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Even if you’re normally a bourbon or Scotch drinker, on St. Patrick’s Day the only respectable spirit to imbibe is Irish Whiskey. It would be disrespectful of St. Patrick to drink anything other than the finest whiskeys from the Emerald Isle.
Also: More Than Guinness – Other Irish Beers You Should Be Drinking
Grab a Guinness and fill your belly with corned beef and cabbage, and bangers and mash, but don’t forget to grab a bottle of Irish Whiskey for the big day. You wouldn’t want to show up with a bottle of Scotch or bourbon on March 17th. You’d look silly and your friends would never let you hear the end of it.
What is Irish Whiskey?
In the same way that Scotch can only be made in Scotland, Irish whiskey can only be made in Ireland (obviously). The word “whiskey” actually comes from Gaelic and roughly translates to “water of life”. Unlike its Scottish brethren, Irish pot still whiskey is distilled three times. Scotch is only distilled two times. This and a lack of peat (in most) gives Irish whiskey its distinctive sweet, malty flavor. Unlike Islay whiskeys, Irish whiskey doesn’t have and smoky or briny flavors associated with it. Just like not all Scotches are peated, there are actually some Irish whiskeys that are peated.
Irish whiskey is seeing a resurgence as of late, but the country has had a rather tough go of it historically. At one point, Irish whiskey was the most popular whiskey in the world.
But, unlike Scotland and its one-hundred plus distilleries, Ireland is home to less than ten (with a few in development). In the 30s, prohibition, the American Great Depression and Ireland’s War of Independence all had a hand in virtually destroying the Irish whiskey industry. Its popularity has grown steadily in the past decade and the industry is now growing at a rate of 20% per year. It’s the fastest growing spirits category in the world.
Know for its smooth, sweet flavor pot stilled whiskey has a creamy mouthfeel and malty finish. Daniel E. Williams, the man that Tullamore D.E.W. is named after was the first person to blend Irish whiskey. At the time, people weren’t sure what to think of it, but today almost all Irish whiskeys are blended.
Quick Fact: The United States and Ireland are the only countries that spell whiskey with an ‘e’. Every other country, including Scotland, England, Japan, and Canada, spells it “whisky”.
Tullamore D.E.W.
Tullamore D.E.W.
Info: Known the world over for its smooth flavor, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey is triple distilled and a blend of all three types of Irish whiskey – grain, malt & pot still. “The sweet softness of grain whiskey, soft spice from the pot still and fruitiness of the malt create a uniqueness of flavor that marks out Tullamore D.E.W. from all other Irish whiskeys,” says Tullamore D.E.W. Global Brand Ambassador John Quinne. Tullamore D.E.W.’s award-winning range includes Tullamore D.E.W. Original, Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask Finish, Tullamore D.E.W. TRILOGY, Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix, Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve and Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old Single Malt.
Try This: Tullamore D.E.W. Trilogy. The 15-year-old Irish whiskey is a brand new addition to the Tullamore D.E.W. family and it’s the oldest release from the distillery to date.
Bushmills
Bushmills
Info: In 1608, King James I gave Sir Thomas Phillips a license to distill. Officially founded in 1784, Bushmills is one of the oldest operating distilleries in the world. A fire destroyed the distillery in the late 1800s, but that didn’t stop Bushmills. They just rebuilt and carried on. The brand celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008 and is still going strong today.
Try This: Bushmills Black Bush is a combination of bath-distilled grain whiskey and malt whiskey that was matured in Oloroso Sherry casks. This gives the whiskey a very deep flavor with hints of sweetness and the smoothness that Irish whiskey drinkers crave.
Jameson
Jameson Whiskey
Info: Jameson is the most well-known Irish whiskey in the world. This blended Irish whiskey is produced by the Irish Distillers. The brand was founded in 1818 by John Jameson and his son when they took over ownership of Dublin’s Bow Street Distillery and renamed it John Jameson and Son Irish Whiskey Company. Jameson is currently distilled in Cork with an annual output of over fifty-six million bottles.
Try This: Jameson Black Barrel is a blend of pot still and grain whiskey that is triple distilled and aged in sherry and bourbon casks. On top of that, the bourbon barrels they use get an extra charring to give the whiskey the smoothness you know from Jameson along with hints of spice, fruit, and sweet vanilla.
Redbreast
Single Pot Still
Info: Like most Irish whiskeys, Redbreast is a single pot still. Currently, the brand makes four different varieties. They are Redbreast 12 year, Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, Redbreast 15 and the newly added, Redbreast 21. It’s distilled at the New Midleton Distillery and has won numerous awards including being named Irish Whiskey of the Year (for Redbreast 12 Year) in 2010 by famed whiskey writer Jim Murray.
Try This: If it’s good enough for Murray, it’s good enough for us. Redbreast 12 Year is an extremely balanced whiskey with rich, smooth malted flavor then ends with a hint of spice.
Teeling
Teeling Whiskey
Info: The Teeling family has been distilling Irish whiskey since 1782. Back then, Walter Teeling decided to open a craft distillery on Marrowbone Lane in Dublin. The company has remained in the Teeling family ever since. Jack and Stephen Teeling are now carrying on the tradition set forth by their family two-hundred-plus years ago. Teeling currently makes three different expressions. They are Small Batch, Single Grain, and Single Barrel.
Try This: Teeling Single Grain is a corn-based whiskey that was made using column distillation. It’s first aged in oak cask but is finished in cabernet sauvignon barrels shipped over from California. The whiskey is smooth and rich with hints of vanilla and fruit.
Other great Irish whiskeys to discover include Green Spot, Knappogue Castle, Powers, Kilbeggan, Yellow Spot, Midleton and Connemara
