Want a drink named after a 19th century racehorse?
What about one named after a 15th century castle?
Or how about one simply named for the color of the spot on the barrel?
Well then, it's time for you to check out the best Irish whiskeys of 2022.
Redbreast is the world's biggest seller of single pot still whiskey, a liquor made from
both malted and unmalted barley that's unique to Ireland.
And the Redbreast 15 Year Old Irish Whiskey is one of the distillery's most coveted single
pot still offerings.
Triple distilled and matured in first-fill and refill oak casks for at least 15 years,
the drop is characterized by a rich and complex flavor.
Not as fruity as its 21-year-old sister and not as bold as its 12-year counterpart, the
Redbreast 15 Year Old Irish Whiskey combines hints of fresh fruit, spices, and toasted
wood, with some reviewers also detecting notes of toffee and caramel.
Exuding a rich aroma of berries, this whiskey culminates in a long and sophisticated finish.
"It gives you that little charcoal feeling and just comes out with a really well-balanced
whiskey."
Richard Davie of BBC Good Food recommends drinking this whiskey with a dash of water
to give the flavors room to spread out and really shine when you taste the final product.
Billing itself as the best-selling Irish single malt whiskey in the United States, the Sexton
Single Malt Irish Whiskey will set you back around $30, making for an undeniable gem of
a bargain.
Crafted using unpeated Irish malted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills,
this whiskey is aged for four years in casks that have previously housed Oloroso sherry,
a fortified wine produced in Andalusia, Spain.
Plus, it comes in a distinctive hexagonal bottle with a convenient black and copper
pourer.
Despite its youthful status, the Sexton Single Malt is characterized by a surprisingly decent
body.
Josh Peters of The Whiskey Jug notes that it's sweeter than its 80-proof standing would
suggest.
On the nose, the dark copper spirit carries aromas of malt, cocoa, apples, citrus, and,
of course, sherry.
There are also some acetone and metallic notes thrown into the mix.
The taste is characterized by a range of flavors including sherry, as well as malt, toffee,
cocoa, cinnamon, nuts, dried apricots, and strawberry jam.
Meanwhile, the long finish is citrusy and malty with hints of sherry and apricot.
High-quality whiskey doesn't have to cost a fortune.
At around $40, the Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey is a perfect mid-range offering.
It's surprisingly smooth and flavorful for its high 92 proof status.
Medium-bodied, it comes with a nose that hints at malt, dried fruit, toffee, and banana,
as well as brown sugar, grain, and apricot.
On the palate, it exudes flavors of malt, caramel, dried fruit, banana, and honey with
hints of spice, vanilla taffy, and dark sweets.
While the Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey doesn't come with an age statement, it's made
with whiskeys that are under six years old.
It also features a high malt-to-grain ratio.
But what really makes this whiskey stand out from the pack is its six-month rum barrel
finish, which adds to the complexity of its flavor profile.
Ideal for drinking on ice and a perfect addition to cocktails thanks to its notes of dark sugar
and high proof, the Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey makes a nice addition to any liquor
cabinet without breaking the bank.
"Here at Teeling Whiskey, we are focusing on the art of maturation and crafting the
finest Irish whiskey."
Building on the original Tyrconnell, the Tyrconnell 16 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a
high-quality selection for anyone willing to fork out around $100 for a bottle.
Aged in bourbon barrels for 16 years, this particular whiskey is a limited release in
a series of bottles with a special appellation.
And if you're wondering what that name means, it comes from a chestnut colt that won the
National Produce Stakes horse race way back in 1876.
Produced at the Cooley Distillery in County Louth, the whiskey in this bottle is double
distilled in uniquely shaped pot stills.
The small stills feature long necks, a unique construction meant to ensure that the whiskey
gets plenty of contact with the copper, which results in a more layered flavor profile.
Bottled at 92 proof, the pour is matured in American oak bourbon barrels.
The palate features a light taste of green fruits.
Meanwhile, the lingering and subtly sweet finish comes with unmistakable notes of oak.
This whiskey is obviously no bargain, but you get what you pay for, so it's definitely
worth the splurge.
Drinking whiskey neat isn't always a pleasant experience, particularly if you're a newbie.
In that case, if you've got a lackluster whiskey, you might find yourself reaching for your
favorite mixer to cut the harshness.
But that definitely won't be the case when it comes to the Connemara 12 Year Old Peated
Single Malt Irish Whiskey.
This selection is ideal for serving at room temperature, even without mixers or ice.
In fact, drinking the sipper neat is one of the best ways to fully appreciate its aroma
and flavor.
Connemara 12 Year Old Whiskey is the only commercially-available single malt peated
Irish whiskey today.
The peat fire used to dry the malted barley during the production process is precisely
what gives the final product its subtle smoky aroma and flavor.
According to The Spruce Eats, Connemara is peated at approximately half the phenol amount
of Islay malt, Islay being a region of Scotland.
