Irish Whiskey

Irish Whiskey styles: more than just smooth blends.

Almost anyone could be forgiven for making the naive generalisation that “Irish Whiskey is smoother than Scotch”. That’s because the vast majority of Irish Whiskey consumed is of the blended kind - mostly unpeated and triple distilled. Just like their blended Scotch counterparts, these are inherently smoother and lighter in style. Ironically, it's the very preponderance of blended Irish in the market that has been the primary cause behind several Irish Whiskey misconceptions. Even seasoned whisky drinkers remain ignorant of key facts. Irish Whiskey Myths & Misconceptions. 1: Irish Whiskeys are always triple distilled (and so lighter in flavour). Not all of them. (What is true is that the more times one distills, the spirit tends to retain less of the congeners (or flavouring elements), so the whiskey seems lighter to the palate). Some Irish distilleries double distill, not triple (likewise some Scotch distilleries employ three distillations, rather than the more common two). Don't let anyone try to tell you that all Irish whiskey is triple distilled, and all Scotch is double distilled; both are incorrect.

2: Irish Whisky is never peated. According to Jim Murray, author of “Classic Irish Whiskey’, this is firstly historically inaccurate. “As much of Ireland is covered in peat, it’s hardly surprising that in the 19th century, smoky whisky from inland distilleries was not uncommon. Like Scotland.” Secondly, in the present day, there has been a quiet resurrection of this arguably ‘Traditional’ Irish style. If you’re partial to smoke, try ‘Connemarra’ at Cask Strength.

3: Irish Whiskey is never a Single Malt. It’s true that the market for Irish whiskeys that aren’t blends is relatively small. But some of the more exciting Irish releases of the last few decades have been Single Malts (Connemara, Knapogue Castle). Like their Scotch equivalents, these are produced entirely from malted barley distilled in a pot still. Buy Irish Whiskey Online. With double digit growth in the last few decades, the Irish Whiskey scene is burgeoning and a new generation of distillers and distilleries are on the rise. When you buy Irish Whiskey online from Nicks Wine Merchants, you can have it shipped to most of Australia.