Gift Worthy Irish Whiskey

This triple-distilled single malt from Tullamore D.E.W. was released Fall of 2016. Triple-blended from pot still, malt, and grain whiskeys each aged for at least 18 years, it was finished in four different casks: bourbon, oloroso sherry, port, and madeira. Bottled at 41.3% ABV.

This bottling is a triple-distilled Irish Single Malt which is aged in two types of barrels. First, it spends at least 14 years in ex-bourbon barrels before spending its final months in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Limited production, so keep your eyes peeled at finer retailers and bars.

This is the first release in the Spot Whiskey 'Wine Geese' series, a name inspired by the Wild Geese soldiers who left Ireland to fight in Europe during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It is also inspired by the story of 'wine goose' Thomas Barton, an Irish man also known as 'French Tom,' who left Ireland to establish wineries in France in the 18th century. Léoville Barton in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux is one of those wineries, and after initial aging in a traditional mix of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry barrels, this whiskey additionally rests between 12 - 24 months in casks once used to age this wine.

This is a blended whiskey that is triple distilled, fairly standard fare for Jameson. For the 18 year however, the master blender selects whiskey casks aged 18 years (or older) that previously contained Sherry or Bourbon. The majority of the whiskey chosen is aged in the former. They are then re-barreled in 1st fill bourbon barrels for an additional 3 years.

For 32 years, Barry Crockett was master distiller at Midleton in County Cork, where he oversaw production of the monolithic Jameson, as well as Redbreast, Powers and several others. For the occasion of his retirement in 2013, he was given free reign to design this single pot blend. This swan song is made from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley that’s triple distilled in traditional pot stills. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels then goes back for more rest in new American oak. It’s bottled at a robust 46%.

Unlike the standard Powers Gold bottling which is a blended whiskey, John's Lane Release is a traditional single pot still whiskey. Named after the distillery on John's Lane in Dublin that James Power founded. The whiskey is aged primarily in American oak barrels for 12 years.

This is a limited edition release from Kilbeggan using single grain and single malt whiskies. Aged for 21 years in a combination of ex-bourbon, port, sherry, and Madeira casks. Bottled at 40% ABV. Not available in the US.

We have the taxman to thank for the existence of Single Pot Still Whiskeys. Back in 1785, the Irish government created a tax on malted barley. As a result, whiskey began to be produced with a combination of both malted and un-malted barley (aka green barley). It is triple distilled in pot stills and is unique to Ireland. The 21 year expression is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and 1st fill sherry casks.

Re-released in the UK in May of 2010, Yellow Spot is being produced again after not being bottled since the 1950's. This is a Single Pot Still whiskey that is distilled at Midleton Distillery for the wine merchants, Mitchell & Son. This is not finished in ex-wine barrels but rather is a combination of whiskeys that have aged in American ex-bourbon, Spanish ex-sherry, or Spanish ex-Malaga wine casks (a sweet fortified wine) for a minimum of 12 years. This has finally been released (February 2015) in the US so those days of smuggling the whiskey in from your travels are finally over!

Bushmills 21 Year features triple distilled single malt which has been aged for a minimum of 19 years in former bourbon and oloroso sherry casks. Then the single malt whiskey is matured for two years additional years in former Madeira wine casks before bottling. (SRP $299.99)