In the United States, Irish whiskey has long been overshadowed by bourbon and Scotch whisky. Where those styles have enjoyed the prestige often afforded premium spirits, Irish whiskey has often been thought of as a cheap dive bar shot, the base for an Irish Coffee, or something overindulged once a year on St. Patrick’s Day.
That’s starting to change, and now, the Irish whiskey industry is surging.
“The Emerald Isle had less than 10 distilleries not very long ago,” says Oscar Adrian Montes Iga, education team manager at Uncorked Vintage Academia in Austin. “That is, the industry shrunk from the 22 distilleries in the 1870s. Today, the number has grown to about 40 distilleries. It’s still nowhere close to the [nearly] 100 distilleries that were around in the early 1800s, but it seems like they’re on their way to increase production with surging demand.”
Americans have begun to realize that Irish whiskey can be complex, unique, and delicious.
Mark McLaughlin, director of Irish spirits, The Dead Rabbit, New York City
“I think the perception has moved on from being Jameson-dominant, and that consumers have begun to realize that there is more to offer from the category.”
— Mark McLaughlin, director of Irish spirits, The Dead Rabbit, New York City
“I think the perception has moved on from being Jameson-dominant, and that consumers have begun to realize that there is more to offer from the category,” says Mark McLaughlin, director of Irish spirits for The Dead Rabbit in New York City.
With the industry’s growth and the proliferation of fascinating premium expressions, it’s natural to wonder if Irish whiskey is merely “having a moment.”
“I think Irish whiskey is building momentum, rather than having a moment,” says McLaughlin. “There are a number of producers who have a long-term mindset that are producing whiskeys today that are laying the foundation for how Irish whiskey will be recognized in the decades to come.”
The best may be yet to come, but today’s producers are experimenting with unique grains and aging methods. We spoke with a few experts and bartenders to find the bottles that best showcase the cutting edge of Irish whiskey.
Redbreast 18-Year-Old
Food & Wine / Redbreast Whiskey
Most fans of Irish single-pot still whiskey are familiar with Redbreast and the brand’s signature bottling, Redbreast 12. The 18-year-old expression adds further depth with components matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, along with cream sherry casks and ruby port casks.
“Great whiskey-making on display here,” says McLaughlin. “The precision of Dave McCabe as new master blender is on show here, perfectly balancing each element of flavor [in] creating a new classic in the Redbreast range [and] adding new depth in their cask choices.”
Lost Irish
Food & Wine / Lost Irish
Unlike bourbon and scotch, Irish whiskey producers have much more freedom with the barrels they’re allowed to mature their whiskey. There’s no better example than Lost Irish, which uses wood from six continents to craft a complex, unique spirit.
The combination of ex-bourbon, rum, sherry, and brandy casks creates a hard-to-pin-down complexity. “This whiskey has a multitude of flavors and a real depth of character,” says Abigail Gullo, creative director at the Loa Bar in New Orleans.
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Single Malt
Food & Wine / Egan’s
Although Scotland is most closely associated with single malt whisky, producers in Ireland also craft rich and complex single malts. Most whiskeys in Ireland and Scotland are aged at least partially in ex-bourbon casks, but this unique offering is aged completely in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
“It has the characteristics of a single malt with some tack room accents and biscuit, cookies profile,” says Montes Iga. “But, it also highlights a rich date, fig, prune, bitter chocolate, coffee, tobacco nuance that is brought on by aging in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.”
Waterford Cuvée Gaia
Food & Wine / Waterford
No distillery embodies the adventurous nature of Irish whiskey producers these days as Waterford. It focuses on the terroir of Irish-grown barley from organic and biodynamic farms. The Gaia Cuvée is a marriage of single malt distillate from five organic farms across Ireland, distilled and matured separately before they’re combined to create a flavor unique within the single malt category.
“Grain-driven with intense barley floral notes and nutty characteristics, it showcases that their pursuit of perfection through working with the farmers directly could pay dividends in years to come,” says McLaughlin. “[Waterford Gaia is], potentially, the best baseline distillate for maturation there is in the malt whiskey category globally.”
Clonakilty Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Food & Wine / Clonakilty
Single-pot still whiskey, which is made from both malted and unmalted barley, is Ireland’s signature style. Just because this whiskey from Clonakilty embraces such tradition doesn’t mean it’s not unique, exciting, or delicious.
“A very traditional profile of unmalted and malted barley showcase candied ginger, pastry, and orchard fruits,” says Montes Iga. “The diverse ex-bourbon, amontillado, and oloroso sherry élevage bring in some candied chocolate-covered orange and spiced caramel apple.”
Shortcross Distillers Duo
Food & Wine / Shortcross
The Distillers Duo is a unique blend of single malt whiskey and single-pot still whiskey, both produced at the Shortcross distillery. They’re matured in ex-bourbon and virgin American oak casks for a minimum of five years before being blended. McLaughlin says this is the first time that he’s come across single malt and single-pot still whiskey from the same distiller that was blended into a single expression.
“[This whiskey takes] advantage of the vibrancy of both malt and pot still distillates being combined, where you get the oily, spicy character of the pot still intertwining with the fruity, nutty character of the malt spirit,” says McLaughlin. “All of this is amplified by the fact it is a double-distilled, big, bold, youthful whiskey with tons of grain and distillate character, giving us a completely new flavor profile to enjoy in the Irish whiskey category.”
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