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    Home » Irish Whiskey

    Published Jun 21, 2019 · Updated Apr 16, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Kilbeggan Irish whiskey lineup

    Jump to Reviews

    The Kilbeggan Irish whiskey lineup has a great range of flavors, and not what you'd expect from Irish whiskey. With rye and cask finishes along with peated selections, there's something for every whiskey drinker to enjoy!

    Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey selections in bottles on a counter.this …

    I’ve come a long way since the first time I had a triple-distilled Irish whiskey and was intrigued by the lightness of the spirit, only to have my preconceived notions upended when I had my first double-distilled Irish whiskey.

    Since then I’ve had and enjoyed a number of expressions that are your classic Irish whiskey style, Midleton, for example.

    So when I heard that Irish whiskey would be featured at Gordon DTX’s Whisky Wednesday, I didn't think that the Kilbeggan Co. Irish whiskey lineup we were sampling would be unusual. Boy, was I wrong!

    Jump To: hide
    Expectations upended...again!
    The label doesn’t tell the whole story
    Kilbeggan Irish whiskey lineup
    Kilbeggan Single Grain
    Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
    Tyrconnell Single Malt
    Tyrconnell Single Malt 10yr Port Cask Finished
    Tyrconnell 16yr Oloroso & Moscatel Finished
    Connemara Peated Single Malt Original
    Connemara Peated Single Malt 12yr
    Connemara Peated Single Malt Cask Strength
    Final thoughts
    Related Tasting Notes

    Expectations upended...again!

    Just like the first time I had my expectations upended, I went into this tasting thinking I knew what was what. Light, easy drinking Irish whiskey, yada, yada, yada.

    The first indication I was in for a treat was that I met  Cathal O’Connor, the Regional Brand Ambassador for the Kilbeggan, the Tyrconnell, and the Connemara expressions we were sampling. I always like it when we can learn some interesting details about a lineup, and Cathal didn’t disappoint (and was generous with his pours!).

    One point he stressed was that the entire lineup from the Kilbeggan Distillery Co. were all double distilled (rather than the standard triple distilled). Very few Irish distilleries produce their whiskey that way. That was my second clue to this was going to be an interesting night.

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    The label doesn’t tell the whole story

    One by one as we went through the lineup, I noticed that what I thought that dram would taste like based on the label didn’t match what I did taste.

    For instance, a rye whiskey should have strong spicy, peppery notes, and flavored with anise, right? This one didn’t for me.

    For port cask finished samples I expected notes of plums and cooked fruit…wrong again! Each time, my expectations were upended. This was an interesting lineup indeed.

    Connemara bottle with lump of peat & poured glass on a counter.
    The only peated Irish Whiskey…and a good one to boot!

    By the way, I had actually tried the Connemara Peated Single Malt Original previously as part of a greater peated whisky lineup. I liked it then, too.

    Good times…

    Kilbeggan Irish whiskey lineup

    At Gordon’s DTX, presented by Cathal O’Connor, June 12, 2019

    Kilbeggan Single Grain

    43%ABV
    A fusion of Irish whiskey in the style of bourbon, 94% corn & 6% malted barley
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: honey, hay, sunshine, wheat
    • Taste: very soft entry, clover honey, thick and oily, chewy, ripe banana, creamed corn
    • Finish: very light baking spices and white pepper at the very end
    • Comments: very approachable, has depth of flavor, really appealing

    Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye

    43%ABV
    30% rye & 70% malted and unmalted barley, it's the first modern Irish whiskey containing this amount of rye in almost 100 yrs
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: floral potpourri, cream, hay
    • Taste: starts soft then flavors rise, medium body, oatmeal, clover honey, rye rises up with softly spicy notes of white pepper and caraway
    • Finish: finishes with caraway and cardamom with a hint of corn sugar
    • Comments: lots of bread influence with a spicy kick at the end, not like a usual rye...really interesting, a sweet rye
    Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey in bottles on a counter.

    Tyrconnell Single Malt

    43%ABV
    Double distilled
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: peaches, cereal, cream
    • Taste: chewy, oak, medium body, coffee, cloves
    • Finish: coffee lingers, cloves
    • Comments: less sweet as is flavored with cloves and coffee, a different style from the previous batch and lovely in its own right

    Tyrconnell Single Malt 10yr Port Cask Finished

    46%ABV
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: light cream, pineapple
    • Taste: thick and oily, peaches and cream, vanilla fudge, nutmeg, green forest moss
    • Finish: creamy nutmeg, vanilla fudge
    • Comments: not your usual port cask…more tropical and creamy, excellent

    Tyrconnell 16yr Oloroso & Moscatel Finished

    46%ABV
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: corn, hint of mint, light peaches
    • Taste: thick, caramel, cinnamon
    • Finish: mint and brown sugar, prunes
    • Comments: competing flavors, very complex, not like any Irish whiskey that you’d expect
    Tyrconnell lineup in bottles on a counter.

     

    Connemara Peated Single Malt Original

    40%ABV
    This brand is the only peated single malt Irish whiskey currently available
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: easy ash, light wheat, oatmeal
    • Taste: smoke, menthol, leather
    • Finish: ashes, dryness, honey
    • Comments: an easy intro to peat, soft and pleasant

    Connemara Peated Single Malt 12yr

    40%ABV
    This brand is the only peated single malt Irish whiskey currently available
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: very soft ash smoke, mossy, wheat
    • Taste: smoke forward, menthol, oak, soft sweetness
    • Finish: menthol lingers, smoke lurks behind
    • Comments: smoke forward

    Connemara Peated Single Malt Cask Strength

    57.9%ABV
    Type: Irish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: peppermint candy, mossy
    • Taste: thick, oily, eucalyptus, mossy, campfire
    • Finish: ends with smoke, menthol
    • Comments: lots of green flavors, like wet smoke; this was an extra pour (not pictured)
    Connemara lineup in bottles on a counter.

    Final thoughts

    I love to get my socks blown off when I go to a tasting, and since I wasn’t wearing socks for this particular tasting, suffice it to say that I was really impressed.

    Each one of these Kilbeggan Irish whiskey lineup expressions had its own story to tell, and that wasn’t on the label.

    If you get to have any of these lovely, tasty drams, open your mind and prepare to have your expectations about Irish whiskey upended.

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Tasting Notes

    Whiskey can be found all over the world, and it has such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics from which to choose. Here's where you can find an Irish whiskey I've reviewed. Cheers!

    • Irish Whiskey

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    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

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