I used to believe Irish whiskey was a gateway whiskey. I saw it as a smooth sipper. The whiskey was relatively inexpensive — at least the stuff I was drinking. And it went great in cocktails, particularly an Irish Coffee.
But I never gave the category enough credit, even though the Irish invented whiskey and an NYC bar pretty much devoted to the tipple — and walking distance from my old apartment — kept winning World’s Best Bar awards.
Thankfully, I caught up. And so did the rest of the world. “Over a century on from the start of Prohibition, it is worth remembering that Ireland was once the largest supplier of whiskey for the U.S.,” says William Lavelle, head of the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA). “And now, once again, American consumers are flocking to discover the depth and diversity of Irish whiskey.”
So below, lessons learned from the past few years of truly diving into this fascinating spirit. Plus, when available, a convenient link to buy one of these bottles, so you can pick one or two up before St. Patrick’s Day (but honestly, you should be drinking this stuff year-round).
Powers Gold Label
To quote an Irish whiskey expert we interviewed a few years back: “[This is] smooth, approachable and the right price point … drink it neat. Perfect to aid in washing down a pint of Guinness, Smithwicks or Magners Cider. In that order.”
The Sexton Single Malt
Made from 100% malted barley triple-distilled in copper pots and aged for four years in Oloroso Sherry casks, The Sexton is blended by one of the few female Master Blenders in Irish whiskey.
Powers Irish Rye
While rye has been a component of Irish whiskey in the past and a bit in the present, the grain has usually only made up a small percentage of the whiskey’s mashbill. And the rye itself, at least in the present day, has been imported from other parts of Europe. This rye, however, is 100% Irish-grown. To create this expression, Powers doubled the fermentation time and put the liquid through a column still instead of the traditional pot still. It also utilizes several different types of American oak (virgin oak, first-fill bourbon and refills) and ages for less than five years. Overall, it’s an incredibly balanced yet surprisingly not-that-spicy rye; it has a sweetness and earthiness on the nose, while you’ll find a complexity on the palate with notes of cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, banana and cherry. You can read more on this release here.
The Busker Triple Cask
“Triple cask, triple smooth” doesn’t exactly make this Irish whiskey stand out, but the bottle’s typeface and the low price certainly do. As does its mission: The distillery wanted to create something that would appeal to bourbon drinkers and be used in cocktails that don’t normally feature Irish whiskey. The Triple Cask release is matured and finished in, natch, three different casks (bourbon, sherry, Marsala).
Slane
This smooth, triple-cask Irish whiskey (which spends time in virgin oak, seasoned oak and sherry casks) hails from the family behind Ireland’s excellent Slane Concert series. A premium Special Edition, which ramps up the virgin oak influences, is also available. Side note: Here’s where Slane’s founder drinks when he’s in NYC.
Keeper’s Heart Irish + American
We’re cheating slightly here: This was the first release from the Minnesota-based O’Shaugnessy Distilling Co., which hopes to showcase the best of American and Irish whiskeys, headed up by Brian Nation, formerly of Irish Distillers (aka the man formerly behind Jameson, Redbreast, Powers and Midleton). The distillery has also been releasing some limited-edition Irish whiskeys with interesting cask finishes and higher proofs until its own juice is ready. Note: Four Walls, from the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gang, is doing a similar Irish-American whiskey hybrid.
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Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish
Aged in Demerara Rum barrels, Tullamore’s whiskey is triple-distilled and a triple blend of pot still, malt and grain Irish whiskey. The end result features notes of banana, vanilla, spice and citrus, and you can definitely use this in place of rum in tiki cocktails.
Jameson Cold Brew
Almost all whiskey on the nose, but the coffee elements come into play as you sip. The smoothness of Irish whiskey works well with the rounded flavors of the roasted Arabica beans, and you’re left with a surprisingly dark chocolate note. Not robust but overall well balanced and great (natch) in an Irish Coffee.
Paddy’s
A classic trait of many Irish whiskies is that they’re triple-distilled, making them more approachable. Paddy’s (or you may see in a slightly different bottle as Paddy, depending on where you are) does this times three: It’s a blend of three types of Irish whiskey. Overall, it’s clean and crisp with lots of toffee notes.
Roe & Co
A brand that restored and re-purposed the Guinness Power House as its distillery, this blend of malt and grain whiskey is aged in bourbon casks and delivers a creamy mouthfeel, with notes of vanilla and a gentle fruitiness.
