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Enjoy a dram of the Emerald Isle’s finest
It may surprise you to know that Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. Towards the end of the 19th century, the ‘golden age’ saw it flourish worldwide. Just a century later, however – due to world, civil and independence wars; the US Prohibition; and a trade war with Great Britain – the popularity of the tipple plummeted to a staggeringly low one per cent of what it once was.
Were it not for a secret meeting between century-old rivals within the Jameson, Powers and Murphy families, Irish whiskey as we know it may have ceased to exist. Thankfully, that meeting took place, and, putting their differences aside, a deal was struck. This turning point for a country with so much liquid heritage paved the way for change, and Ireland began to rekindle its love with the dram. Fast-forward to today and the commitment to investment and innovation when it comes to the liquid gold of Ireland has never been so strong.
With new distilleries and projects blooming, it’s such an exciting time for Irish whiskey. The signature light and smooth expressions are better than they’ve ever been, but there’s also a flourishing variety, with delicious wine finishes and even a little peat to play with. These bottles – whether exceptionally made purist blends or masterstroke finishes – represent the best of this new golden age.
All Irish whiskeys were tasted and tested in two distinct scenarios to determine their ranking. Firstly, we wanted to get an idea of how they performed when drunk neat. Each whiskey was tasted in pure form, then with a few drops of water and finally with a large cube of ice. This allowed us to get an idea of how they evolved, so we could rate their aroma, concentration and depth of flavour.
Our second test was to taste each whiskey with a simple mixer and in the most famous whiskey cocktail: an old fashioned. Each whiskey was tasted and tested blind, so as not to allow packaging or any other external factors to affect the decision.
It’s not difficult to see why there is so much excitement brewing around Irish Whiskey. This boom in interest is unearthing delicious vintage stocks alongside newer and innovative expressions that have never previously been explored. Add to that the remarkable cask finishing programmes, value for money and heritage embodied by so many of Ireland’s whiskey distilleries, and you begin to understand what all the fuss is about.
From older expressions crafted by the likes of The Craft Irish Whiskey Company, Teeling and Naggin to evolutionary creations from Waterford Distillery, we also have epic value being showcased from Kilbeggan, Slane and Slaibh Liag. Wine finishing is being brought to a whole new level with Green Spot, and Samuel Gelston is leading the vision within this space alongside a variety of solid go-to options created by Jameson, Dingle and JJ Corry.
It was a difficult choice, with so much talent on the table, but our best buy overall goes to Slabh Liag and its legendary Silkie Irish whiskey. Picking up countless awards, this affordable nectar is so versatile, regardless of whether you choose to explore it neat, mixed or as part of a cocktail. An incredibly approachable flavour profile makes it the perfect choice for all palates (novice and expert alike), with a distinct character, texture and mouth-watering taste that would make any Irishman or Irishwoman proud to put their name alongside it.
Aidy Smith is an award-winning TV presenter, broadcaster, and journalist. He is the presenter of Amazon Prime’s award-winning drinks-themed travel series The Three Drinkers. Seek out more of his drinks discoveries at @Sypped.
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