Best Irish Whiskey?

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

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 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.

Have to post this, sorry haha.


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

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 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.

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 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 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.

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

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

Was not overly impressed with the Kilbeggan 15yo either but I think the €95Euro price tag takes the shine off such whiskies ... or maybe the kilbeggan style is not to my liking


Tyrconnell Maderia is one of my top 5 Irish Whiskeys, just an amazingly beautiful whiskey for me too and one that I would reckon is very approachable for many people with the fruity sweetness.

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

Was not overly impressed with the Kilbeggan 15yo either but I think the €95Euro price tag takes the shine off such whiskies ... or maybe the kilbeggan style is not to my liking


Tyrconnell Maderia is one of my top 5 Irish Whiskeys, just an amazingly beautiful whiskey for me too and one that I would reckon is very approachable for many people with the fruity sweetness.

I've always liked the Kilbeggan and the Kilbeggan 15 - but it is overpriced, sure enough. I remember a tasting at the distillery I was one of the few that really liked the 15. It's one of Noel Sweeney's favourites too.

I'd mostly drink Jameson (usually accompanying a pint of Guinness).
At home I usually have Greenore & Connemara Peated Single Malt.
I was given a gift of Midleton VR a few years ago & most of it is still in the bottle. Not my cup of tea at all.

They pass it through charcoal. In America they do it a lot. Jack Daniels do it.

There's a few different kinds of charocal. One heated to a greater degree than the other. The Lincoln process is supposed to add something to the whiskey, rather than just filter it.

You can't beat a good Irish whiskey imho. As a rule they tend to be very different to Scottish whisky.

There are a couple of online retailers based in Ireland to see the full selection. A Google will give you the websites. My recommendation is to start with everyday whiskeys and work your way up to see what your preferrences are.

Best of luck.