Best Irish Whiskey?

Deus Ex Machina

I like Powers and Bushmills.

IrishWhiskeyCha

I like Irish Whiskey too ...

But Bushmills?????

Can you be a bit more specific ...

Bushmills (White) Regular Blend? Bushmills Blackbush? Bushmills 10yo? Bushmills 16yo? Bushmills 21yo?

Powers is a great whiskey though

It's a bit subjective I suppose, but of the Irish whiskey's I've tried, jameson 18 yo would be my favourite. Can't afford to drink it often though! Bushmills 16yo wouldn't be far behind it, fantastic stuff.

brianthebard

Redbreast 12yo is very nice, and is 10% off in Dunnes atm.

Deus Ex Machina

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

I like Irish Whiskey too ...

But Bushmills?????

Can you be a bit more specific ...

Bushmills (White) Regular Blend? Bushmills Blackbush? Bushmills 10yo? Bushmills 16yo? Bushmills 21yo?

Powers is a great whiskey though

Yes that was quite general. I have never tried the 16 or 21 year old, but out of the others my preference is towards the 10 year old, then regular and then Blackbush. Powers Gold label is probably my favourite out of the lot.

celticbest

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

Yes that was quite general. I have never tried the 16 or 21 year old, but out of the others my preference is towards the 10 year old, then regular and then Blackbush. Powers Gold label is probably my favourite out of the lot.

All Bushmills blends just remind me of Scotch as you can taste the peat in it.

My favourite affordable Whiskey would be Crested Ten.

The Celtic whiskey shop does a single cask special each year, this is my favouite expensive Whiskey just ahead of Midleton Very Rare.

Brockagh

celticbest wrote: »

All Bushmills blends just remind me of Scotch as you can taste the peat in it.

My favourite affordable Whiskey would be Crested Ten.

The Celtic whiskey shop does a single cask special each year, this is my favouite expensive Whiskey just ahead of Midleton Very Rare.

There's no peat in Bushmills whiskeys. There was a hit of it back in the 70s, I have heard, but I have never detected it myself. You can get similar notes from wood, though. Very slightly.

celticbest

Brockagh wrote: »

There's no peat in Bushmills whiskeys. There was a hit of it back in the 70s, I have heard, but I have never detected it myself. You can get similar notes from wood, though. Very slightly.

Sorry always thought it was peaty as it is so different in taste to other Irish whiskey's.

Brockagh

Some people still get peat flavours from unpeated whiskey. It's different to the Jamesons and the Powers because it's malt based. The 10, 16 and 21 are all single malts, while the Black and White Bushes are malt-grain blends.

The other Irish single malt (not including Kilbeggan's new stuff) is from Cooley, which is double distilled. The Connemara is peated, as is the Locke's (slightly) and Inishowen. These would be closer again to what is considered traditional scotch.

Irish Distillers do occasionally make single malt, but have only released it on its own in Erin Go Bragh, which was done for an American company.

Jimmy Iovine

Have to post this, sorry haha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X85N-43REag

I'd be more of a Jameson man myself. Nobody believes me but Jameson mixed with orange mi wadi is possibly the nicest drink around. Being a student that's about as far as my whiskey experience goes, and Powers as well obviously.

When I get a bit of money I'll be splashing out on some whiskey no doubt

sealgaire

Jameson myself also. Powers and others I find much weaker

IrishWhiskeyCha

So what is the best Irish WHiskey ... I'm afraid I cannot answer that as everybody has different tastes but I can tell you what some of my favorite Irish whiskeys are ...

The likes of Jameson Power paddy et al are all fine whiskies but to me are more like pub drinks to have with a pint when conversation amonst friends is more important. Again these whiskies are fine to mix and if that is your thing fair enough but when you mix a whiskey you are really only getting the bare essence of a whiskey. At the end of the day I personally think it is not ideal to be drinking an expensive whiskey in a crowded pud as you really are missing half of it.

To really appreciate the complexity of a whiskey you need step up to the next level of whiskeys and take them home to enjoy in comfortable surrounds to really understand what it is all about. The likes of a Redbreast 15yo will really offer so much more than say a regular Jameson.

If your looking for the best Irish WHiskey you really have to explore deeply into the ranges and see what suits you.

