St Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and we know just the thing to put you in the spirit. It may surprise you to know that Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. Towards the end of the 19th century, the ‘golden age’ saw it flourish worldwide. Just a century later, however – due to world, civil and independence wars; the US Prohibition; and a trade war with Great Britain – the popularity of the tipple plummeted to a staggeringly low one per cent of what it once was.
Were it not for a secret meeting between century-old rivals within the Jameson, Powers and Murphy families, Irish whiskey as we know it may have ceased to exist. Thankfully, that meeting took place, and, putting their differences aside, a deal was struck. This turning point for a country with so much liquid heritage paved the way for change, and Ireland began to rekindle its love with the dram. Fast-forward to today and the commitment to investment and innovation when it comes to the liquid gold of Ireland has never been so strong.
With new distilleries and projects blooming, it’s such an exciting time for Irish whiskey. The signature light and smooth expressions are better than they’ve ever been, but there’s also a flourishing variety, with delicious wine finishes and even a little peat to play with. These bottles – whether exceptionally made purist blends or masterstroke finishes – represent the best of this new golden age.
How we tested
All Irish whiskeys were tasted and tested in two distinct scenarios to determine their ranking. Firstly, we wanted to get an idea of how they performed when drunk neat. Each whiskey was tasted in pure form, then with a few drops of water and finally with a large cube of ice. This allowed us to get an idea of how they evolved, so we could rate their aroma, concentration and depth of flavour.
Our second test was to taste each whiskey with a simple mixer and in the most famous whiskey cocktail: an old fashioned. Each whiskey was tasted and tested blind, so as not to allow packaging or any other external factors to affect the decision.
