories are so inextricably interwoven that anything could be...and probably is…true. Did you know, for instance, that Robert the Bruce was actually called Robert Guinness, but he changed his name in order to sound more commanding. It was his family who developed the famous stout. This is of course a complete fabrication and a lie. I just made it up out of mischief…and to see if you were paying attention.

So, irrespective of the provenance of whisky/whiskey, I want to reveal to you a malt with an indisputably Irish pedigree: Tyrconnell.

The clear glass bottle of classical line stands out on the shelf from many a lesser spirit due mainly to its unusual and distinctive label. This features an engraving of a horserace in the style of the 19th century. Evidently The Tyrconnell (horse, not whiskey) was the 100/1 winner of the Queen Victoria Plate; a classic Irish horse race, and Cooley Distillery promptly launched a commemorative malt with a commemorative label which has survived to this day. I can only suppose that the good Mr Cooley (if such a man existed) had a good few shillings on the horse in question!

It was the label that attracted my eye as I perused the spirituous offerings on sale. I often work on racecourses, and while I know little or nothing of the sport and it’s history, a little of something must have rubbed off along the way. I duly picked up a bottle of this pale whiskey and paid my €15 (about £9.50 or so) for the privilege. I should explain that I was shopping in France at the time, but I’ve since found it for sale in Britain, where the cost is more in the region of £15.00.

My first taste was neat…as in ‘no water’ not as in ‘dead tidy’…and a quick…no, you’re right, a really slow and deep…sniff left me in no doubt that this is a serious malt of some character. The maltyness of the nose reminded me of Grape Nuts; that weird cereal that comes in tiny boxes and resembles… I dunno, chicken feed or something, but tastes great, as long as you don’t value your teeth too highly due to the dense nature of the wee granules. My Grandad used to use it in his shotgun to scare off crows, foxes and young lovers on his farm in the 50’s. I wonder if you can still get it…there’s a couple who’ve been making a real mess of my lawn lately, and upsetting the dogs too!

A sip, and a slide into serious whiskey country. A dense and aromatic flavour, with a distinct spiciness and a dry…no, make that a VERY dry edge. Little discernable fruit or wood flavours, but given how pale this drink is, I would expect nothing else, to be fair. The fruit and wood of other, generally darker, malts is attributable to the casks in which they are aged, and while Tyrconnell is certainly aged, it’s almost certainly been in new casks, so the sherry, Madeira or whatever that lends many a complex malt that dark, sweetish and sultry edge is lacking here.

That lack of edge is not intended as a criticism, though, for this malt is a thoroughbred!

To test the character of the drink, I added a dash of water (just a wee dash…and it was very good water). Now this is often frowned upon by those who think themselves expert in the art of getting snootered on expensive grain spirits, but, as I’ve explained in the past to those who give a $h1*, this acts like rain on a summer garden. It releases aromas that might otherwise stay locked forever in the heart of the whiskey. So I did it…I added water, and I took another long sniff. This time the spiciness was more obvious, with hints of cinnamon and pepper and just the faintest tang of heather.

There’s an edge to the drink as it goes down. Not roughness, but not that syrupy smooth sensation the finest aged malts offer either. Just a hint of ’youth’ and a sense too that it’s a tad lightweight.

This may not be the smoothest of malts. It may not be the one I’d choose to serve as a post-dinner drink to favoured friends. However, it is certainly, at the price I paid for it, a great addition to the drinks cupboard.

My overall impression of Tyrconnel is that it’s the perfect drink for those who have, in the past, served and drunk blends like Cutty Sark and J&B. If you can find it, it shouldn’t be much dearer than these, and indeed, if you can get to France, it’ll be quite a lot cheaper! A single malt for less than the price of a half decent blend…can’t be bad!

The website for Cooley Distilleries isn’t too illuminating, but it does give a bit of background, some of which I have cited here. The address is www.cooleywhiskey.com

For fun and out of a sense that mischief is it’s own reward, I tried a few combinations of the words Ireland and Drink on Google, and after stumbling (literally) over the Guinness site a few times, I came up with a page from ‘allaboutbooze.com’ with the slightly sickening strapline “May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future”. While I applaud the sentiment, I deplore the sentimentality. Nonetheless…if you find a bottle of Tyrconnell on a shelf near you, drink deep (paying for it first if in an off-license) and enjoy.
 

...less