Bushmills

Bushmills white, Blackbush, Bushmills 10yo, Bushmills 16yo, Bushmills 21yo, Bushmills Single Sherry Cask, Bushmills Single Bourbon Cask

Cooley

Connemara Peated Single Malt, Connemara Cask Strength, Connemara Sherry Cask, Connemara 12yo, Connemara Single Cask

Tyrconnell Single Malt, Tyrconnell 10yo Madiera Finish, Tyrconnell 10yo Port Finish, Tyrconnell 10yo Sherry finish, Tyrconnell 18yo

Midleton(IDL)

Jameson, Crested Ten, Jameson 12yo, Jameson Gold, Jameson 18yo, Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve

Midleton Very Rare

Redbreast 12yo Redbreast 15yo


The above list is not a complete list but a list of the popular brands


For Best Irish Whiskey my contenders are a Bushmills Single Sherry Cask, Connemara Cask Strength, Tyrconnell 10yo Madiera Finsh, Jameson RVR and Redbreast 15yo.

Easily the Jameson RVR is one the best tasting Irish Whiskey I've had in a long time but the cost is quite prohibitive to most (€369) however the Redbreast 15yo is not far behind in taste but only costs €67-75. and on a cost taste ratio the best Irish Whsikey available (in my opinion of course)

However no need to be spending big money on whiskies if you cant affoard it and the likes of Jameson 12yo and Blackbush are excellent step up whiskeys from the bog standards however it really is a matter of getting out there and tasting them for yourself. Just go to a decent whiskey pup once in a while and try a different whiskey every time and possibly taste against your current favourite bog standard especially if you don't want to splash out for full bottles just yet.


Sorry I went on a bit

But whiskey is a serious business

hatful

I really like pot stills as l prefer sweet tasting whiskies. Are there any whiskies similar to robin red breast I should try? sherry casks?

IrishWhiskeyCha

hatful wrote: »

I really like pot stills as l prefer sweet tasting whiskies. Are there any whiskies similar to robin red breast I should try? sherry casks?

The likes of Redbreast, Jameson and Blackbush all have ratio's of Sherry cask whiskey but not solely sherry these would also would have bourbon cask matured whiskey too whether grain, pot still or malt whiskey. Bushmills Blackbush would probably have the highest sherry cask ratio.

Sherry and Bourbon are the 2 main casks that are used in maturing whiskey and Bourbon is more popular as it is far cheaper to source. However sherry casks are not the only casks that give sweetness.

Sherry Cask imparts heavy fruit cake mix sweetness. Think of christmas fruit cake sweetness. However bourbon cask imparts vanilla which is also a sweet charachter. But the older the casks the softer they get.

Port is another heavy wine cask like sherry but even more rich and more sweet and very silky but the casks are more expensive again than sherry.

So you have a situation that ratio's are mixed and matched to get various styles and tastes, its actually quite an art that is way beyond my capablities.

There are very few sherry only Irish WHiskey's on the go. Bushmills came out with a few single sherry casks a few years back and they were excellent but you paid for them.

However the likes of the Tyrconnell 10yo Madiera finish again a fortified wine cask is a lovely balanced whiskey with a decent bit of sweetness is a great alternative.

Writers Tears is a lovely whiskey and is Pot Still based.

Redbreast 15 is way better, richer and slighly more sweeter than the 12yo.

Another thing to remember the older the whiskey the smoother it becomes so the sweetness eventhough it may not be "more" sweet it probably will come across so.

redlead

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

Just go to a decent whiskey pup once in a while and try a different whiskey every time and possibly taste against your current favourite bog standard especially if you don't want to splash out for full bottles just yet.

IrishWhiskeyCha - Where is the best whiskey pub in Dublin do you know? I'm just back from Edinburgh and was in heaven with the selection of whiskys available in most bars. Because of this I have tasted a lot more Scotchs than Irish whiskey. I have also generally always bought Islay whisky because I love the peatiness which is why I have been drinking a fair bit of Connemara lately (I feel guilty for buying scotch over Irish stuff). As nice as Connemera is, I don't think that it is as good as the Ardbeg and Laphraoig 10 and 15 yr olds which I am used to. I'm going off the point a bit, I'm just interested in trying many different Irish whiskies without having to buy a load of bottles. I have never come across any pub in Dublin that has such a collection like seems to be the norm in Scotland. Can you recommend any?

