What is the best whiskey (and why) for an Irish Coffee in your opinion?

amdublin · 30-09-2015 9:12pm #1

With the winter coming in what whiskey do you think is best for Irish Coffee?

GalwayGrrrrrl · 30-09-2015 9:15pm

I just use the cheapest one that someone gave us as a gift and keep the nice whiskey to drink on its own. I'm not sure that's the answer you are looking for though!!!

The Hill Billy · 30-09-2015 9:18pm

I usually have a bottle of Dunphy's put aside for hot toddies. Works good in Irish Coffees too.

amdublin · 30-09-2015 9:20pm

Lol probably not!

Ok so imagine that cost is not a factor - assuming you're not throwing in Middleton Rare or anything crazy - which would you recommend then?

I.e. what whiskey in the €20/30 bottle category?

amdublin · 30-09-2015 9:22pm

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I usually have a bottle of Dunphy's put aside for hot toddies. Works good in Irish Coffees too.

I'd never heard of Dunphy's! Sounds nice

dos29 · 30-09-2015 9:37pm

I vote Bushmills black.

lord lucan · 01-10-2015 12:07am

Has to be Powers!

The Hill Billy · 01-10-2015 7:18am

amdublin wrote: »

I'd never heard of Dunphy's! Sounds nice

It is relatively inexpensive & quite mellow compared to other low-end whiskies.

endacl · 01-10-2015 7:23am

Cheapest available. You wouldn't put a €100 bottle of red in a bolognaise, would you.

The Hill Billy · 01-10-2015 8:28am

I certainly wouldn't taint even instant coffee with Johnny Walker Red Label either.

Like wine used in food, whiskey used in Irish Coffee should at least be drinkable.

L1011 · 01-10-2015 8:54am

Cheapest drinkable bottle you can find. Aldi 19.99 Bushmills White would be that for me - I've not tried their 18.99 Clontarf 1014 though.

dan1895 · 01-10-2015 10:50am

endacl wrote: »

Cheapest available. You wouldn't put a €100 bottle of red in a bolognaise, would you.

I use white in my bolognaise. Sounds crazy but it works.

L1011 · 01-10-2015 11:11am

dan1895 wrote: »

I use white in my bolognaise. Sounds crazy but it works.

Not uncommon - have seen claims (Darina Allen for one) that it should be white if traditional - I've not been that bothered to check!

amdublin · 01-10-2015 12:27pm

Someone suggested tulle more dew to me...thoughts?

Mesrine65 · 01-10-2015 12:45pm

Clontarf Whiskey from Aldi, cheap & cheerful

https://www.aldi.ie/en/about-aldi/award-winners/great-taste-award-winners-2013/great-taste-2013-products-detail-page/ps/p/clontarf-classic-blend-irish-whiskey/

img_1092.jpg?w=593

The Hill Billy · 01-10-2015 12:54pm

amdublin wrote: »

Someone suggested tulle more dew to me...thoughts?

Tullamore Dew would be fine.

the beer revolu · 01-10-2015 5:11pm

dan1895 wrote: »

I use white in my bolognaise. Sounds crazy but it works.

Not crazy at all. Italians tend to cook with white wine far more than red.

Brockagh · 02-10-2015 9:22am

The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco use Tullamore Dew now, I think. Way back, they might have used Dunphy's, and in between they used their own brand, I think made at Midleton. They sell more Irish coffee than anywhere else in the world.

In Ireland, a lot of bars use Powers, because it was slightly cheaper. They do say, however, that the spicier flavour of the pure pot still works better in Irish coffee, so Powers seems to fit.

I would use a pot still blend rather than a single malt or single malt blend, but maybe I couldn't tell the difference. Tullamore has malt and pot still in it, as well as grain.

Saruwatari · 02-10-2015 3:42pm

Brockagh wrote: »

In Ireland, a lot of bars use Powers, because it was slightly cheaper. They do say, however, that the spicier flavour of the pure pot still works better in Irish coffee, so Powers seems to fit.

This. Whiskey with pot still content has higher viscosity than just malt or grain so you're getting a longer lingering warmth as well a spicy finish from the raw barley, both of which compliment an Irish coffee.
So ideally Powers, if not that then any other cheap pot still blend (Tullamore D.E.W second-best, maybe Jamesons after but not mad on its fruitiness in a coffee)

limnam · 02-10-2015 8:59pm

by the time you add water, coffee, cream, sugar,etc does it really matter?

the cheapest should be fine.

A more interesting question possibly, is what coffee to use and how to make make it to go well with the whiskey. But we're in the wrong forum

Zaph · 02-10-2015 11:40pm

Brockagh wrote: »

The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco use Tullamore Dew now, I think. Way back, they might have used Dunphy's, and in between they used their own brand, I think made at Midleton. They sell more Irish coffee than anywhere else in the world.