Green Spot
“It’s delicious and it reminds me of the very best work days. Barley on the nose, palate and finish, mixed with a little iodine and bourbon-soaked fruitcake,” Lisa Wicker, former President/Master Distiller of Widow Jane Distillery and current Master Distiller at Saints & Monsters Distilling, told us a few years ago.
Writers’ Tears Copper Pot
This tipple was inspired by the “Golden Age” of Irish whiskey (late 19th/early 20th century). It’s a marriage of aged Single Pot Still and Single Malt Irish whiskeys distilled entirely from malted and unmalted barley. Vanilla, orchard fruits and chocolate notes dominate here.
Bushmills Black Bush
Sean Muldoon, formerly of The Dead Rabbit, told us a few years back that Black Bush was a great entry-level Irish whiskey. This Bushmills expression features a high amount of malt whiskey married with a lighter grain whiskey. It’s then matured in former Oloroso sherry and Bourbon casks, giving it fruitiness and depth. (We should note that Bushmills also makes some excellent, high-end age-statement Irish whiskeys.)
Redbreast 12 Year
A few years back I asked Trey Zoeller of Jefferson’s about his Irish whiskey preference, and he came back with this much-loved expression, which the brand claims to be the largest-selling Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey in the world. “It’s matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and sherry casks, which gives it a great combination of spicy and creamy notes,” he says.
Teeling Small Batch
The Dublin distillery’s flagship product is a mix of grain and malt whiskeys aged separately in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in rum casks, creating a beguiling mix of vanilla, fruit and toffee. It also makes for the best Irish coffee we’ve ever had. (Want something a little more elevated and unique? Teeling Wonders of Wood Single Malt Chinkapin Oak was one of our favorite spirits of the past few years, and the distillery is known for its extensive and exotic barrel maturations.)
Muff Irish Whiskey
The unusually monikered spirits producer — read their story here — hails from the village of Muff in County Donegal, Ireland. The brand has several celebrity investors, including Russell Crowe, Ed Sheeran, Ronan Keating and Jimmy Carr. While launching a potato-based vodka and gin, the brand also put out a triple-distilled, peated Irish whiskey made with a five-part blend of Irish malt and grain whiskey. It’s a lovely mix of smoke, sweet, fruit and cereal.
Green Spot Chateau Léoville Barton
“I’m a big fan of pot still whiskey, but I found the addition of the wine cask finish elevated what was already a great whiskey to another level,” says Darren Green, manager at Garavan’s (a one-time Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year in Ireland).
Connemara 12 Year
More Irish whiskeys should embrace the peat. And peat in Ireland (and with the whiskey going through a pot still process) is going to create something different than your typical Islay Scotch; you’ll end up with something more oily, creamy and with spicy characteristics. This peated 12-year from Connemara is double-distilled, as opposed to the usual Irish triple-distillation. Overall, you’ll get a mouth-coating, smoked orchard fruit sensation.
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These may cost more than you’re used to, or be hard to find. But they’re worth it.
Teeling Blackpitts
Remember what we said about peat? Blackpitts is triple-distilled from malted barley, dried over peat fires and matured in both bourbon and sauternes French wine casks. It’s a deceptively light-colored tipple that brings together a fruitiness, butterscotch and smoke, like a campfire dessert.
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McConnell’s Sherry Cask Finish
Established in Belfast in 1776 but only recently revived, McConnell’s — which doesn’t use an “e” in their whisky — has just a few sourced releases for the moment (their own product should be ready in a few years). For now, try to find this surprisingly balanced expression, a whisky aged five years in first-fill bourbon barrels and then finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Dark fruit, cocoa, spice and the creaminess of a good Irish whisk(e)y abound in a release that’s decidedly not a sherry bomb.
Glendalough 7-Year-Old Single Malt Mizunara Cask
This award-winning (including a previous Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition) Irish whiskey brand is based an hour south of Dublin. Glendalough is known for its double-barrel program, which finds some of its hooch resting (or getting additional rest) in Irish oak, Oloroso sherry barrels and, with this release, Japanese Mizunara, which adds almost sandalwood note to this floral and fruity expression.
