‘The whiskey maker’s bible’: Jay Bradley on Truths About Whisky

Written in 1878 by four of Ireland’s leading whiskey producers, ‘Truths About Whisky’ has remained an inspiration for Jay Bradley of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co, writes Christine Manby

‘The craftsmanship comes after distillation in how you finish and blend,’ says Bradley (Illustration by Tom Ford)

“Whiskey is of the shamrock, not the thistle. Yet when people think of Irish whiskey, they’re thinking of something you mix with ginger ale,” laments Jay Bradley, founder of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. There’s little danger that Bradley’s own triple-distilled, 29-year-old single malt whiskey will face that ignominious fate. The Devil’s Keep is the world’s most expensive Irish whiskey, retailing at a cool €10,000 a bottle. With that price tag, you probably want to lay off on the Canada Dry.

The idea that he would end up making a whiskey that costs more per bottle than a small car must have seemed fanciful when Bradley and his father first talked about setting up their own whiskey company. At the time, Bradley had just returned to Ireland from New Zealand, to spend precious time with Bradley Snr who had been diagnosed with cancer. Having given up a restaurant and a six-bedroom house to make the move, Bradley and his young family had to move in with Bradley’s parents while he planned his next step. At night, when everyone else had gone to bed, Bradley and his father would share a nightcap (whiskey, of course) and brainstorm new business ideas.