Irish Whiskey
It seems that Irish whiskey is making a comeback lately, at least among folks I know and meet. Admittedly, it’s a spirit I really haven’t learned much about. Helpfully, this week’s New York Times food section had a tasting/review of Irish whiskey that runs the gamut from super expensive to downright bargain. It’s a world that goes beyond Jameson’s. “In its purest form,” they write,
Irish whiskey has a fresh, lightly fruity, almost meadowlike aroma and flavor that is entirely its own. In general, it is lighter in texture than most Scotches. We sensed these qualities in most of the whiskeys that we liked best, yet today it is difficult to find whiskeys that might have been recognized as Irish 150 years ago.
They never keep their reviews up for long, so for reference here are their ratings:
Best
Bushmills Single Malt 10 Years Old ($35) *** (“Excellent”)
Midleton Very Rare Blended 2004 ($125) ***
Knappogue Castle Single Malt 1994 Very Special Reserve ($35) ***
Connemara Peated Single Malt Cask Strength ($59) **1/2
Clontarf Single Malt ($30) **1/2
Bushmills Black Bush Blended ($28) **1/2Best Value (all two stars, “Very Good”)
Kilbeggan Blended ($15)
Bushmills Single Malt 16 Years Old ($60)
Redbreast Blended 12 Years Old ($42)
Tullamore Dew Blended (750 ml.) ($40)
The Redbreast, a copper-pot distilled variety, sounds particularly appealing to me, as I’ve recently grown fond of pot-distilled Jamaican rum (more on that later).
[…] A newcomer, Boston Cocktails, has all you need to know about Irish Whiskey - valuable info for the “comeback whiskey” although I didn’t know it ever left. There’s nothing like a tepid Jameson shot with an ice cold Pabst chaser. […]
[…] What’s more, I do not gravitate toward Irish drinks, the occasional Guinness aside. Inspired by the New York Times tasters, however, I ‘ve decided to take a break from my usual Southern-bred preferance for bourbon and venture into the world of Irish whiskey. I got a bottle of Power’s that was smoothly flavored and not very expensive, even if you won’t confuse it with the best. A Collins drink struck me as the best treatment for such middle-quality whiskey. It’s my vote for St. Patrick’s fare. […]