BeerNut

There's a fantastic selection in L. Mulligan Grocer in Stoneybatter. The Bull & Castle has a good range too.

Brockagh

The pub with the biggest range would probably be the Temple Bar. Brooke's Hotel has a good selection too.

Other good ones are The Palace, The Vat House (expensive), the Four Seasons in Ballsbridge, Bow's on Fleet Street...

IrishWhiskeyCha

Also if you join the Irish Whiskey Society (use link in my sig or just google the name) and you will be able to avail of cheap tastings once a month.


P.s. Connemara Cask Strength is the best Connemara for a peat blast in my opinion. However they are coming out with a new Connemara sub titled Turf Mor which is even peatier

redlead

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

Also if you join the Irish Whiskey Society (use link in my sig or just google the name) and you will be able to avail of cheap tastings once a month.


P.s. Connemara Cask Strength is the best Connemara for a peat blast in my opinion. However they are coming out with a new Connemara sub titled Turf Mor which is even peatier

I have a bottle of the normal peated Connemara which is admittedly pretty good. I would love to try the cask strength one to see how it compares to the Islays. I've read about the Turf Mór alright and will try to get a bottle if it isn't too pricey. Presumably they are trying to go for a very peaty whiskey so I'm going to have to compare it to the Ardbeg 10yo which is the benchmark for a peaty blast in my opinion. It's a pretty serious craft whisky for just €40, bottled at 48%, marvellous blast of peat with a strong hint of sea salt and sea air. Lacks the tobbacco notes of Laphraoig but it can't have it all. Connamra Turf Mór will presumably be more expensive than €40 so it's going to have to be good, really good in fact. I have a lot of respect for Cooley though so they might just spring a surprise.

Going back to the original best Irish whiskey topic, I picked up a Blackbush for €19 yesterday, reduced from €28 in O'Briens in Donneybrook, and my god is it a pathetic whiskey. I know for that price and considering that it is only a blend that I shouldn't be expecting much but it really is poor. A strong enough initial hit of sweet sherry and a bit of spice and then nothing, very disappointing. Looks like it's full of caramel colouring too.

The best Irish whiskey I have tried is Middelton very rare but I can't afford to buy that too often I'm afraid. Tyrconnell is an excellent whiskey and the Madeira cask 10yo which is out at the moment is supposed to be great albeit is a bit pricey. I'll try to pick up a bottle over xmas.

Edit: On further investigation the Turf Mór is only 3 years old so is being priced very reasonably (in the low twenties which is very cheap for a cask stregnth, I will believe it when I see it though). Will be worth a gamble alright, can't really go wrong with that price as Cooley very rarely release sh1te. That young it obviously won't be fair to compare it to the Ardbeg 10yo but it could be nice.

http://www.irishwhiskeynotes.com/2010/11/connemara-turf-mor.html

Cavehill Red

redlead wrote: »

Going back to the original best Irish whiskey topic, I picked up a Blackbush for €19 yesterday, reduced from €28 in O'Briens in Donneybrook, and my god is it a pathetic whiskey. I know for that price and considering that it is only a blend that I shouldn't be expecting much but it really is poor. A strong enough initial hit of sweet sherry and a bit of spice and then nothing, very disappointing. Looks like it's full of caramel colouring too.

Couldn't disagree more. Black Bush is and long has been the benchmark Irish blend. It is fantastically affordable, especially sub 20 euro, has an excellent complex palate and a finish to rival single malt sherried Scotches like Macallan or Aberlour. It does indeed contain caramel, like pretty much every other non-single cask Irish whiskey I've ever encountered.

redlead wrote: »

The best Irish whiskey I have tried is Middelton very rare but I can't afford to buy that too often I'm afraid.

Oh dear. Really? Really? Is it that you don't try many Irish whiskeys or is it the pretty wooden box and preposterous price that appeals?
Even by Midleton's standards, the VR is a shocking rip-off. Most of the Jameson range is vastly superior to this bland blend, and it doesn't hold a candle to the likes of the Redbreast 15 yo, which clocks in at less than half the price.

redlead wrote: »

Tyrconnell is an excellent whiskey and the Madeira cask 10yo which is out at the moment is supposed to be great albeit is a bit pricey. I'll try to pick up a bottle over xmas.