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West Cork Stout Cask Matured
A blend of grain and malt whiskey aged in first-fill bourbon casks and then finished in casks that had held Black’s of Kinsale Stout. While the distillery has also done something similar utilizing former IPA casks, this one has the bonus of bringing out the stout’s chocolate notes.
Bushmills Private Reserve 10 Year Old Burgundy Cask
Hailing from the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, the Private Reserve collection features an array of 10- and 12-year-old Irish single malts with rare cask finishes, including plum brandy, Bordeaux, Burgundy and tequila (before then, they spent roughly six years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels). Coming in at 46-47.5% ABV and at just $60 to $75, these limited editions are unique for the Irish whiskey world and surprisingly affordable. Our favorite is the 10-year Burgundy cask finish, which has a lovely fruity sweetness and strong notes of raspberries and vanilla.
The Legendary Midnight Silkie
The core release from Sliabh Liag Distillers was a 2021 Ultimate Spirits Challenge winner for best blended Irish whiskey. Midnight is a tripled distilled peated single malt, matured in various casks (sherry, bourbon, oloroso, red wine, virgin oak and imperial stout). Given our love of the rare peated Irish whiskey (see: Blackpitts by Teeling), this is exciting — and here, orange zest, tobacco, dried fruits, baking spices and a very creamy and lush mouthfeel combine for an ideal cold weather sipper.
Boann Marsala
This Irish distillery — which also produces gin and another whiskey (The Whistler) — just launched in the United States with a range of Single Pot Still Whiskeys aged in different casks: Marsala, Madeira and Pedro Ximénez. The ingredients here are all 100% natural and 100% local, and the mash bills take inspiration from the distant past (there’s a bit of oats and rye in there). The story behind their bespoke still is pretty cool (if learning about special reflux cooling jackets and patented nano-technology is your thing), and the founders say they’re working on dozens of unique cask finishes (did someone say chocolate bitters cask?) and mash bills for future releases. As for the initial core range, these are Irish whiskeys so approachable they’ll convert non-whiskey fans. The Marsala in particular is very juicy and features notes of apple jam and milk chocolate with a slight salinity on the finish. It’s great with desserts.
Kilbeggan Single Pot Still
Lightly fruity on the nose, Single Pot Still features a very rich mouthfeel and it’s undeniably creamy on the palate. Even with just 2.5% oats in the mashbill, this is a whiskey I’d drink for breakfast — “oatmeal” flashed through my mind repeatedly during my tastings.
High N’ Wicked Foursquare Mark X 2007
An importer and specialty bottler, High N’ Wicked (started by two ex-Brown Forman execs) has released bourbons, ryes and Irish whiskeys. It’s the latter that gets special attention here, as this 100-proof release is a unique bottling — a single-grain Irish whiskey distilled in County Cork (95% corn, 5% malted barley) matured in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for six months in barrels that previously held the “Mark X 2007” Barbados Rum from Foursquare Rum Distillery’s Exceptional Cask Selections Line. Light straw in color, this one offers a ton of caramel, toasted coconut and red berries on the palate.
Clonakilty Double Oak
Nine generations of farmers head up the coastland grounds where this newer distillery, opened in 2018, is set to make a mark. The Double Oak, which now contains some of the distillery’s own liquid, was the world’s first Irish whiskey to be finished in shaved, toasted and re-charred ex-red wine European oak casks (NEOC, New Era of Cask).
Two Stacks Cask Strength
Yes, the core release is available in a can. But go for the bottle here; a blend of grain, malt and pot still whiskey that’s matured in virgin oak, ex-bourbon and former Oloroso sherry casks, the Cask Strength has real sweetness, some malted biscuit notes, spice (it dries the palette quickly), caramel, fruit, etc., but at 65%, it’s also the strongest Irish whiskey we’ve ever tried.
Natterjack Cask Strength
Natterjack is noticeable for its mascot: a yellow-striped toad, the only toad native to Ireland. What separates the brand, however, is the unique melding of both Irish and American whiskey ideals. It’s triple distilled but features an unusual mash bill of 80% corn and 20% malted barley. It first ages for three-plus years in ex-bourbon barrels (which is what traditional Irish whiskeys do) and is finished for a year in virgin American oak (which is more traditional American whiskey). Overall, it splits a nice difference between domestic and Irish whiskey. There are a lot of vanilla, orange and apple notes but also some earthier flavors and a creamy mouthfeel. If you can, find the cask strength release (63% ABV).
