Now more than a decade old, International Irish Whiskey Day is an annual worldwide celebration of Ireland’s greatest alcoholic spirit. As you probably know, there are three established styles of Irish Whiskey: Single Grain, Single Malt and Single Pot Still. It’s also well-known that Irish Whiskey must be matured for at least three years before it can be called whiskey.
Proper No. Twelve
MMA fighter and boxer Conor McGregor has stepped into the ring of whiskey making with Proper No. Twelve, a blended Irish whiskey produced with the help of former Bushmills distillery manager David Elder. Featuring malt and grain whiskeys drawn from bourbon barrels, the team created nearly 100 blends before deciding upon the one in the bottle. Proper No. Twelve takes its name from Dublin 12, the area where McGregor grew up.
For more information, go to properwhiskey.com
Bushmills Black Bush
combines an exceptionally high amount of malt whiskey married with a lighter grain whiskey, and then matured in former Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks. One of the most well-known Irish blends, Bushmill Black Bush has rich, fruity notes and a deep intense character, balanced by an incredibly unique smoothness. With sherried malt in its recipe, alongside classically caramel-y grain whiskey, this is a great cocktail whiskey.
For more information, go to bushmills.com
Writers Tears Copper Pot
Writers Tears is a light, sweet Irish whiskey made using a mix of single pot still and single malt whiskeys, resulting in oodles of honeyed, fruity notes. Wonderfully easy to drink, it would make for a great introduction to Irish whiskey. Soft honey develops on the palate. Mellow notes of vanilla and golden malt. Green apple skin, caramel and a hint of oak. But it is important to note that no writers were harmed in the making of this whiskey.
For more information, go to walshwhiskey.com
Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
Roe & Co blended Irish whiskey was named in honour of George Roe, a true pioneer of Irish Whiskey. Refined, elegant, and with remarkable depth, a masterful blend of rich malt whiskey and the smoothest of grain whiskey aged in bourbon casks. Roe & Co is bottled at 45% abv without chill-filtration and is a blend of single malt and grain whiskeys matured exclusively in bourbon casks (a high proportion of which are first-fill).
For more information, go to roeandcowhiskey.com
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey
It only makes sense that The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog in New York City, which is home to the largest collection of Irish whiskey in North America, should actually create their own Irish whiskey blend. The bar teamed up with Darryl McNally, master distiller at The Dublin Liberties, to create a 5-year-old whiskey with notes of vanilla, spice, fruit and malt, matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in “half-sized” virgin American oak barrels.
For more information, go to deadrabbitirishwhiskey.com
Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Teeling Single Grain is exclusively fully matured in Californian Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels which creates a very distinctive rich amber colour while imparting strong spicy notes and lush red berries and grape flavours. Bottled at 46%, with no chill filtration, this clean, smooth and sweet whiskey has been made with a combination of maize/corn, and the modern technique of column distillation to retain the natural flavours of the Whiskey.
For more information go to teelingwhiskey.com
Redbreast 15 Year Old
Redbreast is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, then triple distilled in pot stills from a mix of malted barley and unmalted grains. The 15-year-old expression is produced at 46%abv and is not chill-filtered. Sherry, marzipan and Christmas cake notes on the nose; lush and oily with figs. A classic, pot still Irish palate, slick and buttery, with spicy Sherry, olives and rye notes. Lengthy in the finish, with enduring oil, citrus fruit and spices.
For more information, go to redbreastwhiskey.com
