7 Irish whiskeys for Saint Patrick's Day 2017

The Irish' National Holiday is only a few days away. People will be gathering in pubs drinking Guinness or knocking back (cheap) Irish whiskeys on Saint Patrick' s Day 2017.


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 nearly everything green) became the symbol of Saint Paddy’s Day.

I selected 7 (a lucky number, that's no coincidence) Irish whiskeys  ranging from single malts to the typical pot stills and blends for Saint Patrick's Day 2017. So it's time to pour a whiskey. With an e!

Redbreast Lustau Edition

  • New Midleton Distillery

  • NAS single pot still

  • First-fill Oloroso cask finish

  • Alcohol: 46% ABV
The Midleton brand Redbreast gathered quite a reputation in recent years. For a long time the core range was limited to a 12 and a 15 year old expression. Then the expansion started with a stellar (and pricy) 21 year old and a few unpronounceable expressions that eventually led to this Lustau edition. A whisky that solely matured in sherry casks from Bodega Lustau.

Buy it at The Whisky Exchange

Cooley 17 Year Old 1999 MoM single cask

  • Cooley Distillery

  • bottled by Master of Malt

  • First-fill hogshead single cask

  • Alcohol: 52.9% ABV
Irish single casks aren't a rarity anymore. But clearly mentioning the source from the whisky is a different thing. Most indies aren't allowed to name the distillery (certainly if the whiskey came from Bushmills). This Master of Malt single cask is an exception to the rule: a single malt distilled in 1999 at Cooley Distillery.

Buy it at Master of Malt

Jameson The Whisky Makers Series

  • Jameson Distillery

  • Blended Irish whiskey

  • Alcohol: 43% ABV
Jameson's Whisky Makers Series is a tribute to three legends from the Irish whiskey industry. Head distiller Brian Nation, cooper Ger Buckley and blender Billy Leighton each linked their name to a Jameson whiskey.

Buy The Distillers Safe / Buy  The Cooper's Croze / Buy The Blender's Dog at The Whisky Exchange

Jameson Saint Patrick's Day 2017 edition

  • Jameson Distillery

  • Blended Irish whiskey

  • Alcohol: 40% ABV
Jameson always adorns their cornerstone whisky with a special Saint Patrick's Day coat around this time of the year. Mr. Steve McCarthy designed the label for the 2017 edition. The label depicts a key frame of the "chancing your arm" story. The phrase has its origin in a 15th century feud (or rather the end of it) between two rivaling clans.


Teeling The Revival II

  • Sourced whiskey from Cooley

  • 13 year old single malt

  • Calvados cask finish

  • Alcohol: 46% ABV

The second installment in Teeling's Revival trilogy is a 13 year old single malt matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished for a year in ex-Calvados casks. Calvados casks are a bit of a rarity in the whisky industry. Expect lots of apple pie and toffee aromas.

Buy it at the Whisky Exchange

Writer's Tears Red Head

  • Walsh Whiskey Distillery

  • Triple distilled single malt

  • First-fill oloroso casks

  • Alcohol: 46% ABV

Walsh Whiskey presented the Red Head expression at the end of 2016. The Irish single malt has been triple distilled and matured in oloroso sherry casks and is bottled at 46%. Its moniker Red Head is derived from the reddish hue of the whiskey.

Website

Malts of Scotland Jane Doe

      • Undisclosed Irish single malt

      • Bottled by Malts of Scotland

      • Sherry hogshead single cask

      • Alcohol: 52.8% ABV

      The name of the bottle says it all: an unknown Irish single malt bottled by the German Malts of Scotland. It's a 15 year old single malt and matured in a sherry hogshead. FYI: Jane Doe has a younger brother called John too.

      Buy it at The Whisky Exchange

      You think that I missed out an important Irish whiskey for Saint Patrick's Day 2017? Please let me know in the comments!


      Picture credits: Wikipedia, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, Walsh Whiskey, Jameson

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