Cooley Distillery cleans up with gold awards

Published: 01 July, 2009

Ireland's only independent whiskey distiller, the Cooley Distillery, cleaned up with eight gold medals in the US, at two separate spirits competitions which took place in New York and Los Angeles.

Cooley won the eight golds including five best in class, after entering the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition for the first time this year and being invited to take part in the inaugural NY Spirits Competition by its founder spirits writer Andre Levy.

Converted in 1987 from an older industrial potato ethanol plant by John Teeling. The Distillery is located on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth on Ireland's east coast and has won over 100 awards in the past ten years.

Jack Teeling, sales & marketing director for Cooley Distillery said: "This year we chose to test our whiskeys at some new spirits competitions outside of the usual events."

"We are delighted that our international reputation stood up to the challenges of these new competitions and that not only our Malts but also our Kilbeggan blended whiskey emerged as a Gold Medal winner and the best in its class."

The US market is now the largest market for Irish whiskey and our performance in these competitions helps reinforce the reputation of Cooley's whiskeys to the US trade and consumer. "

The LA International Wine & Spirits Competition, which celebrated its 70th year in 2009, judges over 4,000 wines and spirits each year from around the globe.

The LA IWSC is renowned for its integrity and professionalism and in its first year entering the competition Cooley was awarded four gold medals including two best in category for its Kilbeggan Irish whiskey and Connemara Peated Single Malt.

In New York, Cooley collected a further three gold medals and best in class awards.

The inaugural New York Spirits Competition (NYSA) assembled a distinguished judging panel composed of members of the on and off-trade community. The judges scored each brand in a blind tasting and again Cooley's quality shone through with three of its Malts, Connemara Cask Strength, Connemara 12 Year Old and Tyrconnell Single Malt, winning Gold Medals and Best in Class.

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