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IRISH WHISKEY At the Concannon Irish Whiskey launch party in San Francisco, Boxers Paddy "Pistol" Garcia and Bennie "Babyface" Garrett fought two matches for the spirit of the brand. A Vintner with Spirit F ourth-generation vintner John Concannon has partnered with Ireland's Cooley Distillery to create a signature Petite Sirah–finished Irish whiskey in honor of his grandfather James Concannon. "He was a whiskey drinker, and he'd be proud," says Concannon about his ancestor who was among the earliest pioneering winegrowers in Livermore Valley and founded the name- sake winery in 1883. Concannon's Irish-American heritage pro- vided the inspiration behind the project; the Concannon name means "wisdom without compromise" in Gaelic, and the winery's Irish whiskey holds a unique place in a celebrated category of whiskies that undergo additional cask finishing in wine, sherry, port and madeira casks. The double-distilled blend of malt and grain whiskies spends a minimum of four years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels, with a percentage of malt whiskey finished in Concannon Petite Sirah barrels that were shipped to the distillery in County Louth, Ireland to add complex fruity notes and finesse to the blend. "We've crafted Concannon Irish Whiskey for the off-premise market in the U.S. so that it is accessible to the novice and has enough complexity for the experienced drinker," notes John Cashman, Global Brand Ambassador for the distillery. Small-batch distillation is the standard at Cooley, which uses small, long-necked copper pot stills and long, slow distillations that result in a smoother, more flavorful whiskey. Master Blender Noel Sweeny worked closely with Concannon in creating the final blend. The result is a whiskey with sweet, caramelized aromas, possessing a silky, slightly viscous texture redolent of citrus, honey and raisins with complex fruitier notes and a touch of vanilla and oak on a long, sweet finish. In addition to private-label brands such as Concannon, the distillery is known for originating single-grain whiskey with the Greenore brand and produces the popular Kilbeggan, Connemara and Tyrconnell brands. As one of only three sources for Irish whiskey, Cooley was the category's sole independent producer until it was acquired by Beam Inc. for approximately $95 million in a deal announced on January 17. "Irish whiskey is the fastest-growing seg- ment in the brown spirits industry worldwide and is growing double digits here in the U.S.," says Cashman. Until the acquisition, Beam did not have an Irish whiskey in its portfolio and Cooley—which has been singled out by the IWSC as European Distiller of the Year several times and repeatedly won major spirits awards—made an attractive target. Concannon Irish Whiskey is available through Southern Wine & Spirits with a SRP of $24.99. march 2012 / the tasting panel / 77 CONCANNON CREATES BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY WITH DRINKERS IN MIND by Deborah Parker Wong / photos by Rick Camargo