Whiskey usually goes into the barrel at fairly high proof and is then 'cut' with water to bring it down to its final strength. Irish whiskey must spend at least three years aging in oak barrels, but distilleries can use casks that formerly held anything from bourbon to sherry to beer. Some whiskeys are made from only malted barley, while others use a combination of barley and other grains. (When it comes to whiskey, Ireland includes both the independent Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.) Many brands are distilled three times in copper pot stills, but other distilleries and styles use other methods and types of still. There are some legal and technical regulations around exactly how it can be made, but Irish whiskey, put simply, is whiskey distilled in Ireland. For a more affordable dram great for mixing or sipping, try Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey. The 86-proof whiskey’s depth of flavor is the perfect backdrop for the cocktail’s strong coffee sweetened with brown sugar and topped with cream.ĪBV: 43% | Age: no age statement | Volume: 750 mlįor a world-class whiskey that's worth every penny, we recommend the renowned Redbreast 15 Year Irish Whiskey. Hints of nutmeg, butter, and vanilla accent the oaky palate. In this case, it’s corn in addition to barley, which adds a wonderful sweetness that plays remarkably well with the flavors of bourbon-barrel aging. Unlike a single malt, made at a single distillery from from 100 percent malted barley, a single grain whiskey must be made at a single distillery but can use a mix of grains. Kilbeggan Single Grain definitely fits the bill for smoothness. Named Joe Sheridan, the inventor gave his cocktail's recipe in rhyming form: 'Cream as rich as an Irish brogue, coffee as strong as a friendly hand, sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue, and whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land” The legend behind the iconic Irish coffee cocktail goes that an airport bartender in the town of Shannon whipped it up on a rainy day in the 1940s to warm up (and cheer up) a group of delayed passengers.

Top shelf irish whiskey