Connacht Batch One Irish Single Malt Whiskey 700ml

Connacht Distillery sits on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina, County Mayo, on a site that once housed the Duffy family bakery before founder and master distiller Robert Cassell led a ten million euro conversion into a modern craft distillery. Production began in 2016, and Batch One, released in 2021, marked the first whiskey distilled from Connacht's own copper pot stills, and notably the first whiskey produced anywhere in County Mayo in over 150 years. The distillery also makes vodka, gin, and other sourced whiskeys, but Batch One represented its debut as a whiskey producer in its own right.

Batch One is a single malt made entirely from Irish malted barley, double distilled in copper pot stills at the Ballina site. The whiskey matured for four years, resting first in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in ex-Oloroso sherry casks, a combination the distillers judged had reached its peak before bottling at a robust 47% ABV. The coastal location, where the fresh water of the River Moy meets the Atlantic, exposes the maturing barrels to notable shifts in atmospheric pressure, which the distillery credits with adding character to the spirit during its relatively short aging period.

The nose brings raisins and dried fruit alongside honeyed sweetness, fudge, and butterscotch, with a touch of almond and star anise. On the palate, vanilla and gentle spice mingle with dried fruit and malt, building to a warming, full-bodied finish carrying walnut and lingering honey. That fruit-and-spice character makes it a good candidate for an Irish whiskey sour, and its sherry-driven sweetness also holds up well in a whiskey and soda.