Cadenhead’s Cooley 1992 “11yo”
Single Malt Irish Whiskey | 53.4% ABV
That Which Deserves Our Attention
I am writing this from a hospital room. My wife is getting much needed rest while cradling our new baby boy. Like many men who have come before me, I’m half busy helping, half waiting to be helpful, half sleeping, and half sitting with my own thoughts.
Whisky has become such a time-consuming passion of mine that my healthful saving grace is that most of the mental and physical involvement is not actually drinking it. Yes, enjoying it is the core, but I actually spend far more time talking about it, chatting in various WhatsApp groups about it (yes, even amongst Dramface writers), thinking about flavour profiles to explore further, spotting new releases, looking for auction deals, reading reviews and opinions (hello, Dramface), and scanning my inventory spreadsheet to see what could or should be let go to make room for others. Oh, and planning trips to Scotland.
And yet, as I sit here drinking English Breakfast tea alongside our new family addition, the importance of, and my interest in whisky in the last few days has dropped to exactly zero. And it has been wonderful. We live in such an obstinately multi-tasking world that we rarely have clear focus, let alone a singular towering priority that blinds us entirely to the blurred periphery.
In my previous job, part of my responsibility was overseeing part of an e-commerce site’s critical infrastructure. Occasionally we had incidents that required 24/7 attention and resolution. Despite the pressure and frustration involved (cancelled plans, midnight calls, executive debriefs), I loved them because we so rarely have times of clear and unified understandings of importance, goal alignment, and ultimately sense of accomplishment. Singular focus on the most important task allowed for great achievement.
If someone were to ask what I like most about whisky, my answer is most likely going to be the community. And it’s true. I’ve made many friends, had many great experiences, and I fully embrace the mantra that whisky is best shared. And yet…
As I sit here with two-thirds of what is most important to me, I’m reminded of what has been a growing dirty little secret of mine. I really enjoy drinking whisky by myself. No, no, no, not pounding shots to drown my sorrows away without fear of observation and judgement. I mean sitting with a quality dram and just focusing all my attention on it. Or, if I am with friends - because I do actually enjoy sharing my favourites - enjoying it in silence.
Putting blinders on to the rest of the world allows me to appreciate everything from nuance of flavour to history of its distillation to such a degree that I notice when I can’t. I often hesitate to pour more expensive bottles for casual drinking because in the back of my mind, I know I’m missing parts of the experience. If that isn’t a lesson for how to treat the important things in life, I don’t know what is. (Cough, cough, smartphones).
No, I’m not about to drink this 1992 Cooley as I wax lyrical about the importance of family and focus. I wrote this review a couple weeks ago, but I hadn’t found the proper way to think about it until now. And, yes, I do have a few moments now with my thoughts.
Please enjoy this review I wrote while quietly sipping. The first half was me sitting alone with my thoughts, the second half with my wife peacefully reading beside me. Glorious.
Review
Cooley Irish Whiskey, 1992/2019 Cadenhead’s Open Day Big Tasting 2019 release, 53.4% ABV
£150 plus fees at auction, long sold out.
Labelled as 11 years old because the barrel was transported to Scotland at that age. Because the law only allows for counting of age on Irish shores, the true age of this single malt is 26 or 27 years old. Similar story with sister casks reviewed by Archibald.
Nose
Interesting. Unique. White grapes, coconut, and mint, mingled with wisps of gentle coal smoke. No iodine,which means none of those medicinal notes you can get from some Islay whiskeys. Quite clean and refreshing/fresh, in a way that is reminiscent of the experience you get with Hakushu peat. Though this is a much fruitier experience. Not quite the tropical experience I had hoped for given the reputation of this series of bottlings, but there is some ripe banana. It’s elegant.
Palate
Twinge of heat on the tip of the tongue. Juicy fruit bubblegum. Pepper, more coconut, and waves of stone fruit. The peat experience is, again, unique. Closer to highland peat in its low phenols, coming nearer to barrel char with a sooty finish. Later finish transitions to grilled melon. Green apple and under-ripe pear. Does well at 53%, but I prefer a touch of water. More of the same. The melon is working very hard here. Menthol! That’s the note I was looking for.
The Dregs
For as long as I’ve had this bottle open, I have struggled to decide whether I like this or love it. Buy a backup bottle at auction, or not? Thus far I’ve stuck with “love it, but I don’t need another bottle at £200+”. And yet many of the components that I love are there. It’s quite fruity - even if not super tropical, and the gentle peat really creates an enjoyable experience.
A ‘connoisseur” might hear about a fruity aged peated malt, and think of the variety of ~30 year old “Islay” (Laphroaig) independent bottlings out there. Those display a far peatier profile than this Cooley. This is much cleaner, and less ashy, too. This Cooley is… great.
8/10 given the price, and I absurdly want to say 8.5/100
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. IG