Irish Whiskey

[LESider]

I'm a big fan of the Irish stuff and have stumbled across a new find. Well new to me anyhow. I was doing some research on foodstuffs in Ireland and came across a brand I'd never heard of. Sure I'm familiar with Jameson's, Tillamore Dew,Powers, Paddy's and even the northern stuff: Bushmills. This one is really has to be the smoothest I've tasted. Its called Green Spot. They don't export it to the USA, but do to a one shop in London: Milroy's of Soho. It's put out by Mitchell and Son of Dublin(21 Kildare St). They now produce it at the Middleton Distillery. Its made of 7-8 year old pot still Jameson Whisskey and matured in sherry wood. My girlfriend happened to be heading to Dublin recently and I had her bring some back, which is how I got me hands on it. Excellent stuff, grab it if you come across it.

[mrbigjas]

Last night in a snowstorm at a local bar I asked for an interesting whiskey of some sort (hey, I was feeling indecisive), and the bartender gave me a Connemara, which is a peated single malt Irish whiskey. I'd never had it before--it was excellent. The peat definitely makes you think "scotch" at first sip, but once you get past that the distinctly mellow, slightly sweet Irish profile is there.

A quick glance around the web pulls up this site that says it's Ireland's only example of the stuff, but this one would seem to disprove that.

Anyone else had one of these? Are there others?

[beans]

Are there others?

Try this: Magilligan

And take a look at this Cooley Whiskey's various brands -- I think Locke's Single Malt 8 year old is peated too.

There all sorts of distinctions here. For instance Bushmill's Black Bush is produced from kiln dried malt that is heat fired and not peat fired, and there are peated Irish whiskey blends as well.

Have I tried? Not yet, but I certainly intend to when I can arrange some travels through ROI along my way to visit my wild Northern Irishman in Belfast.

Cheers!

[Alberto]

Hi all.

I'm glad that someone else here appreciates good Irish Whisky...

Cooley Distillery makes a double distilled peated malt which sells under the name Connemara but it's also branded as Magilligan 8 y.o. by scottish blender and merchant Ian MacLeod. There's a Magilligan 5 y.o. too but it's Cooley's un-peated make.

Locke's malt is actually a vatting of un-peated Cooley malt with some peated distillate.

Cheers,

Alberto

[iguana]

My husband and I visited the Locke Distillery on our tour of Ireland this spring. It's a little decrepit-- more of a museum than an active distillery and not corporate at all. They do age barrels of whiskey there-- the aroma of that room is heavenly. And of course, there is the all-important tasting room.

[anil]

If I'm not mistaken "Knappouge Castle" is Irish Single-Malt. On a regular basis I have Jamesons on the rocks - I think probably half of Marriott's & Hyatts bars worldwide know to stock it :)

[beans]

Not necessarily peated, single malt Irish whiskies, but I found an article (no date! ) from one of my favourite guys in the biz.

Robert Plotkin's article DRAMS OF EIRE:THE 12 MOST UNFORGETTABLE IRISH WHISKEYS.

[pariah_kerry]

Anyone feel free to chime in.

I have heard that a "true" Irish pub will only serve either Jameson's or Bushmill's. I heard the same goes for Bass and Harp's as well. Ordering one will tell whether you are Catholic or Protestant. Any truth to this? Just wondering. Thanks. PK.

[slkinsey]

As was explained to us by the charming Sheila Golden at the Seppi's Whiskey Dinner, this is more or less bunk, but it is preserved to a certain extent in American "Irish" pubs.

After a lof of distilleries closed, the only two operations left were Jameson's and Bushmill's. Now, it just so happened that there Bushmill's is located up in the North (where most of the Protestants are) and Jameson's in the South (where most of the Catholics are). Back in the old days it was perhaps true that Catholics drank Jameson's and Protestants Bushmills, but this was entirely out of necessity. Due to distribution issues, it was very difficult to obtain Bushmill's in the South and vice-versa. This really is no longer the case in Ireland, and plenty of Catholic Bushmill's drinkers may be found.

However, given that many Irish immigrants came to the US during the years when Irish distilleries had limited geographic distribution in Ireland, this tradition evolved in America. The only places you're likely to see it are in insular, provincial Irish American communities in certain areas of Boston, etc. IMO, it's no more Irish than green beer on St. Patrick's Day.

I don't know why anyone would think that about Harp and Bass, since Bass isn't Irish (it's brewed in Burton-on-Trent).

[slkinsey]

JJ and I were quite taken with Red Breast 12 year old at the Seppi's Whiskey Dinner. All pot still whiskey. Big flavor. Heavy mouthfeel. Powerful long finish.

