Tyrconnell Irish Single Malt is a no age statement Irish Whiskey owned by the Kilbeggan Distilling Company who owns the oldest distillery in Ireland, but they do not produce this whiskey there. The only whiskey they make at Kilbeggan is the whiskey of the same name. The whiskey for this brand comes from the Cooley distillery which is owned by Beam Suntory and who also owns the Kilbeggan Distilling Co.
Tyrconnell gets it’s name from a race horse that won a long shot race (100 to 1 odds against) back in 1876 which was owned by the Watt family. The Watt family were also the owners of the Watt Distillery and after their horse won they naturally named a whiskey after it (Tyrconnell) and the brand remained with the family till the distillery closed in 1925. The horse depicted on the bottle is that horse and this bottle of whiskey is the resurrection of that once famous and prevalent brand.
Tyrconnell Irish Single Malt Review
Distiller: Cooley
Bottler: Kilbeggan Distilling Co.
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $43
EYE
Light gold
NOSE
Orchard leaning fruit and malt with a light floral character mix with deeper notes of honey, graham cracker, caramel and banana cream pie. It gets a touch spirity at moments making me think it’s on the young side, but overall it reminds me of a decent Scottish single malt.
PALATE
Grassy hay like malt, toasted grains and a burnt sweetness coat the mouth along with notes of pit fruit, caramel, toasted bananas, vanilla, toffee and cocoa. Like the nose it’s a bit spirity at moments which, combined with the cloying burnt sweetness, creates a flavor that I kida like and kinda don’t. It’s odd.
FINISH
Long toasty finish of malt, fruit, wood, overcooked caramel and ash.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
The aroma has a nice balance, but the flavor is off. Medium body with a smooth and easy texture.
OVERALL
The Tyrconnell Irish Single Malt has a great nose, but it falls apart on the palate. Whereas the nose has a pleasant sweet malty fruitiness the palate is plagued by a burnt sweetness that isn’t fully balance out by the other flavors. If the palate could live up to the nose this would be in the high 80s no problem, but alas such is not the case. It’s not terrible by any means, it’s just not something I would want on a daily basis. More of a now-and-then basis.
SCORE: 84/100