I saw the twice (although maybe he's won it more times since) world champion Irish coffee maker in action there. Speed seems to have been the criteria rather than presentation - they were some of the worst looking Irish coffees I've ever seen. Half the cream ended up mixed in with the coffee rather than floating on top. I would have made better ones myself tbh, and I don't even like them.

rubadub · 04-10-2015 5:56pm

amdublin wrote: »

Someone suggested tulle more dew to me...thoughts?

I have seen tullamore dew being described as the original or preferred whiskey to use. Might have been their own marketing claiming that though.

this page mentions tullamore dew and the origin of irish coffees
https://www.exploredrinks.com/whisky-ireland/whisky-ireland-tullamore-dew/

Desmond was as enterprising as his grandfather and in 1947, Tullamore developed a great Irish whiskey liqueur Irish Mist, based on an early recipe known to Ireland’s ancient chieftains. A blend of Irish whiskey, herbs and honey, the recipe disappeared in the late 17th century, only  to be rediscovered in a manuscript 250 years later.

Desmond also capitalised on the Irish coffee craze, and perhaps most importantly recognised the potential of blended whiskies. The smooth, mature and distinctive taste of Tullamore Dew can be attributed to his foresight. It was airport head chef, Joseph Sheridan who actually invented and named the Irish coffee. In the 1940s, Sheridan added Tullamore Dew whiskey to the coffee of passengers on a Pan Am flight who took to the drink rather fondly. When asking whether the cup before them was of Brazilian bean, Sheridan promptly told them it was “Irish coffee”. And, so the popular drink prevails today with Tullamore Dew internationally associated with the best Irish coffee on offer.

Brockagh · 08-10-2015 12:44pm

This is from the back of an old Jameson bottle I have. Must have been around the time subsequent to Irish coffee being invented in the 1940s...

dos29 · 08-10-2015 3:36pm

Brockagh wrote: »

This is from the back of an old Jameson bottle I have. Must have been around the time subsequent to Irish coffee being invented in the 1940s...

"It is what scientists call synergistic action "
I love it!

Lucena · 13-10-2015 10:38am

endacl wrote: »

Cheapest available. You wouldn't put a €100 bottle of red in a bolognaise, would you.

Maybe not a €100 bottle, but I once used a good bottle of red as opposed to the cheap stuff I normally used, as it was all I had to hand for making boeuf bourguinon. The end result was notably better!

Kloppstar · 19-10-2015 1:56pm

We had a Jack Daniels Honey hot toddy at the weekend, quite nice

L1011 · 19-10-2015 6:47pm

Kloppstar wrote: »

We had a Jack Daniels Honey hot toddy at the weekend, quite nice

It's not an Irish Coffee with bourbon in it though

Zaph · 20-10-2015 7:22pm

L1011 wrote: »

It's not an Irish Coffee with bourbon in it though

Well if you want to be really pedantic about it, Jack Daniels isn't bourbon, it's Tennessee whiskey.

BeerNut · 21-10-2015 10:04am

Zaph wrote: »

Well if you want to be really pedantic about it, Jack Daniels isn't bourbon, it's Tennessee whiskey.

I'll have to out-pedant you here and say Jack Daniel's is bourbon -- it meets the definition perfectly. The company doesn't like to call it bourbon for marketing reasons, but it still is one.

Zaph · 21-10-2015 10:35pm

BeerNut wrote: »

I'll have to out-pedant you here and say Jack Daniel's is bourbon -- it meets the definition perfectly. The company doesn't like to call it bourbon for marketing reasons, but it still is one.

Well you learn something new every day.

Jayop · 21-10-2015 10:39pm

limnam wrote: »

by the time you add water, coffee, cream, sugar,etc does it really matter?

the cheapest should be fine.

A more interesting question possibly, is what coffee to use and how to make make it to go well with the whiskey. But we're in the wrong forum

I like to use a percolated coffee for Irish coffee's, make quite strong with brown sugar. That helps the cream from sinking or mixing with the coffee.

AgileMyth · 21-10-2015 10:40pm

I have mine with Bushmills Honey. Does that still count as an Irish coffee?

the beer revolu · 23-10-2015 3:51pm

AgileMyth wrote: »

I have mine with Bushmills Honey. Does that still count as an Irish coffee?

Definitely not!
Nothing wrong with it if you like it but it isn't Irish coffee.

Jayop · 23-10-2015 3:57pm

Bushmills for me is more like a scotch in flavour. As for the honey variety I've never had it but if it had a decent whiskey flavour and you didn't put sugar in the coffee it may work.

What is the best whiskey (and why) for an Irish Coffee in your opinion?

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