[anil]

Right...  As for Irish Whiskey, there are quite a few out there that are quite lovely besides Bushmill's or Jameson's.  Well worth seeking them out. 

Cheers!

John Powers, Blackbush, Tullamore Dew and ofcourse Knappogue. Look Here for more information on Irish Whiskey

[RagallachMC]

Blackbush is my fave. Great stuff. Followed by Jameson's Gold Label.

I think I need a drink :)

[BlackHive]

So after reading more and more of this whiskey lately, I decided to do a hard search and see if I could find anyone anywhere in the USA who had the stuff. I searched and searched for a LONG time and came up with many shops and sites in the UK that sell it but not a single one in the USA. I even emailed Mitchell and Son (Green Spot's distributor) to see if they knew of a place here selling it. I haven't heard back yet. I'm left with a few options

1. Just buy a couple/few bottles from the UK and pay the outrageous shipping fees (usually something like $50-$80 for just shipping for two bottles) and hope I like the stuff

2. Set up a group buy where a case is purchased, the shipping split, and the bottles split up and shipped out whenever the person receiving them receives the case. This could cut the shipping down to a reasonable amount for each person.

3. Search more and hope I find some podunk store in the USA that carries it.

4. Ask people here if they've ever seen it in the USA.

So has anyone here ever seen it here? Thanks.

[evilhomer]

they had this at the LCBO's in Ontario for $85 CDN and I let it pass by (well the decision was basically made for me though it did sound rather intriguing). It seems to have sold out in a weekend, but if you can get some from ontario then check back regularly to www.vintages.com

[BlackHive]

Oh shoot!! I had emailed Green Spot's Irish distributor about a month ago asking if any had even been sent to North America and they let me know one had just gone out to Ontario and gave me the email of some alcohol board to contact about shipping some to the USA but I never heard back from them. I would pay quite a bit for a bottle so if you happen to see it again, let me know.

[slkinsey]

In todays NY Times Eric Asimov is running an article on Irish whiskey. Many were tasted by Asimov, Florence Fabricant, Ethan R, Kelley (the spirits sommelier at the Brandy Library) and Eben Klem. These are the bottlings that made their cut:

***

Bushmills Single Malt 10 Years Old ($35)

Midleton Very Rare Blended 2004 ($125)

Knappogue Castle Single Malt 1994 Very Special Reserve ($35)

**½

Connemara Peated Single Malt Cask Strength ($59)

Clontarf Single Malt ($30)

Bushmills Black Bush Blended ($28)

**

Kilbeggan Blended ($15) - Best Value

Bushmills Single Malt 16 Years Old ($60)

Redbreast Blended 12 Years Old ($42)

Tullamore Dew Blended ($40)

I note here that none of the Irish whiskeys received a rating higher than three stars (the rating scale goes up to four). I also note a distinct preference for single malt whiskies, which doesn't seem to reflect a thorough understanding of what Irish whiskies are all about and rather seems to reflect an approach to Irish whiskey under the paradigm of single malt scotch. But, then again, my opinions and those of my friends don't often seem to align with the ratings done by these NYT panels. I would certainly have rated Red Breast significantly higher than they did (and I have found it for substantially less than 42 dollars). I admit to being a little disappointed they didn't get Patrick O’Sullivan for the panel, as he is my go-to guy for all things Irish whiskey-related and among the foremost experts in this area to be found in the City.

Few Irish whiskeys today are produced purely in a pot still, and equally few use the traditional mixture of malted and unmalted barley. The only one we found that followed this classic formula was Redbreast, a rich, mellow whiskey with plenty of honey and caramel flavor.

Instead, many famous Irish names like Jameson and Powers are blends of pot-still barley whiskey and column-still grain whiskey. Both are good whiskeys, but they didn't make our cut. What's more, an increasing proportion of Irish whiskeys, including many of our favorites, are single malts, a term of great marketing value these days because of the prestige and popularity of single malt Scotches.

Apparently a great whiskey if you can find it is Erin Go Bragh. This is a limited distribution bottling made with whiskey purchased from the Middleton distributor and bottled by an independent. Very little of it left, but it is supposed to be excellent (not to mention cheap at 18 bucks a bottle).

[kvltrede]

...I would certainly have rated Red Breast significantly higher than they did (and I have found it for substantially less than 42 dollars)....

...Apparently a great whiskey if you can find it is Erin Go Bragh.  This is a limited distribution bottling made with whiskey purchased from the Middleton distributor and bottled by an independent.  Very little of it left, but it is supposed to be excellent (not to mention cheap at 18 bucks a bottle).

