Irish whiskey is blowing up right now. Much of that is due to classic expressions gaining well-deserved new fans throughout yet another whiskey boom. That increased interest has prompted the natural evolution of the category at every level. Irish whiskey is more than just triple distilled juice from Ireland now — there are new tweaks being added constantly, from the grains being grown across the Emerald Isle to specialty finishings to unique age statements.
All this to say: it’s a good time to be into the tipple from Ireland.
The ten whiskeys below are Irish whiskeys I tried this year. They’re all brand new releases from 2021 or very close to it, meaning some might still be a little harder to find. Still, these are the bottles that I think are worth spending a little time and money on, if you’re into Irish whiskey.
Sláinte!
Waterford Dunmore 1.1
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $104
The Whiskey:
Waterford might be the most interesting whiskey maker in the world right now. The crux of this distillery is in the barley. The short version of the story is that Waterford sources barley from just over 40 farms across Ireland and then makes a single estate whiskey from each to, highlight how massively important terroir is to whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a subtle balance of bitter yet bright grapefruit pith next to a light smear of vanilla frosting. The palate has this waxy apple saltwater taffy vibe with a touch of dried roses, some honey-candied pecans, and cinnamon and clove stewed pears. The mid-palate leans into the fruit and nuts with an almost zucchini bread body, plenty of spice, more nuts, and a good measure of sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is a great place to start your journey with the Waterford line. It’ll be wild how different the next whiskey you try from them be — especially when you remember that it has only one variable: The source of the barley.
Redbreast Single Pot Still PX Edition
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
This new drop from Redbreast continues the brand’s domination of the sherry-finished Irish whiskey game. The juice is finished in Pedro Ximenéz casks after spending years in both ex-bourbon and ex-Olorosso sherry casks. This is the latest installment of The Redbreast Iberian Series, which aims to highlight barrels from Portugal and Spain in the Irish whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
This is pretty much Christmas in a glass, with a nose full of nuts, candied fruits, dark spices, and a rum-soaked holiday cake. The taste builds on that by adding in oily oranges with a slight waxy edge, a light touch of marzipan, and some malty cookies with a flake of salt. The finish circles back around to the moist, spicy, and fruity holiday cake with the sweetness lingering the longest.
Bottom Line:
This is just delicious. There’s really no other way to say it.
Lambay Whiskey Cask Strength
ABV: 56.5%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
This is a really special whiskey. The release is part of a 20 cask rollout of whiskeys. The whiskey was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in cognac casks before getting bottled as-is from a single cask.
Tasting Notes:
The fruitiness on the nose is high and complex, with grapefruit next to dates, plums, apricot, pear, and maybe a touch of savory squash flesh. The palate layers in soft bourbon vanilla with more pear with a spicy stewed vibe, dark raisins, marzipan, dried flowers, cedar boxes, and a touch of old wicker furniture. The end holds onto the sweeter end of the fruits and drowns them in floral honey, leaving you with a sweet finish.
Bottom Line:
There are only 300-ish bottles for each of these single cask releases. They’re 100 percent worth picking up (if you can find one) just for the unique, one-off experience of bespoke Irish whiskey.
Method and Madness Rye & Malt
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $105
The Whiskey:
Methos & Madness is a tiny micro-distillery tucked away in Ireland’s biggest distillery, Midleton (where Jameson, Powers, Redbreast, and many others are made). Distiller Katherine Condon created this one using a mash bill of 60 percent rye and 40 percent malted barley. That spirit then spent several years chilling out in ex-bourbon casks before it was proofed and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s this juxtaposition of lemon pepper and a rush of lavender on the nose that’s so pronounced it’s almost impossible to get anything else. The palate veers away from that towards a cedar box stuffed with spicy, dry tobacco leaves dusted with white pepper, cloves, and a dark chocolate powder cut with ground-up dried chili flakes. The mid-palate sweetens slightly with a touch of dates soaked in black tea next to ginger snap cookies.
Bottom Line:
This is fascinating and a really cool entry into the rye whiskey pantheon. It’s familiar with all that spice yet wholly unique. This is a must-try for any rye fan.
Writers’ Tears Single Pot Still
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
This bespoke series from Writers’ Tears is all about subtle pot-stilled Irish whiskey aged in unique casks. In this cask, the whiskey was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon, PX, and Marsala casks before those juices were blended, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is both dark and murky with a touch of brown ale and peat and it’s bright and lush with apple orchards, bright honey, and tart fruit. That’s just the nose. The palate largely delivers on those dichotomous notes while leaning into the malty brown ale with a toffee sweetness with plenty of brown butter next to melon candies, a touch of pine, and some dark and meaty prunes steeped in plenty of brown spice.
Bottom Line:
This is wild. It’s so interesting to really take your time with, add in water, and dive into what blooms in the glass. It’s also worth noting that this is already available in Europe but won’t be hitting U.S. shelves until early 2022.
