Connemara 'Turf Mór' Heavily Peated

[bredman]

At least it's 2010.

[Malt-Teaser]

My sample just arrived today so I expect to be reviewing it tomorrow evening

[JohnM]

I think this might be closer to €60, which would be disappointing for a three-year-old whisky. I don't know this for sure, though.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I think this might be closer to €60, which would be disappointing for a three-year-old whisky. I don't know this for sure, though.

I agree John, if that is true very disappointing ... Not even disappointing, down right daylight robbery

The Regular Connemara is circa €35 (Possibly containing 3-6yo whiskey) but how they can price it over the Cask strength (Circa €55) I just do not know. The cask strength in itself is over priced.

I can buy Laphroaig 10yo locally for €44 and I think I'll be sticking with it if the above is true. No matter how you dress it up it is still only a 3year old whiskey ...this should be under €30Euro unless there is something I'm missing.

I must admit I'm getting quite cheesed off on these ludicrious pricing strategys.

IDL used to be my bug bear but with the come back on some prices especially on the Rebdbreast 15yo they have come up in my estimations.

However, and I'm sorry to say it, some of the stuff comming out of Cooley is frightfully over priced.

Mister Cranky rasies his head again .... think I'll just change my name to Mister Cranky .

[JohnM]

I'm not sure about the price yet, of course, but that's what I've heard. Hopefully it will be cheaper.

[John]

I must admit I'm getting quite cheesed off on these ludicrious pricing strategys.

&

Mister Cranky rasies his head again .... think I'll just change my name to Mister Cranky .

Tell it like it is IWC; it's a sheepish adherence to ridiculous prices that got the country into the mess it is in at the moment. If more people were simply to take a step back and question why they are being asked to pay for products that really shouldn't be commanding such ridiculous prices, then we would have a far more equitable system.

Meanwhile we have foreign producers selling tried and tested, strongly branded and longer-matured products for less over here. How is that possible?

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I'm not sure about the price yet, of course, but that's what I've heard. Hopefully it will be cheaper.

I suppose I should wait till it is released before I lose the plot

No harm trying to let the powers that be what we think any way

Of course it could be the classic expectation management scenario that our beloved Government use ferquestly.

Leak a high price and then get us be greatful for a slightly lower price even though it is still high .....

[Malt-Teaser]

Right, that's it, tonight's the night ......


But not quite so quickly, first there's a rather well anticipated Greenore 15y, followed by Inishowen and then ....... Turf Mór.


Malty

[DavidH]

Unfortunately, that's the latest info I got from Cooley too. Priced between Connemara CS (€55) and Connemara 12yo (€73). Not a bargain at all in that range.

[JohnM]

Haven't had the Innisowen in years. Look forward to hearing what you have to say about them.

[Malt-Teaser]

Tasting notes now online:

Inishowen
http://www.whisky-emporium.com/UK/ActualTastingNotes/Cooley.htm#Inishowen
I felt this was a bit weak.

Greenore 15y
http://www.whisky-emporium.com/UK/ActualTastingNotes/Cooley.htm#Green15y
Wonderful!

Connemara Turf Mór
http://www.whisky-emporium.com/UK/ActualTastingNotes/Cooley.htm#Con-TM
Really quite stunning, be sure to add water for best effect!

[JohnM]

My memory of the Innishowen was that it was a bit thin and uninteresting, but it could be nearly ten years since I've tasted it.

[Malt-Teaser]

Dram-atics spends an evening "Chilling with Cooley"
http://www.whisky-emporium.com/Blogs/2010-11-Nov/Blog.htm#CooleyChill

My press release has stated that it will be priced between the CS & 12y which in Germany would mean €40 to €60. Interesting to see yet again the price differences between here and Ireland.
Malty

[brettie vedder]

i was pumped for the turf mór, but at that price they can sod off. and yea, typical tell you it will cost €50 and then its €40 when it comes out so people think they will be getting a deal. i will wait until lap10yo is on sale for xmas up north and just go get like 5 bottles for £25 a piece. gotta go up anyway for the xmas liqour stash. i think mr. cranky is rearing his ugly head over here again too, lol

[OliverKlimek]

I just recevied an email from Cooley with more details about the launch:

Connemara Turf Mór is due to be launched this December 2010. It is going into the following markets, UK, Benelux, Germany and Ireland. We have positioned the whiskey above our Connemara Cask strength and below our Connemara 12 Year old, in Ireland this price point would be circa €60.00.