Killowen Signature Rum & Raisin
Ireland’s smallest craft distillery recently launched an Experimental Series, featuring six blends finished in six unique casks (from rum to peated malt to txakolina acacia). We’re partial to their Signature Blend, a “rum & raisin” inspired 5-year single malt that’s spent time in dark rum and PX sherry casks. They also produce a Poitín, an unaged spirit that’s sort of like Irish moonshine.
Pearse 5 Year Original
An Irish whiskey with an American sibling, several releases from this distillery are aged in ex-bourbon barrels from Town Branch Distillery in Lexington, KY. While the 7- and 12-year are great (Pearse is one of the few modern Irish whiskey brands to use an age statement), the standout here is surprisingly a 5-year blended release, with hints of chocolate, malt, oak and even a little (non-peaty) smoke.
J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey – The Gael
Founded by Louise McGuane, the rare woman in a leadership role in Irish whiskey, this brand is reviving the art of “whiskey bonding” — sourcing new make spirit and mature Irish whiskey from local distilleries and maturing, blending and bottling on-site in rackhouses on the McGuane family farm. Through their expansive “flavor library,” they’ve released unique blends such as The Gael, a fruit-forward Irish whiskey built from a blend that includes everything from 7-year-old single grain up to a 26-year-old single malt aged in ex-sherry casks.
Midleton Very Rare Ruby Edition
Celebrating 40 years of Midleton Very Rare (the world’s most wanted Irish whiskey), this blend of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys — with an age range spanning four decades — is finished in a ruby Port cask. Retailing for close to $20,000, the whiskey is presented in a bespoke crystal decanter hand-crafted by Waterford Crystal. Coming in at 53.1% ABV, the liquid is full of oak spice, cherry, vanilla custard, ginger and cocoa.
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Blue Spot 7-Year-Old Cask Strength Single Pot Still
Rejoining the Spots range for the first time since 1960, this recently relaunched and reimagined pot still whiskey includes liquid aged in Madeira casks, imbuing the spirit with notes of fruit, hazelnuts and sweet spices. And at 58.7% ABV, it’s got a real kick.
Lost Irish
Lost Irish is crafted from casks sourced from six continents and triple distilled using all three whiskey production styles. It’s a unique and easy drinker, with different elements and influences coming through on each sip.
Egan’s Conviction
A multi-generational distillery with a history that dates back to 1852 (albeit with a multi-decade break in the latter half of the 20th century), these whiskey releases are noted for their finishes, including Moscatel de Valencia casks and, recently, Egan’s Conviction, a blend of 10-year single malt and single grain married together and finished in XO Cognac casks. Here, the maltiness of the whiskey takes on candied fruit and chocolate notes.
Teeling Wonders of Wood Single Pot Still Series, 2nd Edition
Featuring a recipe of 50% malted barley and 50% unmalted barley, the second iteration of Teeling’s Wonders of Wood series finds their triple-distilled Irish whiskey matured in virgin Portuguese oak barrels. Bottled at 50% ABV with no chill filtration, this WOW release features notes of sandalwood, cereal, orange and a bit of lemon butterscotch on the end. It’s a bit oily and quite delicious.
Method and Madness Garryana Oak
The innovative side of Ireland’s Midleton distillery works with different and unique mash bills and wood types for their Irish whiskeys. This time, it’s the microdistillery’s Single Pot Still whiskey given time to mature in the Garryana oak from the Pacific Northwest. The end result brings an earthier tone to the whiskey, as well as notes of coffee, cloves, cereal, molasses and a bit of dried fruit.
Waterford Organic Gaia 2.1
These terroir-driven Irish whiskey distillers (who are currently suspending sales and facing an uncertain future, so buy anything from this brand if you find it) launched this release as part of their Arcadian Series, which spotlights farmers who offer up a “non-conformist” approach (basically, they’re utilizing organic, biodynamic and heritage barley, and the whisky has no coloring, chill-filtration or additives). Gaia is Ireland’s only whisky to be distilled from 100% organic Irish barley, and it’s matured in a combination of 39% first-fill U.S. oak, 17% virgin U.S. oak, 19% Premium French oak and 25% Vin Doux Naturel oak. At 50% ABV, this outstanding release features notes of malt, vanilla, pear, kiwi and orange, rounded out by a creamy mouthfeel.
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