In the end, it gives this Irish whiskey a lovely, mild flavor that can easily be enjoyed
neat.
It's also only 80 proof, which makes it highly drinkable straight.
This golden-colored whiskey comes with a distinct smoky aroma and an underlying toffee-like
sweetness.
The flavor, meanwhile, hints at a forest fire and features a slightly medicinal note balanced
by hints of soft caramels.
And the lingering finish is peaty with hints of chocolate.
"That's Connemara.
Beautiful."
Aged for at least 14 years in bourbon barrels, the Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old Single Malt
Irish Whiskey then spends a minimum of two years in Oloroso sherry casks.
This is the reason for its characteristic nutty sherry notes.
Produced at only one distillery, this whiskey is malty and fruity on the nose and features
a rich palate packed with sherry maltiness and hints of fruit and sweetness.
Last but not least, the finish comes with a lingering sweetness, which Whiskey Base
attributes to the distillery's use of bourbon casks.
The Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old Single Malt derives its name from a 15th-century Irish
castle, which was purchased and restored by Mark Edwin Andrews in the 1960s.
Andrews is also the man behind Knappogue Castle 1951, one of the oldest and scarcest commercially
available Irish whiskeys today.
The Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey harkens back to the time when a liquor merchant,
Mitchell & Sons, kept track of its whiskey's age statements by marking the casks with a
little paint: blue for seven years, green for 10, yellow for 12, and red for 15.
It doesn't come with an age statement anymore, but if you still want to know that information,
the sipper is aged between seven and 10 years in sherry casks, as well as new and refill
bourbon casks.
According to Wine Enthusiast Spirits Editor Kara Newman, Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish
Whiskey is best enjoyed on its own with no input from mixers.
It's rich in hints of spices, aromatic oils, fruit, barley, and toasted wood.
Plus, it has a spicy body with notes of cloves, green apples, and toasted oak.
And why, you might be wondering, would we want to pour this amber elixir over ice?
It has to do with a process called "retronasal olfaction."
When whiskey is chilled on ice, warming it in the mouth releases aromatic molecules that
elevate the sipping experience to the next level.
As the brains behind the Midleton Method and Madness Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey proclaim
on their website:
"It's not often we stray from the traditional oak, but one sip suggests it was well worth
the deviation."
Made from malted and unmalted barley, this whiskey is matured in Oloroso sherry and bourbon
barrels before being transferred to chestnut casks, rather than the more traditional oak,
from the Isére region of France.
While this would practically never fly in Scotland, where whiskey has to be aged for
at least three years in oak barrels, Ireland's distillers aren't quite as restrictive as
their neighbor to the east.
The Midleton Method and Madness Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey evokes aromas of red licorice,
rosemary, mint, and ginger.
Meanwhile, the palate is full of the flavors of sweet fruit and spices, cinnamon toast,
and ripe banana.
The finish is more evocative of green tea, wood, and fruit and spice.
BBC Good Food has called the hint of chestnut that can be found among this sipper's flavors
"delightful."
Jameson is one of the world's most recognizable Irish whiskeys, and it's also one of the best
ones to introduce to whiskey novices.
Ideally served in either cocktails or on the rocks, Jameson is a triple distilled malt
whiskey that's been aged in oak for a minimum of four years.
It's then blended with grain whiskey, resulting in a light flavor and texture that's just
about perfect for anyone new to this spirit.
Smooth and easy to drink, Jameson comes with a subtle floral aroma with notes of sweetness
and spicy wood.
On the palate, this light-tasting whiskey is characterized by flavors of malt, vanilla,
and unripe citrus, as well as hints of cocoa, fruit, and caramel.
The finish, meanwhile, is malty with a hint of oak and earth.
Jameson Distillery was founded way back in 1780, though it actually debuted as the Steins
Family Bow Street Distillery.
It took on its current name after John Jameson took it over in 1805 and changed the name
to his own in 1810.
By the 19th century, it was one of the biggest distillers of whiskey in the entire world.
It wasn't all smooth sailing, though.
The company started to struggle after Ireland declared its independence from Britain, finally
shoring itself up when it merged with John Powers and Cork Distillers to form the Irish
Distillers Group in 1966.
Made with malt and grain, the Slane Triple Casked Irish Whiskey can call itself "triple
casked" because it's been aged, naturally enough, in three different types of casks.
In this case, those casks are made of virgin oak, seasoned bourbon, and ones that had previously
housed Oloroso sherry.
While this whiskey has no age statement, it has been aged in first-fill bourbon casks
for 20 months, virgin oak casks for 20 months, and Oloroso Sherry butts for 24 months.
A product of a distillery located in County Meath near the historic Slane Castle, the
Slane Triple Casked Irish Whiskey is peppered with subtle aromas and layers of flavor, including
fruit, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toasted oak.
The palate is rich with spice that's sweetened with hints of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch,
and dried fruit.
Last but not least, the finish evokes notes of caramelized wood sugar and dry fruit.
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