ish whiskey (Irish: Fuisce or Uisce beatha) is whiskey made in Ireland.
Key regulations defining Irish whiskey and its production are established by the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980, and are relatively simple (for example, in comparison with those for Scotch whisky orAmerican whiskey). They can be summarised as follows:
- Irish whiskey must be distilled and aged in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland.
- The contained spirits must be distilled to an alcohol by volume level of less than 94.8% from a yeast-fermented mash of cereal grains (saccharified by the diastase of malt contained therein, with or without other natural diastases) in such a way that the distillate has an aroma and flavour derived from the materials used.
- The product must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks.
- If the spirits comprise a blend of two or more such distillates, the product is referred to as a "Blended" Irish whiskey.
There are several types of whiskey common to Ireland, including those referred to as Single Malt,Single Grain, and Blended Irish Whiskey. However, in contrast to the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009, the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980 does not actually contain a definition of the terms "Single Malt Irish Whiskey" or "Single Grain Irish Whiskey" or specific rules governing their production, so the exact definitions of these terms may not be clearly established. The meaning of such terms can vary substantially from producer to producer. For example, some Scottish whisky that could have been considered "Single Malt" prior to 2009 was distilled using continuous stills, and there is an American whiskey marketed as a "Single Malt" that is made from rye grain. Both of these practices would violate the 2009 Scotch Whisky Regulations definition of "Single Malt Scotch Whisky" but may not be prohibited for "Single Malt Irish Whiskey".
The word whiskey is an Anglicisation of the Goidelic branch of languages including Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx as "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life". (The Craythur is a modern Irish term for whiskey.)
Most Irish whiskey is distilled three times, while Scotch whisky, apart from Auchentoshan, is distilled twice. Peat is rarely used in themalting process, so that Irish Whiskey has a smoother finish as opposed to the smoky, earthy overtones common to some Scotches. There are notable exceptions to these "rules" in both countries; an example is Connemara Peated Irish Malt (double distilled) whiskey from the independent Cooley Distillery in Riverstown, Cooley, County Louth.
Although Scotland sustains approximately 90 distilleries, Ireland has only four (although each produces a number of different whiskeys): economic difficulties in the last few centuries have led to a great number of mergers and closures. Currently those distilleries operating in Ireland are: New Midleton Distillery (Jamesons, Powers, Paddy, Midleton, Redbreast, and others, plus the independently sold rarity Green Spot), Old Bushmills Distillery (all Old Bushmills, Black Bush, 1608, Bushmills 10-, 12- and 16- and 21-year-old single malts), Cooley Distillery (Connemara, some Knappogues, (the '94 was by Bushmills) Michael Collins, Tyrconnell, and others) and the recently reopenedKilbeggan Distillery, which began distilling again in 2007 and released samples of its still-maturing spirit at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years worth of aging in 2009 as "The Spirit of Kilbeggan." Irish Distillers' Midleton distillery has been part of the Pernod-Ricard conglomerate since 1988. Bushmills was part of the Irish Distillers group from 1972 until 2005 when it was sold to Diageo. In addition to the 4 distilleries, there are a number of independently owned Irish Whiskey brands, such Tullamore Dew and The Irishman. The Irishman specialise in re-creating some of Irelands lost whisky treasures such as Potstill whiski.
Types |
Irish whiskey comes in several forms. Most Irish whiskey contains alcoholcontinuously distilled from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley and other grains. This mixed-grain whiskey is much lighter and more neutral in flavour than the type called single malt, and most such mixed-grain whiskey is blended with single malts to produce relatively light flavoured blended whiskey. However, there are a few Irish whiskies made from 100% malted barley and distilled using pot stills. Such a whiskey, when produced by a single distillery, is called a single malt whiskey.
It is possible Irish whiskey may be one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe, however such theories have no foundation as the first evidence for the distillation of whiskey in written sources dates from the 15th century (see Distilled beverage). TheOld Bushmills Distillery claims to be the oldest surviving licenced distillery in the world (it received a licence from James I in 1608), although production of whiskey didn't commence at Bushmills until the late 18th century. A statute introduced in the late 16th century introduced a viceregal license for the manufacture of whiskey.
[edit]Examples
- Blends: Black Bush, Bushmills Original, Inishowen, Jameson, Kilbeggan,Locke's Blend, Midleton Very Rare, Millars, Paddy, Powers, Tullamore Dew,Clontarf, The Irishman Potstill, Writer's Tears
- Pot still blends: Green Spot, Jameson 15yr Old Pure Pot Still, Redbreast (12, 15 yrs)
- Single Malt: Bushmills (10, 16, 21 yrs), Connemara Peated Malt (Regular, Cask Strength & 12 yrs), Locke's Single Malt (8 yr), Tyrconnell, The Irishman Single Malt, Tullamore Dew Single Malt (10 yr)
- Single Grain: Greenore (8, 10 yrs)
Two Irish whiskey brands at the top of their game
Knappogue Castle and Michael Collins Irish whiskeys have been around for a while. There are new releases by both labels that I enjoy, and wanted to share this information with you.Knappogue has offered many expressions over the years, from three different Irish distilleries, including vintage release and whiskeys with age statements. Other than the original 1951 vintage from the long-gone B. Daly distillery (where Tullamore Dew used to be made), I think this “Twin Wood” 16 year old is my favorite.
