Irish Whiskey

[-BB-]

So my friend just got back from an Ireland trip and brought me a bottle of Teeling Small Batch. This stuff is amazing. It got me thinking about how the Irish usually get lost in the fray when it comes to whiskey. So what's your favorite? BTW if you can find someone to bring you some Teelings, or if you can get it online (Texas won't allow online liquor purchases) get some.


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[Paps]

I like "Bush Mills" but can't say that i've tried alot of Irish whiskeys.

 

[worlddivides]

I actually vastly prefer Irish whiskey to Scotch, although I think bourbon is probably my favorite kind of whiskey.

I tend to buy new Irish whiskies where I can find them, but it's unfortunate how in the US liquor stores typically have at least 10x more Scotch. Sometimes 100x more Scotch. And I personally like some Scotch whiskies. I just find that they are on average less likely to be to my personal taste. For example, I love the smokiness of Tennessee whiskies, but I don't like the "smokiness" of the peat in Islay whiskies.

I like "Bush Mills" but can't say that i've tried alot of Irish whiskeys.

It may be a huge whiskey company and one of the most famous from Ireland, but it's still one of my favorite whiskies period. I have a bottle of Bushmills right next to a bottle of Jefferson Reserve, a bottle of Elijah Craig 18 year, and a bottle of Basil Hayden. All highly-rated bourbons that aren't cheap, but I think Bushmills does pretty well.

 

[flars]

Jameson. Haven't yet tasted the Jameson Reserve whiskeys. Have a idea I would like them also.

 

[jschein]

Jameson. Haven't yet tasted the Jameson Reserve whiskeys. Have a idea I would like them also.

Oh, you will like it. Trust me.

 

[Natdavis777]

My go-to is Jameson. After a bad day at work, 4 fingers over rocks is a good remedy. I do like scotch as well. Ill alternate between Jameson and Dewars 12 year.

If I were to spend a little more $ though, Red Breast is a pretty good Irish whiskey

 

[BigJack]

Its hard for me to find, but whenever I see Clontarf, I grab it. Nice dram.

 

[Qhrumphf]

These days the only hard liquor I really drink is Scotch and Irish Whiskey. Don't like the American and Canadian ones. As far as Irish, Redbreast is my go-to. It's pricy for Irish, but cheap compared to most Single Malt Scotch, and as far as I'm concerned it's Ireland's answer to Single Malt, so I'm fine paying the price for it. But typically don't do shots or anything with it. In that case, it's Jameson.

 

[hunter_le five]

These days the only hard liquor I really drink is Scotch and Irish Whiskey. Don't like the American and Canadian ones. As far as Irish, Redbreast is my go-to. It's pricy for Irish, but cheap compared to most Single Malt Scotch, and as far as I'm concerned it's Ireland's answer to Single Malt, so I'm fine paying the price for it. But typically don't do shots or anything with it. In that case, it's Jameson.

F***ing love Redbreast, though I can rarely afford to drink it. My dad got me a bottle as a Christmas gift one year, which is how I got onto it in the first place. Damn him.

 

[Qhrumphf]

F***ing love Redbreast, though I can rarely afford to drink it. My dad got me a bottle as a Christmas gift one year, which is how I got onto it in the first place. Damn him.

I hear you. I can't afford it often so it's a tiny bit every now and then. I go through maybe a bottle a year.

 

[hunter_le five]

I hear you. I can't afford it often so it's a tiny bit every now and then. I go through maybe a bottle a year.

Ditto. It's my special occasion/celebratory whiskey.

If I need a routine ohgodthisweeksucks drink, I'll reach for some modestly priced bourbon instead.

 

[Cyclman]

I love them all, Scottish, American, Irish...actually I lied, not a fan of Canadian whiskey.

Irish seems to be the bargain of the group. I have a great irish pub near my house, try random stuff, it is rather wonderful.

 

[Lighthoof]

Oh, Irish whiskey is my favourite.
My favourite kind is Bushmill's Black. It's a bit heavier for Irish whiskey (a fair amount of single malt in the blend) but it's aged in sherry casks which gives it a strong nose and rounds out the flavour with a nice bit of sweetness.

Writer's Tears is a very, very close second, though; it's a bit lighter, a bit "fresher", and very complex. Very good and long finish, too. It's pricier, though (I'm in Canada, so I have no idea specific prices...)

 

[Gavin C]

If you really want to splurge try grabbing a bottle of Middleton. I only buy it for my Dad as his palate is more educated than mine and I really feel a whole bottle would be wasted on me. Their whiskeys are sublime. Irish whiskey is generally superior in every respect but I may be a tad biased in that regard. Irish born and raised.

 

[LimeKiller]

Jameson Black Barrel is awesome.

 

[TrickyDick]

Went to Ireland a few years ago and toured the old Jameson distillery. Was really cool. Check out the Celtic whisky shop in dublin. They have a webpage too if you're looking for something rare, they can get it.

