Irish Whiskey
Triple-distilled, typically smoother and lighter. Often triple-cask-matured.
6 brands in our catalog
Irish whiskey has a 600-year history and is the world’s second-largest whisky category by volume. In the 19th century it was the most-produced whisky in the world — Dublin alone housed over 30 active distilleries in the 1890s. A mix of trade wars, U.S. Prohibition, and a long period of consolidation left Ireland with only a handful of operating distilleries by the 1980s. The category has been rebuilding since the 1990s and now has more licensed distilleries than at any point in modern history.
Under EU regulation (the “Irish Whiskey Technical File” registered as a Geographical Indication in 2019), Irish whiskey must be:
- Made on the island of Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)
- Distilled and matured on the island
- Made from a mash of cereals, sugar added or no enzymes permitted in some cases
- Distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV
- Matured for at least three years in wooden casks (typically ex-bourbon and ex-sherry)
- Bottled at no less than 40% ABV
What makes Irish whiskey a distinct style:
The canonical Irish production method differs from Scotch in three ways:
- Often triple-distilled. Most Irish whiskey is distilled three times in pot stills, which produces a lighter, smoother spirit than the typical Scottish double distillation. (Not all — some single-distilled whiskeys are made, and the column still is widely used for grain whiskey.)
- Commonly unpeated. Most Irish grain and malt is dried without peat, giving the spirit a clean, malty rather than smoky flavor.
- E150a caramel coloring is permitted, and blends often use a small amount to maintain a consistent bottle color.
The four Irish whiskey categories:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Pot Still | The classic style — must be made from a mash of malted AND unmalted barley (typically 60% unmalted, 40% malted) in pot stills. Green Spot, Redbreast, Powers are the canonical examples. |
| Malt | 100% malted barley, pot still. Bushmills and Connemara are the leading examples. |
| Grain | Continuous column-still spirit, often with wheat or corn. Used mostly for blending but some single grain bottles exist. |
| Blended | A mix of two or more of the above. The volume category by far — Jameson, Bushmills Original, Tullamore D.E.W. |
Signature flavor profile:
Compared to Scotch of similar age, Irish whiskey tends to be smoother, lighter-bodied, and lower in peat smoke. Common tasting notes across the style include orchard fruit, vanilla, honey, and toasted oak. The exceptions matter: Connemara (a peated single malt) reads more like an Islay; some modern pot-still releases (Redbreast 21, the Midleton Very Rare series) lean heavily into dried fruit and old-leather complexity.
Today’s producing distilleries:
The modern Irish landscape is diverse. Bushmills (County Antrim) claims to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world (1608). Midleton (County Cork) is the home of Jameson. And new entrants are plentiful: Teeling, Waterford, Kilbeggan, West Cork, Pearse Lyons, Slane, and many smaller craft producers are now making bottlings that compete with the established names.
How to drink Irish whiskey:
- Jameson and ginger is the canonical cocktail and the gateway pour.
- Irish Coffee (whiskey, hot coffee, sugar, lightly whipped cream) was invented at Foynes airport in the 1940s as a way to warm arriving transatlantic passengers.
- Neat or with water, the better pot-still releases open up into dried-fruit and spice territory.
The catalog covers 6 Irish whiskeys, from entry-level blends to age-statement pot stills.
Jameson
The everyman Irish whiskey. Triple-distilled and crowd-pleasing.
Redbreast 12
The single-pot-still gold standard. Rich and sherried.
Bushmills 10
Single malt from Northern Ireland. Light, malty, gentle.
Tullamore Dew
Triple-smooth blend. The original Irish coffee whiskey.
Green Spot
Single-pot-stallion from a 200-year-old Dublin merchant.
Powers John's Lane
Single-pot-still, sherry-matured, complex.