The just-passed March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, the National Day of Ireland . However, if you are an Irish whiskey lover, you can actually be St. Patrick's Day every day.
In recent decades, Irish whiskey has gradually recovered from two distilleries at its lowest point (Bushmills and Middleton) to more than 30 current companies, with annual exports growing at a rate of 15% per year. In addition to large wineries like Jameson, Ireland has also seen a lot of small wineries. Now you can choose Irish whiskey based on clues such as historical figures (Hyde, Liberator), literary giants (Writer's Tears), geographical location (Glendalough, Connemara), and even horses (Tyrconnell), instead of choosing between those two, as in the past.
However, it is a bit ironic that the 10 most popular Irish whiskeys in the world recently announced by the world's most famous wine website "Wine-searcher", all come from two distilleries, Bushmills and Midleton, of which the latter accounts for 9 of them. This situation is a bit unexpected with the increasing number of Irish breweries and the styles becoming more and more diverse. Below
, we will briefly introduce these 10 Irish whiskeys as follows:
10, robin 12 Year Old (Redbreast 12 Year Old)
WS score 92, international average price 63 US dollars. 40% ABV, the wine is made from malt and unsprouted barley as raw materials. After three distillations by copper pot still, it enters Spain. Oloroso Sherry barrels and bourbon barrels are matured, non-condensing filtered, with a rich flavor and complex structure, with a harmonious balance between spicy, cream, fruit, Sherry and toast. This is an award-winning Irish single pot distilled whiskey.
9, Mitchell & Son Red Spot 15 Year Old
WS score 91, international average price 243 US dollars. 46%ABV, the wine model is 15 years old, and is made of malt and unsprouted barley. It is ripe with Oloroso Sherry barrels, first-filled and refilled bourbon barrels, Sicilian masala wine barrels. The wine model has the scent of vanilla, caramel, ripe fruit, apple, hazelnut oil, beeswax and candied orange peel. It has a rich, full and heavy taste, with oranges, pineapple, soft vanilla , custard, and even a hint of watermelon. It has a short aftertaste and cinnamon and cloves.
8, the rarest year treasured whiskey (Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve)
WS score 94, the international average price is US$1,213. 46% ABV, the wine is made from the rarest and oldest cereal whiskey and a Porter barrel-ripened single-pot distilled whiskey. It has the aroma of ripe fruit, licorice , cinnamon and molasses , as well as the rich and complex flavors of honey, wood smoke, red fruit and dark chocolate .
7, Jameson Blended Irish Whiskey (Jameson Blended Irish Whiskey)
WS score 88, the international average price is US$27. 40% ABV, made of a single pot of distilled whiskey and cereal whiskey. After three distillations, the wine age is about 4 years old. It is a classic Irish blended whiskey. Jim Murray once gave an incredible 95 points!
6, 18 Year Old Limited Reserve Blended Irish Whiskey
WS score 93, international average price 159 US dollars. 40% ABV, made of malt and unsprouted barley, was ripened from European and American select oak barrels for 18 years, and then finished with the first fill bourbon barrel. It has a balanced and mellow vanilla flavor, accompanied by the afterglow of wood, spices and toffee .
5, robin 21 Year Old (Redbreast 21 Year Old)
WS score 93, with an average international price of US$297. 46% ABV, ripened by American oak bourbon barrels and European oak Oloroso Sherry barrels, exuding the aroma of fresh tropical fruits, nuts and dried fruits.The texture is soft herbs, toasted oak, sherry nuts and a little spice, with a sweet fleshy fruity flavor, and a perfect buttery texture. The aftertaste is slender, and the smell of oak and spices lasts for a long time. Another Irish single-pot distilled whiskey that won many top prizes.
4, robin 27 Year Old (Redbreast 27 Year Old)
WS score 96, with an average international price of US$591. 54.6% ABV, ripe in bourbon, sherry bucket and ruby porter bucket, strongly bottled, with exotic fruit, red berries, fresh herbs and vanilla, as well as toffee and toast oak. The texture has ripe plums, summer berries, chili oil, herbs and cinnamon.
3, Chapter 12 Irish Whiskey (Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey)
WS score 85, with an average international price of US$26. 40%ABV, launched by UFC superstar Conor McGregor, is distilled from three-distilled grains and malt whiskey, and is matured in bourbon barrels for at least 3 years, with a smooth flavor of vanilla, honey and toasted oak.
2, Mitchell & Son Blue Spot 7 Year Old
WS score 92, international average price 366 US dollars. 58.7% ABV, using malt and unsprouted barley as raw materials, after three distillations, the Sherry barrel is refilled, the initial and refilled bourbon barrels, the Portuguese Madeira wine barrel is refilled, the barrel is strongly bottled, and the smell is spices, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, followed by a mixed pudding, banana custard, apple pie and French flan. It tastes spicy and has plenty of black and Sichuan pepper, and it is full of wine and super creamy, with herb green apples, peaches, lemon zest and toasted hazelnuts. The aftertaste has a distinct buttery flavour of milk chocolate, accompanied by the aftertaste of fresh fruit and nuts.
1, Middleton Very Rare Vintage Series 2021 (Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey)
WS score 93, with an international average price of US$512. 40% ABV, made from a single pot distilled whiskey (83%) that has been ripe for 13-35 years with a lightly burnt American oak bourbon barrel and a grain whiskey, with a vanilla sweetness and a hint of floral scent, some citrus combines fresh herbs and sweet spices with a hint of black pepper and charred oak. The texture has a sweet taste of herbs, cinnamon and cloves, with a hint of green apple and unripe bananas, the spices in the peppercorns, plus charred American oak, add to the complexity. The aftertaste is soft and sweet spice, as well as charred oak.
Dasu: WSET (International Wine and Spirit Education Foundation) Advanced Certification, SMWA (Scottish Single Malt Academy) Advanced Certification, dedicated to the educational promotion of wine and spirits. Welcome to follow.
