Each year a small number of the oldest & most exceptional casks are hand picked to create Connemara 12 year old peated single malt. Containing some of the earliest distillation of Connemara, the 12 year old is a whiskey of great complexity and sophistication. Accompanying the smooth malt and peat flavours is a rich layer of spiciness and lingering wood tones acquired from extra maturation in American oak. With limited availability, this is a whiskey that has been truly worth the wait.

At the IWSC in 2009 won both a gold & best in class.

The newly released Connemara 12 Year Old is already causing a stir among whiskey connoisseurs worldwide after scooping a Gold Medal at the World Spirit Competition in San Francisco in March 2004. Reflecting the region of Connemara, this magnificent 12 Year Old revives the age-old tradition and heritage of drying malted barley over peat fires. To the smooth, balanced malt and peat flavours of Connemara Peated Single Malt is added the lingering wood aftertaste to produce a whiskey of great complexity and sophistication. Truly, Connemara 12 year old has been worth the wait.

John Teeling, Chairman of Cooley Distillery said "Our blenders and quality consultants have made us release the Connemara 12 year old. They believe that it is one of the best whiskeys in the world - bar none. It represents the pinnacle, to date, of Cooley distillation and maturing skills. The soft waters of the Cooley Hills, the warm caress of the copper pot stills, the breathing oak barrels from Kentucky, the ancient granite warehouses of Kilbeggan and 12 years in a perfect whiskey climate have combined to deliver this gem. We have very limited quantities, so savour while you can."

• Colour: A pale golden colour.
• Nose: An expressive nose with a vibrant presence of peat.
• Taste: Smooth, melodious taste with a superb mix of fruit and peat. Round and full character with tantalizing traces of almond, marzipan and biscuit.
• Finish: A strong spicy bite to the finish that is dominated by an extraordinary peat explosion with a vanilla creaminess that luxuriates across the mouth leaving a long finish on the palate.
• Serving suggestion: Connemara 12 year old can be enjoyed neat or with a little water to release the bouquet.