🥃 Connemara 12 Year
Connemara version aged 12 years: peated Irish single malt with soft smoke, 40% ABV.
Connemara 12 Year is the version of the Irish single malt whisky Connemara with an age statement of 12 years. On the brand's official website it is the only permanent line with a stated age. According to Scotch Noob, the strength is 40% ABV, the same as the base Connemara Original.
How it is made. Like the whole brand, this is a peated whisky made from malted barley, double distilled at the Cooley distillery. Scotch Noob writes that the peat level is about half that of Islay whiskies, so the smoke is softer. The age statement means that the youngest whisky in the bottle spent at least 12 years in oak casks. The official description names crème brûlée, praline, vanilla and a long honey-and-grain finish.
Why this matters to you. Compare it with Connemara Original: the strength is the same, but the longer maturation brings more sweet and spicy notes, and the peat recedes into the background. Connemara Cask Strength, by contrast, is undiluted and stronger. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (per Scotch Noob) |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 12 years |
| Raw material | barley malt dried over a peat fire; water |
| Distillation method | twice, in copper stills; Cooley distillery (Louth) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Legal basis | Irish Whiskey GI (Technical file; Reg. (EU) 2019/787) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Connemara 12 Year → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Connemara, 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Irish Whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Laphroaig 10 Year Old, 🥃 Connemara Cask Strength, 🥃 Connemara Cask Strength, 🥃 Connemara Original, 🥃 Connemara Original
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Connemara 12 Year is stronger than Original?
No. According to Scotch Noob, both versions are 40% ABV; the difference lies in the maturation, not the strength.
What does '12 Year' mean on the label?
The youngest whisky in the bottle has been matured in oak casks for at least 12 years.
How smoky is Connemara 12 Year?
According to Scotch Noob, it has about half the peat of Islay whiskies, so the smoke is soft; the official description puts more emphasis on sweet and spicy notes.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🥃 Laphroaig 10 Year Old — The core ten-year-old Laphroaig, a peated single malt from Islay; 40% ABV according to Difford's Guide.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Connemara Original · 🥃 Connemara Cask Strength · 🥃 Woodford Reserve Malt · 🥃 Mackmyra Svensk Rök · 🥃 Ardmore Legacy · 🥃 Hakushu 18 Years Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Connemara Whiskey: Connemara 12 Year (crème brûlée, praline, vanilla bean, long honeyed-cereal finish)
- Scotch Noob: Connemara (12 year), 16.04.2018 (40 %, double distilled, about half the phenol ppm of Islay malt; range NAS, 12, cask strength)
- Revenue (Ireland): Geographical Indication for Irish Whiskey and Irish Poteen/Poitin (Tax and Duty Manual)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)