Irish whiskey stands as a beacon of depth, character, and historical richness. It’s a story in a glass. As a category, it’s got everything too, ancient tradition and modern, progressive ideas that are ushering in a new era of growth.
This intro-guide aims to navigate the Irish whiskey domain and explore some of the must knows and big talking points.
Defining Irish whiskey
The first thing to understand is that Irish whiskey, the “water of life” from the Emerald Isle, is not just a spirit. It is a celebration of Ireland’s rich cultural tapestry, woven through centuries of meticulous craftsmanship and tradition. It’s history is both about production and process, but it’s also embedded in the social fabric of generations of drinkers.
Today, to officially bear the label ‘Irish Whiskey’, the spirit must adhere to stringent guidelines outlined in the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980. For beginners the key facts are not dissimilar to those for Scotch Whisky, although the more you delve into it, the more you’ll see there are nuances that separate the two.
Geographical Indication. The whiskey must be distilled and aged on the island of Ireland, including both Northern and the Republic of Ireland.
Distillation. The spirit must be distilled to an alcoholic strength less than 94.8% from a yeast-fermented mash of cereal grains.
Ageing. It should be matured for a minimum of three years in wooden casks, a process lending it a rich character.
Alcohol content. The whiskey must retain a minimum alcoholic volume of 40% after the maturation process.
Historical contours
Irish whiskey’s roots trace back to the monks’ distillation practices in the 6th century, establishing a heritage of distillation that has it’s own unique history.
As for the more modern part? The industry flourished till the late 19th century, holding a prominent position in the global whiskey market. For decades, it was significantly larger than Scotch. However, a series of setbacks, including Prohibition in the U.S., trade disputes with Britain and the rising popularity (and competitive price) of Scotch, spearheaded a decline.
Distilleries closed down, and the industry witnessed a sombre period of decreased production till the late 20th century.
Midleton is a good example of what was happening to Irish distilleries from 1970-90. The current Midleton Distillery results from a 1975 merger of three distilleries — John Jameson, Powers, and the Cork Distilleries Group. They would not have been able to each independently survive.
By the late 1980’s, from what is estimated was well over 80 licensed distilleries, only three major names remained. Old Midleton Distillery in Cork, the Bushmills Distillery in Antrim, and the Cooley Distillery in Louth.
Granted, what remained were huge operations, but the fact that only a handful endured by 1990 shows just how far things had declined and that Irish Whiskey had all but lost the diversity and scope of what it once offered. Even with a few new names joining them by 2015, there were still less than ten…
New horizons
However, the turnaround has been one of the great success stories of modern craft distilling. The Irish whiskey sector isn’t just experiencing a renaissance, it’s exploding with around 50 distilleries now operational.
Between them, they make over 100 million LPA of whiskey spirit every year, with over 3.5 million casks of Irish whiskey maturing across the island. The industry directly employs over 1,600 people across the island of Ireland, contributing approximately €700 million in gross value added to the shared economy.
The revival has been staggering.
And it’s not just domestic either – global sales of Irish whiskey have increased by to over 13 million cases worldwide. And seemingly, it’s only getting started – there are a further 20 sites that have already announced plans to open soon.
Irish vs. other whiskies
A whiskey may only be termed Irish Whiskey if it is both distilled and aged on the isle of Ireland. It needs to me made from at least 50% of malted barley, but the remaining percentage of cereals can be barley (malted or unmalted), rye, wheat or other cereals.
Beyond this, distinct production techniques differentiate it from its Scotch, Bourbon, and other counterparts. The most common ones are…
Triple distillation. While not a rule, many Irish whiskeys undergo triple distillation, a process that contributes to a smoother and lighter spirit.
Peat. Unlike Scotch whiskies, the big, famous Irish brands have in recent history avoided the heavy use of peat. The expectation many drinkers have of the category, is that it will have fewer smoked, peated overtones.
Varieties. Irish whiskey presents a diverse portfolio, including Single Malt, Single Pot Still, Single Grain, multi grain mash bills (including malted and unmalted barley, maize, and even oats) Blended Whiskeys each offering a unique complexity and flavour profile. If anything, it’s easier to think of Irish Whiskey as a category that has a lot of diversity within it, as opposed to be overtly rigid.
