So many Irish whiskeys, so little time. In fact, so many Irish whiskeys have hit shelves just since last St. Paddy’s Day that we decided to make a handy (shopping) list for you. These selections are limited to $50 and all are available in the US. Collect them all!
John L Sullivan Irish Whiskey
This brand was reintroduced in 2018 by M.S. Walker, a New England-based importer and distributor of wines and spirits. The whiskey is triple-distilled and aged in former bourbon barrels. It’s named after an Irish-American professional boxer, John L. Sullivan. Born in Boston in 1858, he was the last bare-knuckle boxing heavyweight champ and the first gloved boxing heavyweight champ. Availability beginning March 2018.
Suggested retail price $25.99.
John L Sullivan Irish Whiskey / Photo Credit: John L Sullivan
Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition
This IPA Caskmates is the second edition in the Caskmates series, which uses former beer casks for finishing. This one features an Irish India pale ale from Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork, Ireland. The brewery ages its beer in former Jameson whiskey casks then sends these barrels back to Jameson. Then the used beer barrels finish aging the whiskey. So the barrels see whiskey, then beer, then whiskey again. The initial release included 2,000 bottles in Ireland, but a larger rollout followed with a nationwide US release in late 2017.
Suggested retail price $27.
Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition / Photo Credit: Jameson
The Sexton Single Malt
The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey is triple-distilled from 100% malted Irish barley using copper pot stills. Aged in ex-oloroso sherry butts for a minimum of four years, it is packaged in a unique, solid black hexagonal bottle at 40% ABV. Available in the US beginning November 2017.
Suggested retail price $27.99.
The Sexton Single Malt / Photo Credit: The Sexton
Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask
This is a triple-distilled, triple blend, and triple wood whiskey. It finishes its maturation in first-fill Caribbean rum barrels which held Demerara rum. Bottled at 43% ABV, this first hit shelves in late 2017.
Suggested retail price $29.99
Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask / Photo Credit: Tullamore D.E.W.
Ballyhoo Irish Whiskey
Ballyhoo is a grain Irish whiskey release sourced by The Connacht Whiskey Co. while the brand waits for its whiskey to age. With a mash bill of 93% corn and 7% malted barley, the whiskey is then aged initially in ex-bourbon barrels. Then the whiskey transfers to port casks for finishing. Available in the US beginning March 2018.
Suggested retail price $29.99.
Ballyhoo Irish Whiskey / Photo Credit: The Connacht Whiskey Co.
Kilbeggan Single Grain
Made from 94% corn and 6% malted barley, this single grain spends the initial period of its maturation in ex-bourbon barrels. It is later finished in a marriage of ex-bourbon and various fortified wine barrels. Bottled at 43% ABV. Released in the summer of 2017 with availability limited to the US at this time.
Suggested retail price $29.99.
Kilbeggan Single Grain / Photo Credit: Kilbeggan
Slane Irish Whiskey
This blended Irish whiskey launched in mid-2017 while Slane Distillery is under construction. It is a triple-casked whiskey aged in virgin oak, ex-American whiskey barrels and former Oloroso sherry butts. The whiskey is comprised of malt and grain whiskeys.
Suggested retail price $29.99.
Slane Irish Whiskey / Photo Credit: Slane
Pearse The Original & Pearse Distiller’s Choice
Dr. Pearse Lyons (1944-2018), founded his namesake distillery in 2017 in The Liberties area in central Dublin. Both The Original and Distiller’s Choice whiskeys contain some of their own malt whiskey that was distilled on the stills now in place at the Dublin distillery. The remainder was sourced elsewhere. The Original was aged between 3-5 years in former bourbon barrels.
Distiller’s Choice is a combination of seven different whiskeys selected by the head distiller. The majority of this bottling aged in former bourbon barrels with a portion having aged in ex-sherry casks. The whiskey in Distiller’s Choice ranges from 3-9 years of age. Both are bottled at 84 proof.
Suggested retail price $29.99 and $39.99 respectively.
Pearse Distiller’s Choice / Photo Credit: Pearse
Lambay Small Batch Blend
This Irish whiskey brand is a collaboration between Camus Cognac and the Baring Family’s Revelstoke Trust. The brand launched in the US during the first quarter of 2018. This triple-distilled blend is aged first in ex-bourbon barrels. The whiskey then finishes its maturation in ex-cognac barrels which were exposed to sea air.
Lambay shares its name with the island just off the coast of Dublin in the Irish Sea which the Baring Family has owned since 1904. This private island is also an animal sanctuary.
Suggested retail price $30-35.
Lambay Small Batch Blend / Photo Credit: Lambay
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey
This blended Irish whiskey is a collaboration between master distiller Darryl McNally of The Dublin Liberties Distillery (set to open summer 2018) and the co-founders of The Dead Rabbit, Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry. The sourced whiskey first aged in seasoned bourbon barrels for five years before finishing its maturation in small virgin American oak barrels. Released for the NYC bar’s fifth anniversary on February 12, 2018 in New York and New Jersey with an expansion to follow in select markets in April 2018.
Suggested retail price $39.99
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey / Photo Credit: The Dead Rabbit
Egan’s Vintage Grain Single Grain
Introduced in August 2017, this is the second release from Egan’s, a revived Irish whiskey brand. This sourced single grain whiskey ages for 8 years in ex-bourbon barrels. Un-chillfiltered and bottled at 92 proof.
Suggested retail price $45.
Egan’s Vintage Grain Single Grain / Photo Credit: Egan’s
Prizefight Irish Whiskey
This brand was created as a collaboration between Flor Prendergast and New Hampshire-based Tamworth Distilling founder, Steven Grasse. The whiskey was distilled and aged in West Cork and is a blend of 10 year-old malt and 4 year-old grain whiskey. It finished its maturation in American rye casks sourced from Tamworth for six months.
This Irish-American collaboration features two Irish-born prizefighters: John Morrissey (then aged 22) and Yankee Sullivan (then aged 40) on the label. Their infamous fight in Boston Corners, New York (then Massachusetts) on October 12, 1853 went 37 rounds with Morrissey being declared the winner despite Sullivan knocking him out.
Average retail price $45.
Prizefight Irish Whiskey / Photo Credit: Prizefight Irish Whiskey
No matter what you’re drinking this year, we hope the bottle you choose as your St. Patrick’s Day whiskey is a good one.
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