Irish Whisky

[HawkeyeLinus]

Sorry to be a pedant, however the entire world spells it without an 'e', apart from USA and Ireland. Even in America there are outliers. Most notably Makers Mark spell it without an 'e'.
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MM does it as an "homage". Reading the history of the spelling can be entertaining. The break largely came when a few Irish producers decided to add the "e", but even then it wasn't 100% for some time after, and before that was spelled the same as Scotch whisky.

To be single malt Scotch whisky there are specific requirements. Beyond that - the joker is and has been wild, lol, but I think the Irish produced has uniformly had the "e" for a long time.

Thank goodness "milk" is uniform and we learned as kids that chocolate milk comes from brown cows!

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Which WestCork? The blended white label for under $25

I liked the 10yr Single Malt best but enjoyed the Bourbon Cask and Black Cask.

 

[Old_Newby]

ok maybe it was the peat. Today I tried Glen Fohdry 12 and Shieldaig Blended Classic and I am pretty happy with them both. I think it’s the smoky peat that I don’t like if it’s too strong. I prefer fruity finish over a smoky finish.

 

[warren]

Irish whiskey? Jameson.

 

[anotherbob]

I am American and love bourbon but wanted to expand on whisky. I tried some Scotch and my palette does not like malted barley. I tried Ardbeg 10 and my nose tried to remove itself from my face. I tried a low cost Irish whiskey called Kilbrin and I like the smoothness, the grain profile is good (not malty), it’s fruity, but it’s just too mild with no good flavor. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Generally you described my experience with Irish Whisky. I am sure there are ones I'd really enjoy instead of thinking I'd prefer any other whisky. What you need to try are the Japanese whiskeys if you have not. Any of them but start with the basics.

 

[anotherbob]

Redbreast is very tasty. For my budget, it’s not something I drink regularly like my faithful Bulliett. Absolutely worth keeping a bottle around though

you have good taste.

 

[mso489]

I guess I don't drink whisky/whiskey often enough to remember the spelling variations, but this may help me to remember that it is the Irish who like that "e." When mentioning it as an aromatic flavoring, I'm always stuck on the spelling.

I'm not fond of silent letters in words, but I like to abide by tradition when possible. Language is so malleable and ever-changing, the illusion of consistency is probably helpful to understanding.

For the Kentucky Derby, I'll choose between Makers Mark and Jack Daniels, and dust off one of those bottles. Yup, they actually get dusty.

 

[gubbyduffer]

I am American and love bourbon but wanted to expand on whisky. I tried some Scotch and my palette does not like malted barley. I tried Ardbeg 10 and my nose tried to remove itself from my face. I tried a low cost Irish whiskey called Kilbrin and I like the smoothness, the grain profile is good (not malty), it’s fruity, but it’s just too mild with no good flavor. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Its been mentioned, but I don't think it's the fact the barley is malted that you have an issue with. It is probably the malting method. The malting process involves steeping the barley in water before allowing it to germinate. Finally, this germinating barley is dried through the addition of heat. Traditionally the island of Islay produced the heat through the burning of peat due to the absence of trees to burn on the island. Barley would be laid out on a malting floor. The smoke from the heating process would permeate the barley. Burning peat produces a distinctive aroma and flavour. Peated single malt is a signature of Islay, but is not limited to it. Other distilleries produce peated whisky, however this is not the norm. I really like Ardbeg 10, but its not a whisky I would automatically give to a bourbon drinker looking to dip their toe into scotch. Neither is Ardbeg 10 typical of the flavour profile of the vast majority of scotch.

 

[warren]

this may help me to remember that it is the Irish who like that "e."

Irish, the US and many other regions use the "e". Many other regions, Scotland being one, omit it. I used to note the "e" when buying a fifth. Now, it's almost meaningless. But, being more than a bit of a pedant, I still note it's presence or omission.

 

[elessar]

As has been mentioned/ hinted at, Ardbeg is very far to one side of the scotch spectrum. It would be a pretty galvanizing intro to scotch. While I love the stuff (and have visited the distillery) it would be like giving someone Black XX Rope for their first pipe full of tobacco. I would suggest not writing off scotch all together yet, even if you do end up there. I would suggest Glenfiddich and Glenlivet to start (they are usually available in 50mL size too so you're not out much). I find they are pretty good entry points. If you continue your journey, you will find that some scotch is magnificent for it's subtlety and restraint while others stand out for their intense flavors. Do some research on the different scotch making regions. There are some underlying similarities that can help drive you towards flavor profiles you will groove on.

 

[renfield]

Elessar beat me to it. Don’t write off all scotches as being too peaty after trying Ardbeg. I’ll second the recommendation for Glenlivet.

For Irish I like Jameson.

 

[OSOBUCO]

Bushmills stuff, Jameson of course…esp at the distillery as they have unique versions, Red Breast and this glorious dram:

 

[Puff nstuff]

Tullamore DEW is easy drinkin', and Black Bush is delicious. I have some Redbreast 12 that I dip into occasionally, but TD is my go-to for an easy Irish. Try some Lowland Scotches for something generally non-peaty.

 

[Puff nstuff]

And, malting is a process that is not exclusive to barley, though for some reason it seems to be in the public mind. It's basically a way of increasing the available sugars in the grain by soaking, then drying/toasting. Most malted barley in Scotland is dried using peat, which impregnates the grains with that characteristic smokey flavor that the OP probably finds disagreeable. Here's a good article that both talks about malting and provides some good leads for Scotch whiskey that is not peaty.

David Wondrich on Scotch as the Scots Intended It

Four bottles that prove "peaty" is the most overrated characteristic of scotch

www.esquire.com

 

[Old_Newby]

Isn't that what Jack Daniels was invented for? lol

Seriously though, I suppose you tried both single malt and blended scotches?
Canadian whiskeys
Tennessee
Texas has some good whisky's coming out of the hill country

Yea being in Texas I have tried a few of the samples of Balcones and it’s ok. I plan to try Still Austin Cask Strength and Ironroot eventually.

 

[Elric]

Irish Whiskey is pretty much the only liquor I drink, along with a bit of bourbon. I'm no expert but I've listed a few I enjoy below. The parenthetical notations are in the event that there is more than one from that distiller.

Clontarf (1014)
Writer's Tears (Copper Pot)
The Quiet Man
Green Spot [Jameson distillate; also comes in older Blue, Red & Yellow]
The Dubliner (Bourbon Cask Aged)
Powers
Sexton (Single Malt)
Teeling
Slane
Tullamore Dew (Regular and Cider Cask Finish)
and the ubiqutous Jamesons

 

[Old_Newby]

Tullamore DEW is easy drinkin', and Black Bush is delicious. I have some Redbreast 12 that I dip into occasionally, but TD is my go-to for an easy Irish. Try some Lowland Scotches for something generally non-peaty.

Is TD the standard offering or 12 year.

 

[Old_Newby]

Bushmills stuff, Jameson of course…esp at the distillery as they have unique versions, Red Breast and this glorious dram:

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This is local for $24. I will try it.

 

[ADKPiper]

I've always operated on the assumption that the name in Irish Whiskey is....

 

[Peter Turbo]

Redbreast is the best Irish Whiskey, Teeling pretty good too. Maybe a drop of Tully.