Midleton Very Rare 2021
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $300
The Whiskey:
The 38th Very Rare release from Midleton is a marrying of single pot still and grain whiskeys that spent 15 to 36 years aging in ex-bourbon barrels. The barrels were specifically chosen for their very light char. Those whiskeys were masterfully vatted and then proofed down with that iconic Cork County springwater to a very accessible 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a clear sense of Irish grain whiskey that leads towards apple candy (think fancy Jolly Ranchers). There’s also a touch of lemon pepper on the nose that works really well with that sweet apple candy. You definitely know you’re drinking Irish whiskey with a light grain vibe with a slightly floral note that leads towards … I want to say … pears stewed with saffron, very mild cinnamon, and grape-forward brandy. The fruitiness kicks up a notch as you sip again, surfacing as a sweet/tart/savory kiwi (the green flesh and white pith, not the sandpaper skin).
Going back in for a second and third nose and sip reveals a deep vanilla bourbon nature next to a light maltiness. There’s exactly zero alcohol burn thanks to that low ABV. The end is soft, fruity, and slightly warming but doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Bottom Line:
This is contention to be amongst my favorite all-around pours of the year — certainly one of the top Irish whiskeys for sure. It’s rare, sure. But this is a centerpiece whiskey that surprises every single year.
Teeling Single Grain 13-Year-Old
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $100
The Whiskey:
Again, we’re in super unique territory here. The whiskey from Dublin is made primarily with a corn mash bill (95 percent corn and five percent malted barley). That juice is aged in ex-bourbon barrels for nine long years before it’s finished in red wine barrels from Bordeaux for another four years. That’s then cut down to 50 percent and bottled in a one-off Teeling bottle.
Tasting Notes:
That bourbon-ness really comes through on the nose with a thick cherry cordial next to a bushel of dry cinnamon sticks leading towards blackberry and blueberry next to a touch of rose-water-heavy marzipan. The palate really leans into those bright yet dark berries while a creamy vanilla ice cream comes into play with a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup, ripe apricots, and a dusting of ground almonds. The finish lets the wood sneak in with a wet cedar vibe next to sticky yet spicy tobacco with a red berry edge.
Bottom Line:
This is another one where it’s hard not to just say, “It’s delicious!” But, it’s really true. This is so damn easy-drinking while still having distinct flavor notes that feel light and airy. It’s great.
Jameson Black Barrel Proof
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
Jameson Black Barrel is one of my favorite bottles from the Irish brand. This new take on the double-charred barrel-aged whiskey amps up the ABVs, allowing a lot more character to shine through in the actual juice. The juice in the bottle is a mix of grain and pot still whiskeys that were aged in those signature double charred barrels along with some ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks thrown in too.
Tasting Notes:
That bitter char comes through on the nose with a subtle espresso bean oiliness next to almost burnt buttery toffee and a touch of walnut. The palate builds on that nuttiness to the point of a walnut cake full of Caro syrup, plenty of dark holiday spices, and a touch of vanilla pudding. The end really amps that vanilla up to the point that you’re almost chewing on vanilla tobacco while the wood comes in with a dry cigar box vibe.
Bottom Line:
This just dropped this month. Given the popularity of Black Barrel, expect this to hit shelves and sell out fast. If you do grab a bottle, make sure to try it in cocktails. It has great depth that really shines with simple, wintry bar concoctions.
Fercullen Estate Series Mill House Amarone Cask Finish
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a single estate, like Waterford. The whiskey in this bottle is a blend of whiskeys distilled in 2010, 2011, and 2012 that were all matured in ex-bourbon barrels before a finishing stint in Italian Amarone casks for 18 months.
Tasting Notes:
This almost feels like a crafty America rye with clear notes of anise and salted black licorice next to savory fruits, lemon zest, and bourbon-y vanilla on the nose. The palate has this feel of a jar of honey full of clove and allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. A mild dark cacao powder arrives on the mid-palate and leads back towards the fruit, but this time they’re sweet and tart, think raspberries covered in dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bridge between rye and Irish whiskey without this being rye. Which, we know, that’s weird given there’s an actual Irish rye whiskey on this list. Still, this is a great whiskey to go a little deeper in the Irish whiskey world.
Bushmills Single Malt “The Causeway Collection” 1995 Finished in Malaga Casks
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $440
The Whiskey:
This drop from late last year is made from whiskeys aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for ten years. Those whiskeys are vatted and then that juice is aged for another 14 (!) years in old Malaga wine casks.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a bold nose full of dry cedar and chewy fruit-laced tobacco next to a touch of fresh honeycomb, holiday spice, and very dark dried fruits. There’s this really distinct dry red wine tannic vibe on the palate that’s a little berry-forward while notes of papaya, Christmas cake, and spicy orange drive the taste. The finish is very long and pops with rich and dark dried fruits, more of that chewy tobacco, and a touch of vanilla pudding spiked with eggnog spices.
Bottom Line:
While this is spendy and rare, it’s worth it. This is a big, bold whiskey that really drives home its flavor profile without any hesitation. It’s clearly rendered, deep, and pretty damn tasty.
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