←

Wow, Sam, where are you finding such good prices on the Irish? Red Breast hasn't been under $42 in Chi since I can remember and the Erin Go Bragh is $26 at Binny's. If NYC is the home of cheap Irish whiskey I may need to ask a friend or two to hook me up when they visit. Thanks for posting the link.

Meanwhile, it appears that I can get the Kilbeggan, the NYT's "Best Buy", at a good price in Chi. It gets a nice write-up in the still-available article Beans linked to up-thread. Anybody here tried it?

Kurt

Edited March 8, 2006 by kvltrede (log)

[mrbigjas]

In todays NY Times Eric Asimov is running an article on Irish whiskey.  Many were tasted by Asimov, Florence Fabricant, Ethan R, Kelley (the spirits sommelier at the Brandy Library) and Eben Klem.  These are the bottlings that made their cut:

***

Bushmills Single Malt 10 Years Old ($35)

Midleton Very Rare Blended 2004 ($125)

i'm most of the way through a bottle of the bushmills 10 year right now, and i agree with this aspect of their tasting. it's excellent, especially for the price.

i've had the midleton several times, and it's one of those whiskeys that gets better as it sits in your glass--the first taste can be slightly medicinal and weird, but in the second and third sips all these crazy flavors come out, and by the time you're finished the glass it's all over.

i'm finishing off this old bottle of jameson's i opened a month or two ago, and it's really good too--i wish jameson's still tasted like this. i don't know what the difference is between now and then (other than 80 vs. 86 proof), but i wish i could get my hands on more...

[slkinsey]

The price for Erin Go Bragh I just got from the article. Red Breast seems to typically retail for around 40 bucks here in NYC, but I'm sure I got mine on sale at someplace like Crossroads for 35.

[KOK]

I'm curious if Paddy's is available in the U.S.? I see it is listed on LCBO but I have never seen it in the U.S. and was told they don't export it (yet LCBO has it).

Friends have brought me a couple of bottles back from Ireland, but the omly other time I've seen it in the U.S. is in the movie On The Waterfront.

Thanks for any info.

Kevin

[Lan4Dawg]

I swear I have seen Paddy's in the US (in a bar in Georgia) but can not for the life of me remember where (& might be confusing it w/ another brand but I am almost certain it was Paddy's).

We just received a new product called Michael Collins (Cooley Distillery/Sidney Frank Importing). It is getting a big push--lots of promo materials--that is probably related to St. Pat's. I do not ever remember seeing it before and would appreciate any info.

[KOK]

I swear I have seen Paddy's in the US (in a bar in Georgia) but can not for the life of me remember where (& might be confusing it w/ another brand but I am almost certain it was Paddy's).

We just received a new product called Michael Collins (Cooley Distillery/Sidney Frank Importing).  It is getting a big push--lots of promo materials--that is probably related to St. Pat's.  I do not ever remember seeing it before and would appreciate any info.

←

I don't think Paddy's IS available in the U.S. but no replies verified that.

It seems Mr Collins was an IRA honcho.

Here is a blurb on the whiskey. The bottle looks nice .

Thanks,

Kevin

[LESider]

Michael Collins was the man who lead the fight for Irish Independance from GB. There's a decent enough film with that title out ,Liam Neeson plays the lead. The film is good in that it gives a general explanation of the Irish History of that time. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117039/

If you watch it tell me who's Irish accent is worse. Julia Roberts or Tom Cruise in "Far and Away". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104231/

anyways has anyone tried the Connemara Whisky? I have and let me tell you its not for the faint of heart. Smoked Peat flavor up the wazoo. way too much for me. an aquired taste as far as I'm concerned.

Also some of the aged Jamesons are really nice. I have to give a tip of the hat to the Crested Ten and the 12 yr old.

[eje]

Anyone have opinions on the Brennan's irish whiskey?

It is quite reasonable and from what I understand distilled by the nice folks at Cooley.

Don't find many reviews online, however.

[mrbigjas]

anyways has anyone tried the Connemara Whisky? I have and let me tell you its not for the faint of heart. Smoked Peat flavor up the wazoo. way too much for me. an aquired taste as far as I'm concerned. 

i've had it, and enjoyed it, but not recently. i thought it was nicely made.

Also some of the aged Jamesons are really nice. I have to give a tip of the hat to the Crested Ten and the 12 yr old.

my favorite of the aged jamesons i've had (and i've had a bunch) was a limited edition 15 year they made a few years ago. reviewed here:

http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/jameson/whisky411.html

actually it might be my favorite irish ever. although both my wife and i like bushmills 21 year as well.