The Top Irish Whiskey Aged in Sherry Casks

Jameson Black Barrel is a whiskey comprised of (a high proportion of) single pot still and grain whiskey aged first in a mix of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon. The whiskey is then aged in extra charred ex-bourbon barrels, hence the name. The age of the whiskey ranges from 8-16 years of age.

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. Bottled in a unique, solid black hexagonal bottle at 40% ABV. Available in the US beginning November 2017.

Bushmills Black Bush is aged for 7-11 years, primarily in oloroso sherry casks with some ex-bourbon barrels in the mix. This Irish blend also includes a very high single malt whiskey percentage for a blended whiskey at 80%. Bottled at 80 proof. (SRP $31.99)

The Single Malt is triple distilled and aged in a mixture of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The whiskey is produced in 6000 bottle batches and are labeled with batch and bottle number. The brand has recently had a makeover and recently announced plans to build their own distillery in County Carlow, so expect to hear more from this small brand in the years to come.

Glendalough is an independent distillery founded by five friends that has lead the craft revival in Ireland. Having made a splash with their poitín styles, this double-barrel whiskey is a step in a new direction. It's made from a mash bill of malted barley and corn distilled in Coffey stills. It matured for 3 years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished its maturation in 500-liter oloroso sherry casks. Please note, updated packaging for this product in 2018. (SRP $34.99)

Powers Three Swallow is a single pot still whiskey made from a mix of unmalted and malted barley. It is aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and finishes its maturation in oloroso sherry casks. Three Swallow bears no age statement and is bottled at 80 proof. As of October 2018, this product is available in the US.

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 release from Redbreast is the fifth permanent addition to their core range and will be available in the US beginning October 2016. The whiskey is matured between 9 to 12 years in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, before being vatted and finished in first-fill oloroso sherry butts from Bodegas Lustau in Jerez for an additional year. Non-chill-filtered, it is bottled at 46% ABV.

The 12 Year Special Reserve stays true to the Original bottling in that is a blend of three kinds of whiskey: single malt, grain, and single pot still. In this case, the bottling is largely comprised of the single malt and pot still. The whiskey is aged in a mix of both bourbon and sherry casks, some up to 15 years.

Redbreast is made in the classic Irish Single Pot Still style. This means it is produced using a mash bill consisting of both malted and unmalted barley which is triple distilled in copper pot stills. The 12 year is aged in ex-bourbon and European oak ex-oloroso sherry.

Arriving in the US in early 2014, the Green Spot is a single pot still whiskey produced at the Midleton Distillery and made exclusively for Mitchell & Sons. These wine merchants would buy casks of pot still whiskey and age in ex-sherry casks. These days, sherry casks only amount for 25% of the barrels with the remainder being ex-bourbon. The name is derived from the dab of paint used to identify the barrels by age, which in the Green Spot's case, is 7-8 years.

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!