Some of my favorites are Jameson, redbreast 15, writers tears, green spot, black bush. Of these redbreast is the best. For a special occasion Middleton cannot be beat. It is one of the best Irish whisky bottles you can buy. I've tried lots including the super old knapppgue castle I think was thirty or more years old. It was good but I thought Middleton was nicer and more affordable. Of the Jameson labels, I like the gold label best of all. 21 year bush mills is incredible too. I have a pleated Connemara I believe, and several other bottles that I collect. Tullamore Dew is good too, I think the ten year is a little better than the 12 but harder to find. My treasured bottle is Dungourney though. Legend is that when building the new Jameson distillery they found a long lost barrel, and then bottled it as Dungourney. It's rumored to be over thirty years old or something. Seems that may have finally run out, I suspect they may have blended it. To enjoy the Dungourney, though you really need to do a tasting of several lesser whiskys and then save this until last. Mind boggling.

 

[jschein]

If you really want to splurge try grabbing a bottle of Middleton. I only buy it for my Dad as his palate is more educated than mine and I really feel a whole bottle would be wasted on me. Their whiskeys are sublime. Irish whiskey is generally superior in every respect but I may be a tad biased in that regard. Irish born and raised.

Wow forgot about middleton, love that, usually reserved for family funerals, not many this decade. They all have a bottle on hand for that special occasion. Powers goes in the coffin!

 

[Roadliner]

These days the only hard liquor I really drink is Scotch and Irish Whiskey. Don't like the American and Canadian ones. As far as Irish, Redbreast is my go-to. It's pricy for Irish, but cheap compared to most Single Malt Scotch, and as far as I'm concerned it's Ireland's answer to Single Malt, so I'm fine paying the price for it. But typically don't do shots or anything with it. In that case, it's Jameson.

The RedBreast 12yr. is fantastic. I also enjoyed Kilbeggan when we vistited. And of course Jameson Black Barrel is damn good as well.

 

[1977Brewer]

The RedBreast 10yr. is fantastic. I also enjoyed Kilbeggan when we vistited. And of course Jameson Black Barrel is damn good as well.

Oh boy RedBreast is delicious.

 

[Aonghus]

I am partial to Connemara Peated Irish whiskey. As others have mentioned RedBreast is really good. I think Tullamore Dew is overrated. Black Bush, Green Bush and regular old Bushmills are all excellent.
The Catholic whiskey (Jameson's), while good, is a little sweet for my taste.
I really prefer a good Islay Scotch whisky over the Irish varieties.

 

[Roadliner]

I wasn't a big fan of the Connemara. Maybe just the peat flavor being a little more than i like though. I'm definitely not a fan if Tullamore Dew.

 

[trimixdiver1]

I am partial to Connemara Peated Irish whiskey. As others have mentioned RedBreast is really good. I think Tullamore Dew is overrated. Black Bush, Green Bush and regular old Bushmills are all excellent.

The Catholic whiskey (Jameson's), while good, is a little sweet for my taste.

I really prefer a good Islay Scotch whisky over the Irish varieties.

+1 on the Connemara! So darn good.

 

[worlddivides]

My friend from Ireland brought me a bottle of Writers Tears about two weeks ago when she was visiting the US. It's pretty good.

 

[TrickyDick]

I am not a big fan of the Connemara peated. It is a bit different though which can occasionally be a nice change-up. RedBreast 12 and 15 are both really good. Writer's Tears, I think it is decent not spectacular, but still enjoyable. Black Bush is one of my favorites, after RedBreast. The regular bushmills and also their 10 year single malt, I'm not a big fan of. Never had the green bush. The 21 year old is rather amazing though, but the 16 year is a real sweet spot in terms of price vs taste. The Tullamore Dew I think is good. They have a ten year that is really good, but occasionally hard to find, the cheesy jug I can't bring myself to buy. Green spot is also a nice one if you can find it. I've got some Greenore, John Locke, Crested Ten and Kilbeggan as well. For a go-to, I like the original Jameson, but personally, I like their gold label the best from all the "Jameson" branded whisky. I've said it before though, the Middleton Very Rare is a showstopper. One of the best whiskies in the world in my opinion, from any country.

I believe that there are some new distilleries opening or re-opening since I visited in ?2009?, when there were only three operational. I believe those three are connemara, middleton (makes jameson and many many others), and bushmills in northern ireland (a separate country). You can visit the historical jameson distillery in middleton which is a fun trip. It is defunct now, but you can catch a glimpse of their new modern distillery in the distance. Can anybody elaborate on this?

If anybody ever makes it to Dublin, you need to stop at the Celtic Whiskey shop, you will be blown away with the selection, limited, and one-off bottlings, rare and collectible whisky. That's where I got my bottle of Dungourney and Bushmills 21. They send occasional emails, and put together trips for groups to visit both Irish and Scottish Distilleries. The don't ship any liquor to the US, but they can mail collectible "vases" from what I've heard....

