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Irish Whiskey
Introduction to Irish whiskey
Did you know that the oldest still-operating distillery is in Ireland? Bushmills was granted a license in 1608. That alone indicates the enormous whiskey tradition the Irish have. The story goes that the Irish invented whiskey since Irish monks possibly mastered the art of distillation 1500 years ago. However, the Scots don't quite agree with that, but that's a battle they can fight among themselves.
Irish whiskey experienced golden times, especially in the 19th century. At its peak, there were more than 88 distilleries on the island. However, the 20th century went terribly wrong. During the First World War, barley could not be used for whiskey just like that. The Irish were also at war with the British during that period. On top of that, Prohibition in America, which was an important market for Irish whiskey, occurred.
By the mid-20th century, only a few distilleries were left, such as Jameson, John Powers, and Tullamore DEW. They knew they wouldn't survive alone, so they founded the Irish Distillers Group together. That was the starting point of a (very) slow resurrection, which has only picked up speed in recent years. There are now dozens of distilleries in Ireland again, and the future finally looks promising.
Styles of Irish whiskey
Irish whiskey is synonymous with Jameson. It is by far the best-selling Irish whiskey worldwide. But Jameson is not necessarily synonymous with Irish whiskey. What do we mean by that? That the traditional Irish whiskey style is very different. Then we are talking about so-called Irish single pot still whiskey.
The term is a bit confusing because a lot of whiskey is made in so-called pot stills. What makes Irish single pot still whiskey special is the grains used. Not only malted barley (at least 30 percent) but also unmalted barley (also at least 30 percent) is used. Additionally, a small percentage of other grains, such as oats, wheat, or rye, may also be used.
A mash is made from the different grains, which is then distilled in copper pot stills. These have traditionally been much larger than in Scotland, where a 30,000-liter still is already extremely large. The stills at Midleton Distillery in Ireland, where Redbreast is made, have a capacity of 80,000 liters! The result is a spicy and fruity flavor profile that cannot be compared to other whiskeys.
By the way, Jameson does partially use Irish single pot still whiskey. But Jameson is a blend of different whiskey styles, so it also contains more neutral grain whiskey that is made in column stills.
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