The first gin released from The Connacht Whiskey Company. The gin contains a variety of Irish botanicals including elderberry flower and hawthorn berry. The gin was produced by award winning gin maker, Robert Castell. It contains strong notes of juniper and hints of berry on the nose and is bottled at 47%. The name Concullin is a merging of two County Mayo Lakes, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, which are the source of the water used at the distillery. Connacht is best known as a whiskey distillery in County Mayo, Ireland, but it also produces one of the country’s handful of gins, known as Conncullin. This pot distilled gin doesn’t disclose all of its botanicals, but juniper, citrus, and elderberry are known to be in the mix. Given the focus on fruit, I was surprised to find the nose to be earthy, almost skunky at times, with hints of hemp and seaweed, alongside some notes of grapefruit peel. The palate is similar, with some sweeter elements among the savory notes: rhubarb, orange peel, and plenty of floral elements coming up later in the experience. The finish is funky, with maritime-driven notes lingering alongside hints of burning coal. For those on the hunt for a more savory experience, Conncullin is one gin to check out; for me, I was hoping for a stronger focus on the fruit.
