If you see an age on the label, that's the minimum amount of time every drop of the whiskey has spent in wood-it could potentially be a blend that also includes older spirits.
Longer-aged bottlings are typically between 10 and 20 years old, but there are rare (and very expensive) expressions out there that have aged for 50 years or even longer. Irish law dictates that whiskey must be aged for at least three years to bear the name "Irish whiskey," but that's only the minimum. Others have created unique styles by aging their spirits in unusual casks, like barrels that previously held various types of beer or wine. There are Irish distilleries break with tradition to make single malt whiskeys with a more austere flavor similar to Scotch, including some that use smoky peated malt. With that said, there's no single set of flavors you'll find in every Irish whiskey. Fruit and vanilla notes are very common, and the aging imparts a pleasant oak and caramel background to the whiskey. These easy-drinking spirits are characterized as having a lot of flavor but with a lighter profile than American bourbon. In general, Irish whiskey is known as one of the smoothest whiskeys available. Sometimes the grains are fermented and distilled individually and blended afterward, and sometimes they're combined before fermentation. 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” 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.
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