It’s aged in bourbon casks first, and then finished in sherry casks. My main issue with some of the Knappogue releases in the past is that they have been a bit on the youthful side. This one is nicely matured and the sherry adds an extra layer of flavors. (There’s no disclosure on where this came from, buy my guess is Bushmills.) It will set you back $100.
Michael Collins, offering both a single malt and a blended whiskey (from the Cooley distillery), was originally released with no
age statement. My issue was the same as with Knappogue Castle–it tasted a little big green when originally released. Now, they have changed the packaging and also bottled the single malt at 10 years of age. Cooley has been releasing some great whiskeys lately, and this is another example of the quality of their work. I’m not tasting sherry in this one. It’s just a very nice, straight-forward Irish single malt.You might want to give both of these a try if you are an Irish whiskey drinker.
Private Brands
There has been numerous private bottlings done for individual companies under said companies own brand name. Listed here is all the private labels that I know of and they consist of large and small operations.
(Click on the bottle name to view picture if available)
Feckin Irish (Strangford Gold)
Halewood International (Ballydoyle & Aberleigh House) Hennessy na Geanna
Shanahan's Silver Springs (Horse and Jockey & Wolf Hound Irish Whiskey)
Brogans
The Brogans brand was set up by Pat Brogan and was initially based solely on Brogans Irish Cream Liqueur. The success of Brogans Irish cream lead to release of Brogans Legacy 10yo SIngle Malt.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Run | Dist | Launched | |
| Legacy 10yo | 40.0 | Bushmills | 1/5000 | 1996 | 2006 | * |
Buena Vista
The Beuna Vista Cafe in San Francisco established in 1952 is famous the world over for it's Irish Coffee. The sell some much Irish Coffee that they created their own brand
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | ||
| Buena Vista Blend | 40.0 | Pre 2005 | |||
| Buena Vista Blend | 40.0 | Cooley | 2005 | # | |
| Buena Vista Blend | 40.0 | 2006 - Present | |||
Clontarf
Clontarf is part of the Castle Brands stable which also has Knappogue Castle.
| Expression | & | Launched | |||
| Current Line Up | |||||
| Clontarf Trinity | 2008 | ||||
| Clontarf Classic Blend | 40.0 | 2008 | |||
| Clontarf Single Malt | 40.0 | 2008 | |||
| Past Livery | |||||
| Clontarf Trinity | |||||
| Clontarf Classic Blend (Black Label) | 40.0 | ||||
| Clontarf Reserve (Blend) | 40.0 | ||||
| Clontarf Single Malt | 40.0 | ||||
| Clontarf Trinity | 40.0 | 1998 | * | ||
| Clontarf Black Label (Grain) | 40.0 | 1998 | * | ||
| Clontarf Reserve (Blend) | 40.0 | 1998 | # | ||
| Clontarf Single Malt | 40.0 | 1998 | # | ||
See also kissmyirish.com
Michael Collins
Sydney Frank US drinks importer decided that they needed an Irish Whiskey to go along with their other spirit brands. It was decided that they would create their own label. Launched in the US in March 2006 the marketing blurb says the blend has whiskies of 4-12years. The malt seemingly contains some lightly peated whiskey.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| Michael Collins Blend | 40.0 | Cooley | 2011 | |
| Michael Collins 10yo Single Malt | 40.0 | Cooley | 2011 | |
| Michael Collins Blend | 40.0 | Cooley | 2006 | * |
| Michael Collins Single Malt | 40.0 | Cooley | 2006 | * |
Danny Boy
Danny Boy Irish Whiskey is part of the Danny Boy Colection. The Danny Boy Collection is also proud to be associated with the Rita Charles Trust charity that helps foster important cross community initiatives in Belfast and throughout Ireland. A limited edition 15yo Malt was first launched then a Blend was added to the line in 2009.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Run | Launched | |
| Danny Boy 15yo Irish Malt | 40.0 | Cooley | 2,500 | 2007 ?? | |
| Danny Boy Blend | 40.0 | Cooley | 2009 | ||
Feckin Irish
Shane Braniff a successful businessman in the pub and hospitality sector launched this brand on an unwitting public in 2006. Innovative and imaginative Feckin Irish Whiskey is sure to awaken the rogue in us all for a bit of 'craic' b'gorra.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | ||
| Feckin Irish Whiskey | 40.0 | Cooley | 2006 | * | |
| Strangford Gold | 40.0 | Cooley | |||
See Also feckin.com
Halewood International
Possibly a now defunct company and brand as I cannot find out much about them. Further the main brand of Ballydoyle does not seem to be in obvious supply since it's inception in 2004. It seems that Amberleigh House was released as a limited edition in celebration of the Horse of the same name who won the Grand National in 2004.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| Ballydoyle | 40.0 | Cooley | 2004 | |
| Amberleigh House | 40.0 | Cooley | 2004 | |
Hennessy na Geanna
It is thought Hennessey had this whiskey bottled under their moniker for the Japanese Market. Possibly released to keep the Hennessey name to the fore when the whiskey market in Japan started to out grow the Cognac market. This marketing ploy it seems did not work as this brand was quickly shelved.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | ||
| Hennessy na Geanna | 40.0 | 1999 | * | ||
.
