Whisky : Cooley 13 Year; The Exclusive Malts

Country/Region : Ireland

ABV : 52.4%

Cask : Refill Hogshead (cask #20022)

Age : 13 Years (Distilled 21 Jan. 2002, Bottled 2015)

Nose : Rich malty sugars fill the air out of the glass.  Complexity emerges with orange peel, maple syrup, brown sugar, and lightly salty caramel.  More savory notes of antique wooden furniture and leather arrive with a bit of wallpaper paste.

Palate : Medium bodied with a nice lingering oily quality.  Subtle spices, pickled ginger, and dark brown sugar give way to a a moist rum raisin cake.  Lovely fruit notes of burnt orange peel, raisins, tea, and honey emerge toward the end along with a savory bit of leather to chew on.

Finish :  Lingering sun dried sweet fruits, subtle holiday spice, and a funny bit of bitterness as if this whole dram were just cleverly disguised medicine.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Cowboy Boot Emporium.

Something Better : Orkney 17 Year; The Exclusive Malts (similar rum raisin and spice, more maritime)

Something Similar : Balcones Brujería (similar oily mouthfeel/rum raisin, more chocolate/fruit)

Something Worse : Paul John Edited (similar orange peel, more spice, less body/complexity)

Notes :  This was delightful— it had an excellent balance between savory and sweet notes as well as a chewy viscous body that just covered the palate in oily goodness.  I grabbed this bottle at a little hole in the wall shop where it had been sitting in a glass case with a half dozen of its brethren, probably since 2015.  It was definitely on the pricey side— but after having a number of great Exclusive Malt expressions, certain I could split the cost of the bottle with a few interested likeminded compatriots, and always happy to support a small local family owned shop— I grabbed it.

I really enjoyed this.  The aroma was so inviting that, as soon as I opened the bottle to just get a hint of what might be inside, I found myself stealing a little sip.  I was impressed from the get-go.  I have heard that many of the sister casks that Exclusive Malts bottled at the same time (Casks 20020-20024) are also quite good.  Though I may no longer gravitate toward Irish Single Pot Still as my whisky style of choice, I can definitely get behind Irish Single Malts.  This was a great one and I really should spend more time checking out the Irish single malt scene.