Irish Whiskey

Besides the spelling, Irish whiskey differs from Scotch in several ways. The malt in Irish whiskey is typically dried in sealed ovens versus the opened Scottish process. Irish whiskey is usually distilled three times, while for the most part Scottish is distilled twice. These differences are not the rule and some Irish whiskies, like Connemara, are only distilled twice with peated barley. To be called Irish, the whiskey has be made from native grains and matured in wooden casks for a minimum of three years. Like Scotch, used barrels like bourbon and rum casks are utilized for the maturation process. Irish grain whiskey is distilled in column stills that use coils to heat the spirit. Like Scotland, pot stills are also used and tend to be a bit larger. These stills are similar to Scottish stills which use direct flame to heat the spirit.

Currently, Ireland has only three operating distilleries and they produce several types of Irish whiskey. Midleton and Bushmills are the most popular, but the independent Cooley, is the only Irish owned. Like American Bourbon, Irish whiskey has started a new revival with great ultra premium selections like Connemara and Redbreast. Which happen to be two of our favorites.

Blended
Like Scotch, blended Irish whiskey is the most common, and makes up the majority of production. Blended is made from single malt and grain whiskies. Ex. Jameson, Bushmill’s Original, Tullamore Dew.

Single Malt
Whiskey made from malted barley from one whiskey type in either column or pot stills. Ex. Bushmills 10, Connemara 12, Tyrconnell

Grain
Whiskey made entirely from grain. The majority of grain whiskey goes into blends and little is bottled by itself. Ex. Greenore

Pure Pot Still
A combination of malted and unmalted barley distilled in pot stills. Ex. Redbreast 12, Green Spot.

March 2007 Irish Whiskey Tasting Journey

March 2008 Irish Whiskey Tasting Journey

Bushmills          Established in 1784, Bushmills’ is Ireland’s oldest operating distillery. Whisky production in the region is traced back to 1608 and this is the date that Bushmills’ uses on their label. The distillery is located in Northern Ireland, north of Belfast and to the East of Derry. The influx of Irish emigrants to America in the 1800s help grow the popularity of the spirit abroad. The popularity of Bushmills’ enjoyed in America was almost disastrous when prohibition was enacted. The company was able to survive when other Irish distilleries were forced to close and when prohibition ended the company came roaring back. Bushmills’ employs the common Irish triple distillation method and uses a blend of unpeated and lightly peated malt. Besides the Busmills’ single malt line the company also produces the popular Black Bush. Thedistillery is open to the public and offers a great tour. If your in the area the Bushmills Inn is a great place to stay. Meaning of the name: Taken from the name of the village the distillery is located in Established: 1784 (1608 on the label) Tours: Open to the public Phone: 028207 33218 Location: Bushmills, Range Bushmills Original Bushmills 10 year old Bushmills 16 year old Bushmills 21 year old Black Bush www.bushmills.com	Cooley          Irish owned Cooley is the only independent Irish distillery operating today. The company was started by John Teeling in 1987 from a converted potato alcohol plant. Although Cooley may not have much history, it has contributed greatly to the recent resurgence of Irish whiskey. The distillery has also revived many fabled old Irish brands like, Locke’s and Tyrconnell. The distillery is very industrial so Cooley uses the old Locke’s Distillery in Kilbeggan as its visitor center which draws about 48,000 guests each year. The company also matures the majority of their whiskey in the Old lock’s warehouses. Cooley produces many different types of Irish whiskey. From blends to single malts and pure pot stills, they have an expression to fit any and all tastes. We’re partial to their Connemara expressions which is a peated line of whiskey. Not because it’s probably the closest Irish whiskey to Scotch but due to its amazing balance of Irish whiskey sweetness with its heavy peated character. It’s one substantial dram. Cooley is like David taking on two Goliaths. They haven’t been able to knock one down yet but they’ve forced a seat at the table. Meaning of the name: Taken from the name of the peninsula the distillery is located on Established: 1987 Tours: Open to the public (Old Kilbeggan Distillery, Kilbeggan) Phone: 353 42 937 6102 Location: Cooley, Co. Louth Range Greenore 8 year old - Single Grain Whiskey Kilbeggans – Blend Tyrconnell – Single malt Connemara – Peated Single Malt Connemara Cask Strength – Peated Single Malt Connemara 12 year old – Peated Single Malt Inishowen – Peated Blend Locke’s 8 year old – Single Malt Locke’s Premium – Blend Millars Special Reserve – Blend Eblana Irish Liqueur Mcgillinan – Various ages and finishes www.cooleywhiskey.com Watch the Connemara Brand Ambassador discuss the range. Connemara Click Here to Watch
Midleton          Midleton is Ireland’s largest producing distillery. The distillery is also home to the widely popular Jamison brand which is the largest selling Irish whiskey in the world. Current day Midleton, is a tale of two distilleries, the Jameson distillery located in Dublin and the Midleton distillery in Cork. The Jameson distillery stopped producing whiskey in 1975 but remains open for tours and is still the spiritual home of the whiskey that bares its name. John Jameson founded the distillery in 1780 with the motto ‘sine metu’, meaning ‘without fear, a motto that is still a part of the Jameson label. Like most Irish distillers, Jameson was widely popular in America and Prohibition crippled the company. Heavy British tariffs imposed after Ireland’s independence also took a heavy tool on the company. These two events force most Irish distilleries to close but Jameson was able to survive. In 1966, the four surviving Irish distilleries merged to form Irish Distillers. This eventually lead to the consolidation of these distilleries into one state of the art (at the time) facility in 1975. The company is now owned by industry giant Pernod Ricard. Midleton makes two of our favorite Irish whiskies, Midleton Very Rare and Redbreast. The full Jameson line is also exceptional. We highly recommend Midleton’s Redbreast 12 year old selection for its robust full flavor and reasonable price. Jameson Meaning of the name: The founder of the distillery Established: 1780 Tours: Open to the public (Monday through Sunday 9:30 to 6:00) Phone: 353 18072355 Location: Dublin Midleton Established: Early 17th Century (the new distillery was built in1975) Tours: Open to the public (Monday through Sunday 9:30 to 6:00) Phone: 353 214613594 Location: Cork Range Jameson Original Jameson 12 year old Jameson 18 year old Redbreast 12 year old Midleton Very Rare Paddy Powers powers 12 year old www.jamesonwhiskey.com