by Denis Lynch
18. February 2010 01:53
Cooley Distillery, Ireland's only independent whiskey distiller, has been named Distillery of the Year at the 16th Annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards.
The Whisky Awards, run by Malt Advocate, North America's leading whisky magazine, recognize excellence in the world of whisky. Now in its sixteenth year, this annual award program is the oldest and longest-running in the industry. The awards honor the world's greatest whiskies and distilleries, and the individuals who make and promote whisky around the world John Hansell, Editor of Malt Advocate, commented, "The most compelling justification for selecting Cooley for this award isn't just the variety of the whiskeys they make. It's the quality. They are now putting out the best whiskey they have ever produced. In an era where hundreds of small distilleries are starting up across the globe, Cooley can be an inspiration to them all."
I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Teeling, Executive Director of the Cooley Distillery, two years ago in Chicago at Malt Advocate’s annual WhiskyFest. Jack is the son of John Teeling, who was the inspiration and founder of Cooley. As a result of that meeting I was able to bring all of Cooley’s brands to Indiana.
Not everyone may be familiar with the Cooley Distillery or its brands (there are quite a few). The company was founded in 1987 with a vision of producing quality whiskey in the more traditional style. The distillery is located on the beautiful Cooley Peninsula, which is close to the border with Northern Ireland. After distillation the whiskey is taken to the Kilbeggan Distillery in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath. Here it is put into cask and laid down in the old warehouses, where it ages until ready for bottling.
Brands include:
Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, a nice easygoing blend along (also available as a very limited edition15-year-old);
Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey, along with three new 10-year-old wood finishes;
Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey in regular bottling, cask strength and 12-year-old edition;
Greenore 15-year-old Single Grain Irish Whiskey – This is the world’s oldest bottling of Irish grain whiskey ever released!
So if you are looking to try something other than your usual Irish tipple then it might be worth investing some of your hard earned dollars on a bottle from the Cooley distillery. Any of their products will provide a taste of the independent spirit of Ireland.
Slainte,
Denis
