10 Irish whiskeys for Saint Patrick's Day 2016

Saint Patrick
picture: Wikipedia
Ireland's National Holiday is only two weeks away. It does not matter if you are Irish or not, it's time to stock up on some Irish whiskies to celebrate the Irish people.

It's a celebration of the heritage and culture of the Irish people who spread across the globe. 17 March is the death date of the Christian missionary Saint Patrick who converted the Irish pagans to Christianity. One of the symbols he used to explain the Holy Trinity to them was the shamrock. The shamrock (and everything green) became the symbol of Saint Paddy's Day.

I selected 10 Irish whiskeys, pot stills, single malts, blends and single grains, to make the most out of Saint Patrick's Day. And if you're not celebrating it, just pour a whiskey. With an e!

ATD - 10 Irish whiskeys for St. Patrick's Day

Redbreast 1999 TWE Exclusive

  • New Midleton Distillery
  • 16 year old single cask single pot still whiskey
  • 59.9% ABV
  • Distilled 2 April 1999 - bottled in 2015
  • Sherry cask | 576 bottles
  • Price: £180 / €232
Redbreast 1999 TWE single cask
picture: The Whisky Exchange
This is a single cask that has been chosen by attendees of a whisky tasting at The Whisky Exchange shop in 2015. This is your chance to taste a single cask from one of the best Irish whiskeys in the world (the Redbreast 12yo Cask strength, that is).

Green Spot Léoville Barton Bordeaux finish

  • Midleton Distillery for Mitchell & Son
  • NAS Single pot still
  • 46% ABV
  • Bourbon and oloroso sherry casks | two year finish in barriques from Château Léovill Barton
  • Price: £47.95 / €60
Green Spot Bordeaux finish
picture: The Whisky Exchange
This is a special edition of the classic Green Spot single pot still whiskey. Initially matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, this edition has been finished for two years in wine barriques from Léoville Barton, a highly regarded château in Saint Julien. The roots of the Barton family lay in... Ireland.

Teeling The Revival 1999

  • Cooley Distillery, Louth
  • 15 year old single malt
  • 46% ABV
  • Ex-rum casks
  • Price: £85 /€100
Teeling The Revival
picture: The Whisky Exchange
The new 15 year old Revival by Teeling (not related to the 15yo Glendronach Revival) is a commemorative bottling to mark the opening of the new Teeling Distillery in Dublin. It will be the first new distillery in Dublin for over 125 years. The two brothers, Jack & Stephan Teeling, inherited their love for Irish whisky from their father John Teeling, founder of Cooley Distillery.

Glendalough Double Barrel Single Grain

  • Glendalough Distillery
  • NAS single grain
  • 42% ABV
  • Ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks
  • Price: €35
Glendalough double barrel single grain Irish whiskey
picture: The Whisky Exchange
Glendalough is one of the many new Irish kids on the block. All the bottles wear the image of St Kevin of Glendalough who build up a civilisation in an isolated valley known as the city of the seven churches. (aka The Glen of the Two lakes nowadays).

Jameson Saint Patrick's Day Edition 2016

  • Bow Street Distillery, Dublin
  • Blended whiskey
  • 40% ABV
  • Designed by street artist James Earley
  • Price: €24
Jameson St Paddy's Day 2016
picture: Jameson


Jameson presents a limited edition of their world famous whiskey for Saint Patrick's day. The 2016 edition is the fifth annual whiskey and the label has been designed by street artist James Earley. The bottle has been inspired by the bridges crossing the river Liffey in Dublin. In March, Jameson will launch a global campaign #beOriginal around it.

Dunville's Very Rare 10 Year Old

  • Echlinville Distillery, Northern Ireland
  • 10 year old single malt
  • 46% ABV
  • Finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
  • Price: £44.62 / €58
Dunville's Very Rare 10 Year Old
picture: Master of Malt
This is another fairly unknown Irish whiskey from the Echlinville distillery in Northern Ireland, the first distillery in Northern Ireland for over 125 years. A retro looking label for a somewhat rare Irish whiskey.

Jack Ryan Beggars Bush 15 Year Old Single Malt

  • Jack Ryan Whiskey Company
  • 15 year old single malt
  • 57.5% ABV
  • Ex-bourbon casks
  • Price: £77.95 / €100.75

Jack Ryans Beggars Bush 15 Year Old Single Malt
picture: Celtic Whiskey Shop
Another fairly unknown name in the Irish whiskey scene is Jack Ryan. Ryan's Beggar Bush is a Dublin pub which bottled their own Ryan's malt in association with The Dublin Whiskey Distillery until the distillery had to close its doors in 1946. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ryan's Beggars Bush, the family revived the brand.

Midleton Dair Ghaelach

  • Midleton Distillery
  • NAS single pot still whiskey
  • 58.2% ABV
  • Matured 15 - 22 years in refill American oak
  • Irish Virgin Oak finished in one of ten selected Irish oak trees.
  • Price: £180 / €230
Midleton Dair Ghaelach irish whiskey
Midleton's Dair Ghaelach, meaning Irish oak, is the result of a six year experiment by Billy Leighton and Kevin O' Gorman. They selected ten oak trees from Grinsell's Woods that were coopered into virgin oak casks. A vatting of 15 tot 22 year old Irish whisky had been finished in these casks and can be traced back to the exact tree from the forest.

Hyde Whiskey 1916

  • Hibernia Distillers
  • 6 year old single grain
  • 46% ABV
  • First fill Jack Daniels bourbon casks
  • Price: unknown
Hyde number 3 Single Grain
picture: Hyde Whiskey
Hyde Whiskey is named after the first president of Ireland, Douglas Hyde. Their third expression is a 6 year old single grain that matured in heavily charred casks from Jack Daniels.

Chapter 7 Irish single malt 1999 rum cask

  • Undisclosed distillery
  • 16 year old single cask single malt
  • 57.3% ABV
  • Distilled in 1999 - bottled in 2015
  • Rum cask #5409
Chapter 7 Irish single malt
picture: Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is a one-man feat based in Switzerland. He already bottled two outstanding Irish single malts, one matured in a bourbon cask, the other one in a sherry butt. His third Irish single malt matured in a rum cask. And we all know rum casks and Irish whiskey can be a match made in heaven...

You think that I missed out an important Irish whiskey? Please let me know in the comments!
Want more of them? These Irish whiskeys were selected for last year's Saint Patrick's Day.

Comments

  1. Very interesting choices. Wouldn't mind having any of these for Paddy's day. I will just say though that the Teeling revival is a Single Malt not Single Pot Still.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are absolutely right, Matt. Thanks for notifying me. I first thought of including the new single cask Teeling is about to release for St. Patrick's Day. Changed my mind about that and picked the Revival.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A nice list indeed. May I ask if none of the distilleries north of the border are worth considering?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Tim. You mean like Northern Ireland? (My Irish geography isn't that good) That Dunville/Echlinville comes from Northern Ireland. All distilleries are worth considering a try. I'm rather curious of nature so I don't mind if a whisk(e)y comes from an unknown distillery or not. In fact, I'd rather pick the unknown one in stead of the known ones :-).

    ReplyDelete

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