IrishMan
Bernard Walsh launched one of the newest Irish Whiskey brands only a couple years ago. On the back of the success of the Hot Irishman (An all in one Irish Coffee mix) he then let loose his vision of whiskey on us. The Irishman 70 is unique in that it is a blend of 70% malt and the rest pure pot still so all in all a 'Superior' blend. The other regular offering is a single malt sourced at Bushmills.
| Expression | % | Description | Run | Launched | |
| 70 | 40.0 | The newest livery of the Malt / Potstill blend | 2007 | ||
| Original Clan | 40.0 | US market label for the 70 | 2007 | ||
| Single Malt | 40.0 | A single malt sourced at Bushmills | 2006 | * | |
| Rare Cask Strength | 56.0 | First Irishman limited release. Dec 2008 | 2000 | 2008 | * |
| Rare CS | 53.0 | The Second Rare Cask Strength Release | 2850 | 2010 | |
| Past Livery | |||||
| Superior | The first incarnation of the Malt / Potstill blend (Now called the 70) | 2006 | * | ||
Kellan
Kellan is a new Irish Whiskey Brand from a company called BerNiko, LLC, created for the US market. BerNiko, LLC. is a family owned and operated importer of high quality spirits for the United States and Latin America. Based out of South Florida and seem to cover mainly east coast states.
| Expression | % | Description | Launched | |
| Kellan Blend | 40.0 | A New Brand & Release for the US in 2009 | 2009 | |
Podhreen Mare
This curious private brand has been created especially for The Thatch pub in BroughShane, Co. Antrim. Described as a Pure Pot Still Classic Single malt is a bit misleading as it is simply a Single Malt and not a true Pure Pot still in the Irish whiskey sense. However with lack of regulation in relation to such terms there is technically nothing wrong as Single Malt is also produced in a Pot still ... confused.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| Podhreen Mare Irish Single Malt | 40.0 | Cooley | 2008?? | |
Shanahan's
Shanahan's on the Green is a top class steakhouse on the famous St Stephens Green in Dublin. John Shanahan, an Irish-American, opened this culinary delight because of his love for Ireland and so he could get a decent steak while visiting the green sod ;-). Bottled as a Single malt and a blend especially for the restaurant.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| Shanahan's Original Single Malt | Cooley | 2006 | * | |
| Shanahan's Original Blended | Cooley | 2006 | * | |
John L. Sullivan
A New blended Irish Whiskey for 2009/2010 to the american market. Named after the Famous Irish American boxed and long time undisputed champion of the world. Imported by Undisputed Intl LLC
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| John L. Sullivan | 40.0 | Cooley | 2009/2010 | |
Silver Springs International
Slane Castle
Lord Henry Mountcharles the 8th Marquess Conyngham whose family have been seated at Slane Castle since 1701 has decided to create his own whiskey Brand. Slane Castle Finest Premium Blend Irish Whiskey is to be launched in the US market primarily. Launch date is in New York on 1st July. Will also be available in very limited outlets in Ireland.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| Slane Castle | 40.0 | Cooley | 2009 | |
Wild Geese
Registered under the Avalon Group which in turn seems to be owned by Protégé International Ltd this whiskey has been knocking around in various forms for a while now. However the latest incarnation with a line of of 4 whiskies 3 in unique square decanter type bottles is both impressive and stylish and smacks of a quality product.
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| | ||||
| Single Malt | 43.0 | Cooley | 2007 | |
| Limited Edition Fourth Centennial | 43.0 | Cooley | 2007 | |
| Rare Irish | 43.0 | Cooley | 2007 | |
| Classic Blend | 40.0 | Cooley | 2007 | |
| Blend (Old Green label tall bottle, Cork Top) | 43.0 | Cooley | 2006 | * |
| Blend (Older Purple label tall bottle, Screw Top) | 40.0 | Cooley | 2003 | * |
The Wild Geese & Irish Soldiers
This is a slight rebranding of the Wild Geese line up especially for the North American market (USA & Canada)
| Expression | % | Distillery | Launched | |
| Single Malt | 43.0 | Cooley | ||
| Limited Edition Fourth Centenial | 43.0 | Cooley | ||
| Rare Irish | 43.0 | Cooley | ||
| Classic Blend | 40.0 | Cooley | ||
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