All the 10 yo Tyrconnell finishes are splendid. Personally, I like the Port best, but they all have their fans. CWS is doing a Tyrconnell finished in their own Anima Negra cask at the moment. I bought the first two that went on sale after tasting them at an Irish Whiskey society event, and I wasn't disappointed. It's the best Tyrconnell finish so far. And the older Tyrconnell gets, the better it seems to become. 17 and 18 yo versions are now available and are really something very special.

redlead wrote: »

Edit: On further investigation the Turf Mór is only 3 years old so is being priced very reasonably (in the low twenties which is very cheap for a cask stregnth, I will believe it when I see it though). Will be worth a gamble alright, can't really go wrong with that price as Cooley very rarely release sh1te. That young it obviously won't be fair to compare it to the Ardbeg 10yo but it could be nice.

http://www.irishwhiskeynotes.com/2010/11/connemara-turf-mor.html

Turf Mor won't be priced anywhere near 20-30 euro. Think more like 50-55. It's very young for the price, but I've tried it and really enjoyed it and will be picking up a bottle as soon as it is in the shops.

redlead

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Couldn't disagree more. Black Bush is and long has been the benchmark Irish blend. It is fantastically affordable, especially sub 20 euro, has an excellent complex palate and a finish to rival single malt sherried Scotches like Macallan or Aberlour. It does indeed contain caramel, like pretty much every other non-single cask Irish whiskey I've ever encountered.



Oh dear. Really? Really? Is it that you don't try many Irish whiskeys or is it the pretty wooden box and preposterous price that appeals?
Even by Midleton's standards, the VR is a shocking rip-off. Most of the Jameson range is vastly superior to this bland blend, and it doesn't hold a candle to the likes of the Redbreast 15 yo, which clocks in at less than half the price.



All the 10 yo Tyrconnell finishes are splendid. Personally, I like the Port best, but they all have their fans. CWS is doing a Tyrconnell finished in their own Anima Negra cask at the moment. I bought the first two that went on sale after tasting them at an Irish Whiskey society event, and I wasn't disappointed. It's the best Tyrconnell finish so far. And the older Tyrconnell gets, the better it seems to become. 17 and 18 yo versions are now available and are really something very special.



Turf Mor won't be priced anywhere near 20-30 euro. Think more like 50-55. It's very young for the price, but I've tried it and really enjoyed it and will be picking up a bottle as soon as it is in the shops.

No I haven't tried many Irish whiskeys that's my problem, but I thought that the Middleton was excellent. Lots of lads say that the Redbrest 15yo is the best and I have never had a pure pot still so will look forward to trying that. My dad just got a bottle so I shall try it over Christmas. The blackbush will be used for hot whiskeys and for mixers, just really don't think its good at all but everyone is entitled to their opinion of course.

Yeah the price of 50-55 sounds more like it alright. That's pricey enough considering what Islays you can get for the same price. Wouldn't mind picking up a bottle of it all the same.

Cavehill Red

redlead wrote: »

No I haven't tried many Irish whiskeys that's my problem, but I thought that the Middleton was excellent. Lots of lads say that the Redbrest 15yo is the best and I have never had a pure pot still so will look forward to trying that. My dad just got a bottle so I shall try it over Christmas. The blackbush will be used for hot whiskeys and for mixers, just really don't think its good at all but everyone is entitled to their opinion of course.

Might be the Bush malt you're not partial too, or perhaps the sherry in it. At the bottom of the price range, few people would argue that it's hard to beat.
But if you enjoy the Midleton (I find it a bit too smooth and bland myself) then you might want to look at other bourbon finished potstill based whiskeys.
Powers 12 year old for starters, which is much cheaper than Midleton. The Jameson Gold might be of interest to you too. The Redbreasts are sherried, but not overly so. The 15 yo is probably the best regular Irish whiskey I've ever come across.

redlead wrote: »

Yeah the price of 50-55 sounds more like it alright. That's pricey enough considering what Islays you can get for the same price. Wouldn't mind picking up a bottle of it all the same.