They were nice enough to send me a review sample. It's a cracking dram indeed, albeit the price tag won't be to everybody's liking. My tasting notes:

http://www.dramming.com/2010/11/18/connemara-turf-mor/

Keep on Dramming,
Oliver

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Excellent Oliver, nice trasting notes and quite helpful, thanks for posting.

I would love for this to become a great success and just hope the price tag does not detract from that.

I personally think they should go the Laphroaig and Aberlour route. Come out with a cracking beast of a whiskey which can grab the headlins yet be at a price that people find attractive. This for me would build the brand quicker and get it more attention in the long run.

Laphroaig came out with their Quarter Cask (No age statement) and it has become a classic yet it is under £30 sterling.

Aberlour also released the wonderfully acclaimed Abunadh (A cask strength no age stated sherry monster) This too has a relatively modest price circa £34sterling.

After the initial hype dies down you want people to come back to this bottle and buy it which in turn will keep interest and focus in the brand.

I do with the Turf Mór the best of luck but I do fear for it, time will tell.

[OliverKlimek]

I think things are a bit different to the Laphroaig QC or the Aberlour a'Bunadh. These are permanent corner stones of the distillery ranges whereas the Turf Mor is as one-off bottling in the "Small Batch" series. When it's sold it will be gone for good. And I have no doubt it will sell, although the price will certainly slow down sales. You still get good value for your money but given its young age a slightly more moderate price tag would have been preferable, IMHO.

[bredman]

And I have no doubt it will sell, although the price will certainly slow down sales. You still get good value for your money but given its young age a slightly more moderate price tag would have been preferable, IMHO.

Absolutely. For me, when a young whisky is priced up like this i can't help but think 'that's plain greedy'.

Is this truly a 'one off'? Surely they have plenty of this batch set aside for ageing further.

[DavidH]

Is this truly a 'one off'? Surely they have plenty of this batch set aside for ageing further.

It was an experiment afforded by circumstances a few years ago when they couldn't get lightly-peated malt. Most of the heavily-peated malt they bought instead got mixed down for normal Connemara. I doubt they have a lot of the Turf Mór. Of course there would be nothing stopping them from ordering more malt and disilling a new batch now they know how well it turns out.

[JohnM]

They had been blending it with unpeated or lightly peated stuff to tone it down, I think. Is that right?

It's got a pretty universally good reaction. Hopefully they'll make more.

[varizoltan]

when they distilled turf mor, that was a time the malting company stoped making 15-20ppm
they only make 55ppm, and that is what they getting at present, so they mix it with unpeated malt to make regular Connemara, and add a bit to Lockes

what i was told yesterday, they have no more heavily peated whiskey in stock,
but they have some interesting stuff maturing in barrels, so there will be small batch collection 3, when thisone is gone

on the price point, first this is cask strength, 60-65 here, that means 40-45 in germany, uk and NI, so that will be the source to buy from, what a lot of us do when travel

[Malt-Teaser]

As I mentioned earlier, although the price seems to be around €60 in Ireland, Germany should be more like €50 as CS is about €40 and 12y about €60.
Now, as I once paid €75 for a Connemara single cask I really don't see too much of a problem with €50 for the Turf Mór although anything under that would be a bonus, even though this is younger than the 15y single cask of which I speak.

The press release also speaks of competition with a "Competitive Line-up" where the TM is shown lined up against the following:
Octomore, Supernova, (TM), Lagavulin 12 CS, Laphroaig 10 CS

Maybe this will help understand how Cooley are marketing and promoting the Turf Mór.
Malty

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Good point Malty I suppose we can get too caught up with price sometimes ... I suppose I was hoping this would Laph QC type scenario. I had the Connemara CS against a Coal Ila CS and Laga Special Distillery reserve and it stood up very well and that too is younger than it's scottish cousins

[bredman]

Is this truly a 'one off'? Surely they have plenty of this batch set aside for ageing further.

It was an experiment afforded by circumstances a few years ago when they couldn't get lightly-peated malt. Most of the heavily-peated malt they bought instead got mixed down for normal Connemara. I doubt they have a lot of the Turf Mór. Of course there would be nothing stopping them from ordering more malt and disilling a new batch now they know how well it turns out.

Thanks for the reply David, but what i wanted to know is, is all the TMor in existence officially used up in this release? Some claim it has been, but i'd be surprised, i reckon there will be plenty more left over to be aged further.

[TheWhiskeyBro]

Ally in the CWS hopes to get the Turf Mor in sometime next week...