TD

 

[Roadliner]

They have the Irish Whiskey Museum in Dublin as well now.. that was nice. It had Just opened up when I was there this past December. Neat little tour with talking pictures and different rooms set up to explain about the history of whiskey in Ireland, and of course a tasting at the end.

Edinburgh has the Scotch Whiskey experience which is also fantastic if you make your way to Scotland. The "ride" is a little cheesy, but the tasting was great. And drinking a 21yo Glenfarclas surrounded by the worlds largest Scotch collection was just flat out incredible.

 

[ThirstyChap]

Powers Irish Whiskey! I love it. Especially because it was complimentary. From an Irish pub owner, John, that just happens to be Irish himself. Celtic Crossings pub in downtown Chicago.

In general I prefer Scotch. Single-malt Islay to be specific. I'm quite fond of peat smoke.

 

[Roadliner]

Powers Irish Whiskey! I love it. Especially because it was complimentary. From an Irish pub owner, John, that just happens to be Irish himself. Celtic Crossings pub in downtown Chicago.

In general I prefer Scotch. Single-malt Islay to be specific. I'm quite fond of peat smoke.

You should check out Connemara then.. a peated Irish single malt whiskey

 

[TrickyDick]

I do not think I have ever tried Powers, but it is my perception that it is a less expensive whisky, and therefore, potentially an inferior quality whisky, but perhaps I should last my taste decide next time I have the opportunity.


TD

 

[ThirstyChap]

Sorry for a long overdue reply here, folks.

You can never let price lead to the assumption that a product is inferior. Yes, it can be spot on. But sometimes a company is nice enough to not charge an arm and a leg for it.

Then of course the ultimate deciding factor is your own tastes. I've got a couple of cheap Scotches that suit me much better than the ones people swoon over.

 

[worlddivides]

Bushmills is one of those distilleries that I really like pretty much everything they make. I saw one of their 400th year anniversary bottles in Napa for around $150 or $200 or so (it was about a year ago, so I don't remember the exact price). I was tempted, but nah... Just stuck with the usual standard Bushmills, Black Bush, 10 year single malt, 16 year single malt, etc. Didn't really feel like risking it, but if I knew it was really good, I probably would have picked it up.

Sorry for a long overdue reply here, folks.

You can never let price lead to the assumption that a product is inferior. Yes, it can be spot on. But sometimes a company is nice enough to not charge an arm and a leg for it.

Then of course the ultimate deciding factor is your own tastes. I've got a couple of cheap Scotches that suit me much better than the ones people swoon over.

Very true. I love bourbon, Scotch, Irish, rye, Japanese, and other types of whiskey, but price is only useful occasionally as a guide. I have had a $400 bottle of whiskey and a $40 bottle of whiskey where I thought the $40 bottle tasted WAY better.

 

[wallybangbang]

Bushmills is one of those distilleries that I really like pretty much everything they make. I saw one of their 400th year anniversary bottles in Napa for around $150 or $200 or so (it was about a year ago, so I don't remember the exact price). I was tempted, but nah... Just stuck with the usual standard Bushmills, Black Bush, 10 year single malt, 16 year single malt, etc. Didn't really feel like risking it, but if I knew it was really good, I probably would have picked it up.



Very true. I love bourbon, Scotch, Irish, rye, Japanese, and other types of whiskey, but price is only useful occasionally as a guide. I have had a $400 bottle of whiskey and a $40 bottle of whiskey where I thought the $40 bottle tasted WAY better.

So true. I always dreamed about drinking Johnnie Walker Blue Label when I was younger but couldnt afford the price tag. My future SWMBO got me a bottle for my B day and I was not impressed. I felt bad actually. Price doesnt mean quality

 

[TrickyDick]

Heaven Hill White Label. It’s not Irish but check it out

 

[whoaru99]

I've been drinking more whisky than beer recently and like smooth whisky's on the rocks. I'm a fan of Jameson but figure I'm helping pay their marketing dollars and am looking to try something new.

Any recommendations for something that's about $1 or less per ounce?

I've never been a fan of Jack Daniels No. 7, but I do like the Jack Daniels Triple Mash for pretty smooth pour albeit clearly not Irish.

It's not <= $1/oz but it's not totally outrageous like some have become.

 

[mikeasu]

Oh, Irish whiskey is my favourite.
My favourite kind is Bushmill's Black. It's a bit heavier for Irish whiskey (a fair amount of single malt in the blend) but it's aged in sherry casks which gives it a strong nose and rounds out the flavour with a nice bit of sweetness.

Writer's Tears is a very, very close second, though; it's a bit lighter, a bit "fresher", and very complex. Very good and long finish, too. It's pricier, though (I'm in Canada, so I have no idea specific prices...)

Was just going to post on Bushmills Black Bush - not much more expensive from regular, worth the upgrade IMO. Slainte!

 

[whoaru99]

Have not personally had any Costco / Kirkland Irish whiskey, but might be worth giving it a shot. I've had decent results at reasonable cost with some of their house branded liquors.