Introduction to Irish Whisky

by **ScotchPalate** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:57 pm

I'm enjoying tasting the whiskies of the world. Bourbon from here in the US, Canadian whiskies (Single Malt Scotch is still my favorite!

) I'd like to try an Irish Whisky. What do you recommend as an intro to Irish Whisky?

by **les taylor** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:04 pm

Jameson's readily available and of a good quality that appeals to a broad church.

by **bamber** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:28 pm

Jameson 12yo

by **Deactivated Member** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:03 pm

Jamesons is a pretty good one as has already been said.
If you like a peaty whisky, then try connemara.
MT

by **les taylor** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:15 pm

Thinking about it blackbush would give you an introduction to Bushmills. It was the winner of best blended Irish whisky in the 2007 world whisky awards.

by **dapa** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:51 pm

Redbreast
http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/r ... y2182.html
/dapa

by **killerwhale** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:07 pm

I agree with Redbreast and BlackBush..... can't say I liked Jamesons very much, found it a little coarse though I've heard Jameson 12 is different and very good....
I'd like to try Connemara...

by **dapa** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:22 pm

I have suggested an Irish tasting before. You can switch the Tullamore I suggested and have a Jameson instead. The following two would be Redbreast and Connemara. I promise you-that is one very enjoyable tasting for anyone!
/dapa

by **killerwhale** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:30 pm

Jameson 12, Redbreast and Connemara would be a great tasting indeed!

by **pmullin** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:34 pm

Connemara is quite nice if you like peat and smoke. Tyrconnell is another Irish single malt that I enjoy.

I've also picked up a bottle of Michael Collins recently and will report on that when I crack it open.

In general I find that it is hard to find a truly offensive Irish whiskey, since they are all quite smooth (likely due to triple distillation). The worst that you can say about some of them is that they are "uninteresting".

by **dapa** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:58 pm

At the risk of making some people mad: Dullamore Tew (as in "too")
A quote from a friend of mine after an Islay-tasting and getting "something other on the way home"
/dapa

by **Paul A Jellis** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 1:44 am

I'd say Paddy's, it has a rough edge that I really like.

by **TheLaddie** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 10:17 am

I'd go with the peated Connemara too as my favourite but there are other drams more representative of the Irish style i.e. Redbrest.

by **Steve Rush** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:43 pm

Not one of the boldest Irish whiskies in my opinion but certainly goes down a treat and that's Kilbeggan. Fairly widely available and I know that Morrisons have been stocking it for a while.

by **lbacha** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:39 pm

Power's is a good blended Irish whiskey and it is quite affordable another good single malt is Knappogue Castle, the 1994 is good and I hear the 1995 is coming out soon.

Len

by **Mr Fjeld** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:03 pm

I'd go for Redbreast if you're looking for one of the best irish - or for that matter, one of the best whiskies of the lot! It really is that good. Second choice would be Jameson 12 which at its price point is a stellar whisky, and in my honest opinion better than many a single malt.

Please let us know what you choose?

Cheers!

by **Admiral** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:58 am

I'd recommend Black Bush anyday. It's a wonderfully sweet & balanced whiskey.

I'd say Paddy's, it has a rough edge that I really like

Funny....it's that extremely rough edge that turns most of us off Paddy!

The almost total absence of flavour is also a bit of a drawback with it, I find. :wink:

Cheers,
ADmiral

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:00 pm

Basically everybody has named probably the best Irish all rounders that would be available to you.

Jameson 12yo is a great quality blend with a decent potstill content and a good sherry influence.

Redbreast 12yo is a step above on the 12yo as it is pure potstill but not everybody's cup of tea again big sherry influence.

Blackbush is a great introduction to bushmills and better than the 10yo single malt in my opinion. Around 70% malt comntent in this blend.

And finally connemara which is a peated Irish but retains the smooth sweetness. Matured in Bourbon barrels also well worth a try.

Midleton is nice, very very smooth and a bit too sweet and very expensive so not worth trying this as a first timer.

Knappogue castle and Tyrconnell Single malts are nice pleasent but light malts.

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:46 pm

I am just sampling (for the first time) Jamesons "Gold".

What a lovely but very different dram!

Lots of flowers and perfume. Very gentle and soft, just like a very kind cognac.

by **pmullin** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:32 am

I couldn't help myself! :shock:

All of this talk of Redbreast 12 drove to pour a dram out of my near empty bottle. As I can't seem to find the stuff around here any more (in New Brunswick where I live, or in Nova Scotia where I bought the bottle I have now), I was holding on to the last few ounces for some as yet undefined future occasion.

Anyway, it's even better than I remembered it. It is now officially rated as a DFD - A Darn :wink:

Fine Dram.

by **les taylor** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:56 am

I concur with pmullin the redbreast 12 is a DFD. It's the 15 year old I'm after. I can't find it anywhere. Its reputed to be an excellent drink which I'm looking forward to trying.

by **Reggaeblues** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:09 pm

...and I concur with IWC that Blackbush is better than the bushmills 10 YO!

Also concur that Midleton is very expensive as I discovered after sampling some and wanting a bottle...but on the 3 occasions I have been offered some , I have loved it! Sweet, yes, as i recall( it was 3-4 years ago...)lemony, but distinctly, (and distinctively!) Irish.

Paddy? I was given a bottle a while back. A good palate cleanser before a session, but that's about all IMO!! ( in other words, whatever follows it is bound to taste great- so it has its uses!)

Connemara peated a nice surprise...but maybe not 'typically Irish'??

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:01 pm

The first Irish whiskey I tried was Jamesons. I've not had a dram of it for a while mind you, but I always have a bottle in the cupboard. It is a nice stepping stone from American whiskey to SMW (IMHO) from any country. Enjoy

by **lbacha** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:04 pm

Malt-Teaser wrote:I am just sampling (for the first time) Jamesons "Gold".

What a lovely but very different dram!

Lots of flowers and perfume. Very gentle and soft, just like a very kind cognac.

The gold is good, I like the Crested Ten as well, it has alot of Pot Still whisky in it and you can tell. If you get a chance to try the 15 yr old pure pot still try it as well, it is neat to try the core to the Jamesons brands.

Len

by **ScotchPalate** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:53 am

Went down to one of the great shops here in town and stumbled onto a little 3 pack of Bushmills Minis (50ML). The pack has Bushmills Original, Black Bush and the 10 Year Single Malt. I also bought a mini of Jameson to get a taste of it. I was hoping to find a mini of Conemara, but no dice.

I just busted it open and I'm trying the Black Bush right now. Nice fragrance, can smell the sherry influence and sweet malt. I can taste the sherry influence too. There is an initial sherry type spice, but it is a very subtle spice. It has a strong malt flavor to it, that is different from a strongly malt flavored Single Malt Scotch. With the Scotch I get the malt more towrd the back of my palate, almost toward the throat. The BB, I get more mid-palate malt. No peat, that I can detect anyway. The malt has a vanilla creaminess as it fades. It seems sweet to me (compared to Scotch). It is smooth, and the flavors easily step from one to another in good balance (no graniness). Me thinks I like it. I can't wait to try the others. Thanks for your replies.

SP

by **Aidan** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:50 am

The Bushmills White Label had improved lately, I think. I like the Balck Bush - lots of sherry but not too much.

You can get a Connemara pack with the cask strength, 12 yr old and standard in it. It's very good value, actually, if you can find it.