It's good, even at that young age. The IWS held a peaty whiskey tasting a while back and the Turf Mor tied with the Bowmore 25 yo for the favourite of the night, which is pretty astonishing given some of the other whiskeys that were being drunk (A Port Ellen, a 20 yo Laphroaig, a distiller's edition Lagavulin, etc).
http://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/events/2010/2010-10-28
Peaty whiskey is something we haven't done in Ireland for decades until Connemara was launched. Cooley are still finding their way with it. The spirit is citrusy and sweet and quite unlike most Islays. Perhaps it's better compared to some Speysides instead. If you're the sort of person who loves a heavy peatiness such as you might find in Ardbeg or Laphroaig, Turf Mor isn't it. But it is like the normal Connemara to the next power.

Brockagh

Yeah, I think the Turf Mor will be between 60 and 65 euro.

I'm not a huge Bushmills fan, but they have some great stuff. Blackbush is very well respected by whiskey-lovers. It has a very very high malt content for a blend.

I love the Midleton Very Rare. Of course, it's different from year to year. I'd prefer the Jameson 18 to it, generally.

beat root

redlead wrote: »

IrishWhiskeyCha - Where is the best whiskey pub in Dublin do you know? I'm just back from Edinburgh and was in heaven with the selection of whiskys available in most bars. Because of this I have tasted a lot more Scotchs than Irish whiskey. I have also generally always bought Islay whisky because I love the peatiness which is why I have been drinking a fair bit of Connemara lately (I feel guilty for buying scotch over Irish stuff). As nice as Connemera is, I don't think that it is as good as the Ardbeg and Laphraoig 10 and 15 yr olds which I am used to. I'm going off the point a bit, I'm just interested in trying many different Irish whiskies without having to buy a load of bottles. I have never come across any pub in Dublin that has such a collection like seems to be the norm in Scotland. Can you recommend any?

Try Bowe's pub on Fleet St, beside Doyles. They have a fairly decent collection of Irish and Scotch as well. You won't find many peated Irish, they're all about grain and honey

jkell061

Powers is always the first choice for me, after that I'm easy, excluding Tullamore Dew and Tesco Whiskey, raw stuff.

Black Bush is nice too

beat root

Have you tried Green Spot? It's similar to the standard Red Breast, which is very good itself, but actually better. I believe there is also a 10 and 12yr Green spot, but will have to save for it.

I would have to agree with you on the Midleton VR. Personally, I think it is nice, but at that price, its a bit flat and as you say, you're money would be better spent elsewhere (I bought a japanese whiskey, Hibiki 17 yr, for 65 euro, and I would expect to pay hundreds for an equivalent Irish or Scotch). However, I wouldn't be too bothered about it Midelton being a blend though, many of the best whiskies I have tried are blends. I think that single malts/single grains are as much a marketing ploy as grape varieties on new world wines. Irish whiskey once ruled the world and it was mostly blends.

MajorMax

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

Have to post this, sorry haha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X85N-43REag

I'd be more of a Jameson man myself. Nobody believes me but Jameson mixed with orange mi wadi is possibly the nicest drink around. Being a student that's about as far as my whiskey experience goes, and Powers as well obviously.

When I get a bit of money I'll be splashing out on some whiskey no doubt

HERESY, BURN HIM!:mad:

superfurry1

Hello there everybody any idea what the new kilbeggan is like?

IrishWhiskeyCha

superfurry1 wrote: »

Hello there everybody any idea what the new kilbeggan is like?

Which one?

i.e. is it the normal Kilbeggan with just the new bottle and label or are you talking about the new Kilbeggan Distillery Malt.

The regular Kilbeggan is supposed to be the same as the older style bottle. However I've never really liked the whiskey as I find it too light.

The Kilbeggan Distillery Malt is a limited edition (Batch 0001) and the result of an experiment for spirit distilled in Kilbeggan and matured in small quarter casks which give the effect of aging faster. It is only a 3 year old but has much more flavour than the regular Kilbeggan and I think it is okay. I say only okay as there seems to be a wood sap after taste in it but worth a try to see the effects of a short aging period in small casks. However this will improve over the years as they get the oppertunity to age their own spirit in Kilbeggan. Nice looking bottle too ... well I think so anyway

the beer revolu

Tasted the Tyrconnell Maderia finish in The Abbot's, Cork.

I think this might just be my new favourite Irish whiskey.
Amazing!

Mr Magnolia

The 15yo Kilbeggan is super, it was voted the best Irish blended whiskey be the WWA this year.

I've a bottle of the Maderia in the press that I'm keeping for Christmas.