Irish whiskey

The history of Irish whiskey is as old as the history of whisky itself. The art of distilling is believed to have been brought to Europe through Irish missionary monks. The knowledge of distilling spread through the Church and eventually reached beyond the monastery walls.

Ireland was overtaken by Scotland long ago as the world’s largest whisky producing region, but there are still three active distilleries on Ireland. The Irish whisky is less smoky than most Scottish whisky since the Irish generally do not smoke their barley. Additionally, the Irish practice triple distillation which further reduces the medicinal qualities of the whisky.

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Some Differences Between Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky.
Not all barley used in Irish whisky is malted. Together with the fact that Irish malt generally is dried without the use of peat or any other smoke, Irish whiskey allows more of the natural flavours of the barley to rise to the front than Scotch whisky. Because it is triple distilled, Irish whiskey also has a softer, more rounded flavour than its Scottish counterpart. The Irish pot stills are larger than Scottish stills. The Irish tend to put more emphasis on the process and the casks than Scottish distillers who emphasise the skills of the master blender.


Current Irish Whiskey Distilleries

Bushmills
The world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, founded in 1608.

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Midleton
Midleton is the largest distillery on Ireland and are licensed producers of Jameson, Powers, Midleton, Paddy and Tullamore Dew. The new Midleton distillery started its production in 1975.

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