If whisky makes you think of Scotland, you're not alone. But Ireland has a rich history of distilling and produces world class drams, as our selection of the best Irish whiskey options below shows.
As a quick history lesson, Ireland was the first place in the British Isles to distill, and Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. And, fun fact, the word 'whiskey' (let’s not get into the whisky without an ‘e’ debate here) comes from ‘uisce beatha’, meaning ‘water of life’ in Gaelic.
Following a huge decline in the late 19th century to just three distilleries, Irish whiskey has been gaining huge popularity recently. It wasn't long ago that it was the fastest growing spirit in the world, well-known for its smooth and creamy taste, which is typically due to it being triple distilled.
This rise isn’t just due to big names like Jameson and Bushmills, although they deserve a lot of credit for turning everyone's taste buds onto the beauty of the spirit. There's plenty of choice now, whether you’re wanting something special or to sip on a regular basis.
Best Irish whiskey
With a far bigger mouth feel than we were expecting, Sailor's Home - The Haven is a joy of a whiskey. It's a single pot still Irish whiskey, made with malted and unmalted Irish barley and oats, which gives it a really distinctive taste. There's a good dollop of cream that is peppered with subtle spice. We taste tested this, virtually, while catching up with Conor Foley who owns the newly refurbished Kelly's Dispensary in Liverpool. The bar will be using the whiskey for its pre-prepared cocktails - so an essential visit then once the pubs are back up and running.
As featured in our main best whisky list, Redbreast 12 is a classic in the world of Irish whiskey.It’s an example of a smooth triple distilled single pot whiskey but packs in all kinds of flavour, partly thanks to a finishing combination of bourbon and sherry casks. Think Christmas cake with spice, dried fruit, marzipan and lots more.
This one certainly stretches the idea of what an Irish Whiskey is but from the first drop of Black Irish - Made Dark we were hooked. It blends Irish whiskey with a drop of Irish stout and the result is a deep, rich mouthfeel. packed with dark chocolate and coffee flavours. The Stout doesn't really dilute things either as this is still a whiskey that comes in at 40%. Not one for purists, then but for the adventurous this is a great drink, that comes in a brilliant stout-like bottle.
Jameson Black Barrel is a great release from Jameson, with sweet top notes but a much richer, darker taste than you normally associate with Jameson. Although there is no age statement, it's thought this is around 12 years old. We are big fans of the spice and heat this one offers up.
Green Spot might be a classic but Yellow Spot is a special expression following 12 years of maturation in a combination of bourbon, sherry and malaga casks.The result is a sweeter dram with a fuller body, plenty of peachy tropical fruit flavour balanced with woody spices like nutmeg and liquorice. Easily one of the most interesting Irish whiskeys around.
Powers is a big name in the Irish whiskey scene. The company was first established in Dublin in the late 1700s. Back then, it was known as the go-to whiskey brand – like Jamesons is in 2023. The John’s Lane we’ve selected here is a 12-year-old single pot still whiskey names after the address of the old Dublin distillery where the brand was first made. You’ll notice rich hints of barley and oak, as well as rich fruit flavours of apple and banana. It’s a well-balanced mix of both rich spice and light sweet.
If you are looking for a good-value Irish whiskey then Writers' Tears is it. While it will be a little on the sweet side for some, we are fans of the taste as it ends with a nice cream finish. As it is a combination of a pot still and malt whiskey this is one of the more unique whiskies on the list and this one comes pretty much burn free which will certainly suit some palettes.
An initial smooth vanilla profile common among Irish whiskeys gives way to more complex notes of salted caramel and spices while remaining creamy and moreish. This is thanks to a combination of bourbon and rum cask maturation.Teeling's Small Batch tastes great neat, but make sure you try it in cocktails and things like Irish coffee.
The second bottle of Teeling on this list is a real treat. It's a peaty whiskey that's been triple distilled and matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sauternes white wine casks. There is a real smokiness to the initial taste, but that soon disappears leaving honey and apples to linger. At 46% we popped a drop of water in to mellow the taste out and it worked a treat. It's on the expensive side, but we are big fans of this one
Bushmills still makes small batch whiskey after 400 years of history. This one is aged in three different types of wood to explore the influences of cask maturation.The combination of bourbon, port and sherry is unusual and at 16 years old this is both dark and rich. Layers of flavour bring spices, dried fruit, honey, peaches and pine for something quite special.
Made by the folks behind The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, Dead Rabbit is a great blend of 5 year old whiskey that's been matured in ex-bourbon barrels, which has then been finished in 'half-sized' virgin American oak barrels. The result is a really well-balanced whiskey that has vanilla notes and ends with a black pepper heat
The Gael, named after the bicycle JJ invented, is something of a precursor for what Chapel Gate aims to offer with its own whiskey once it’s ready as it looks to bring back the lost art of ‘whiskey bonding’.This is a blend made up of rare mature Irish Whiskey up to 26 years old (60% malt, 40% grain) and delivers a smooth and sweet dessert-like experience. It’s like eating a bowl of peaches covered in honey, biscuit crumbs and cream finishing with citrus and spice.
You might know Midleton’s single pot whiskey, but the Method and Madness series provides a chance for experimentation.This single grain edition is aged in bourbon casks followed by virgin Spanish oak. Sweetness and woody spices interplay with zesty grapefruit peel with a hint of mint on the finish. Something unusual if you don’t want a classic example.
This blended whiskey, named after Irish Whiskey pioneer George Roe, hails from Dublin and we love the stylish bottle, complete with wooden top.It’s made from a range of Irish malt and grain whiskeys and aged in bourbon casks. The result is a moreish sweet dram with a big hit of vanilla, notes of apples, pears and a hint of spice.
A whiskey roundup wouldn’t be complete without something for the peatheads out there. Named after the area where it’s made, Connemara is a great example and won’t break the bank.You get plenty of smoke on the nose with a hint of heather but the taste is thick like syrupy honey, almost like a liqueur. Sweet and smokey from start to finish, Islay fans will not be disappointed.
If we were judging on bottle alone, then The Sexton Single Malt would win hands down, but it's obviously the liquid we are interested and we're pleased to tell you that this is the full package. It hits you with caramel and marshmallows, then a citrus zest takes over the mouth, finishing with a honey sweetness. Alex Thomas is one of only a few female master blenders in the industry - to the industry's shame - and she's created something special here.
The first whiskey from The Pogues (yes, the band) was a blend, and now we have this single malt edition distilled in collaboration with West Cork Distillers.Striking red bottle aside, this is an excellent value for money single malt with an intensely raw aroma and a taste to match. It’s quite dry and savoury with a biscuity flavour along with nuts and spice.
Garavogue is the inaugural release from Sazerac's Hawk’s Rock Distillery in County Sligo.
Garavogue is special for a number of reasons, chiefly that it uses five unique casks. It's double-distilled and aged for at least 14 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks, then it goes into French Muscat and Sauternes, Spanish Pedro Ximénez Sherry and Barbadian Rum casks for further maturation. It delivers a deep flavour - vanilla and citrus sweetness on the palate, with buttery fresh fruit from the rum cask.
One to Try: Shanky's Whip
We can't add this one to the list proper as it is a whiskey liquor but Shanky's Whip is certainly worth a taste. The drink takes the burn that's associated with drinking whiskey out of the drink and replaces it with a creamy finish. This means that you still get the whiskey hit but with an addition of vanilla notes. This isn't one to have on its own, but with some cola - or even mixed into some stout. It's a great drink, but not one for the Irish Whiskey purists.
- Get more recommendations in our best whisky shortlist, which also includes Scottish whisky and bourbon.
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