Styles of Irish Whiskey
Blended Irish Whiskey. Just like in Scotch, a blend of whiskies from different sources. Can be Malt and grain.
Single Malt Irish Whiskey. These need to be made from 100 percent malted barley, and produced by a single distillery in pot stills.
Single Pot Still Whiskey. Unique to Irish Whiskey – this is a blend of both malted and unmalted barley distilled in a pot still. (Historically, it’s also been known / called “pure pot still”).
Grain Irish Whiskey. Grain whiskey is a lighter style made from corn or wheat, produced in column stills.
Single Grain Irish Whiskey. Same as Grain Whiskey, except only a single grain is used in the production (e.g. 100% wheat)
Poitín. Distilled spirit that doesn’t meet the age requirement to be labelled as Irish whiskey (similar to American white dog).
What can drinkers typically expect from Irish whiskey?
Many of the big brands generally lean towards a lighter profile, steering clear of big smoky notes commonly found in other regions. It’s a characteristic defined by the limited use of peat during production and a smooth finish due to the triple distillation.
It’s worth restarting this again – not all Irish Whiskey conforms to the “light, fruity and clear cereal note” flavour profile. It’s versatile and varied.
That said, the trio of factors mentioned above (lighter, accessible, smooth) are a fair start point to expect, based on the most likely profiles / brands you’ll encounter.
Whiskey or Whisky:
The distinction between ‘whiskey’ and ‘whisky’ is more than a mere variance in spelling. It serves as a reflection of the spirit’s geographical roots, tethered deeply to Irish and Scottish Gaelic translations from the original term ‘uisge beatha’ or ‘uisce beatha’, which poeticises the liquor as the ‘water of life’.
Essentially, the ‘e’ in whiskey denotes Irish origin, a convention also embraced by the US, a trend that emerged owing to the substantial Irish immigrant population establishing themselves and their distilleries across the Atlantic.
Whiskey bonder blenders
The role of whiskey bonder blenders holds a rich yet nearly lost chapter in the annals of Irish whiskey history. It’s one of the areas that drinkers can look to if they want to dive deeper into the history if Irish Whiskey as it speaks to so many factors – the people, the places, the stories.
Up until the 1930s, hundreds of whiskey bonders thrived in Ireland, orchestrating the maturation, bottling, and branding of small batch whiskey. This was a key part of why there was so much creativity and innovation. Just like other independent bottlers in Scotland, it was a varied business. A bonder’s venture would involve sourcing all manner of inventory. This ranged from mature, rare whiskey alongside New Make spirit from various distilleries. They would nurture them to maturity and custom blend them to specific market demands, venues and occasions.
Tragically, the near collapse of the Irish whiskey industry sounded the death knell for the art of bonding. It reduced the sprawling ecosystem of distilleries, blenders and warehouse keepers involved to a mere handful.
With these independent merchants essentially out of business and unable to secure stock or compete – responsibilities of maturation, blending, and bottling centralised. Eventually, they became part and parcel of the distilleries themselves.
Bonding is now slowly being re-imagined and resurrected with a few names bringing back the lost art. With it, it’s helping to reintroduce a depth of variety and customisation to the Irish whiskey palette, and playing a pivotal role in the current renaissance.
Why does it matter and how can it help frame your thinking?
Beyond flavour possibilities, the legacy of blender bonders is important to understand if you want to truly appreciate what Irish Whiskey is all about.
It was an ecosystem of people, businesses, ideas, trade and creativity. It shows that whiskey was never about big business making individual products and selling it en-mass. It’s more nuanced, more regionally specific. It was part of life and as idiosyncratic as the people who raised a glass at the bar.
It shows just how interwoven Irish whiskey was in the social fabric of the nation and how inseparable the two were. It’s becoming that once more.
Today, to make it is to continue that story and to drink it is to continue that two-way dialogue that informs its identity.
The story of Irish Whiskey is one that keeps rolling and if you take nothing else from this intro guide, let it be this – it’s a living and breathing entity, not just a spirit in a bottle.
