![]() Irish whiskey can legally be made from any type of grain, and different brands use different grains in different combinations, which is why there's such a wide range of flavors available. If a whiskey is called a "single malt," that means it's made from 100 percent malted barley, at one individual distillery, while a "single grain" whiskey is made at a single distillery but can use a mix of barley and other grains, such as corn or wheat. Malted barley-barley that's been allowed to sprout and then dried-is a very common ingredient, as it contains an enzyme that helps break down starches into fermentable sugars. Bottle proofs vary, but the minimum allowed by US law is 40 percent ABV, or 80-proof.Īll whiskeys are made from some kind of grain. Whiskey usually goes into the barrel at fairly high proof and is then "cut" with water to bring it down to its final strength. Irish whiskey must spend at least three years aging in oak barrels, but distilleries can use casks that formerly held anything from bourbon to sherry to beer. Some whiskeys are made from only malted barley, while others use a combination of barley and other grains. (When it comes to whiskey, Ireland includes both the independent Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.) Many brands are distilled three times in copper pot stills, but other distilleries and styles use other methods and types of still. There are some legal and technical regulations around exactly how it can be made, but Irish whiskey, put simply, is whiskey distilled in Ireland. For a more affordable dram great for mixing or sipping, try Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey. The 86-proof whiskey’s depth of flavor is the perfect backdrop for the cocktail’s strong coffee sweetened with brown sugar and topped with cream.ĪBV: 43% | Age: no age statement | Volume: 750 mlįor a world-class whiskey that's worth every penny, we recommend the renowned Redbreast 15 Year Irish Whiskey. Hints of nutmeg, butter, and vanilla accent the oaky palate. In this case, it’s corn in addition to barley, which adds a wonderful sweetness that plays remarkably well with the flavors of bourbon-barrel aging. Unlike a single malt, made at a single distillery from from 100 percent malted barley, a single grain whiskey must be made at a single distillery but can use a mix of grains. Kilbeggan Single Grain definitely fits the bill for smoothness. Named Joe Sheridan, the inventor gave his cocktail's recipe in rhyming form: "Cream as rich as an Irish brogue, coffee as strong as a friendly hand, sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue, and whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land” Patrick’s Day.The legend behind the iconic Irish coffee cocktail goes that an airport bartender in the town of Shannon whipped it up on a rainy day in the 1940s to warm up (and cheer up) a group of delayed passengers. These are the whiskeys you can involve yourself with, both the ones you’ve heard of and the more elevated expressions of those same whiskeys (in price and taste.)īut before we embark on this journey through the Emerald Isle to find the best Irish whiskey that will hopefully not again involve the term “Emerald Isle,” we leave you with this toast, which was given in a bar in Chicago once.Īnyway, here’s to a tastier-and more Irish!-St. With the explosion of new Irish whiskey brands, you have more options than ever-at the liquor store and your favorite American Irish bar and Father O’McPaddy’s Extremely Authentic Irish Pub (all seven locations in the quad-state area!). Patrick’s Day drinking is as refined an experience as you want it to be. There are sweet and spicy ones, smoky ones and light ones, thin ones and “big” one-which is great news because St. The field of Irish whiskeys is as diverse as bourbon-and, arguably, Scotch. A lot of these premium bottles are “single pot still” versions of the whiskies you’ve heard of: Jameson, Powers, and more. It’s just “Jameson.” A light, sweet, smooth, approachable introduction to the category.īut people aren’t just drinking whiskey for “approachability.” Sales of premium Irish brands are rising, as well. Funny thing is, a lot of the people who drink Jameson don’t think of it as an Irish whiskey. The booming popularity of Irish whiskey- sales jumped 13 percent in 2017 alone, and even Conor McGregor is getting in on it-mostly has to do with one whiskey, Jameson, and the marketing dollars behind it.
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