The Top Irish Whiskey Under $50

This expression is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies. The single malt is composed of 13% double-distilled bourbon cask, 13% triple-distilled sherry cask, and 4% peated triple-distilled sherry cask. 70% of the rest of the blend comes from an even split of grain whiskeys, both column-distilled, one matured in virgin oak and the other re-char. The final blend is bottled non chill-filtered at 46% ABV. (SRP $39.99)

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)

Writers' Tears is a brand owned by the Walsh Whiskey Distillery, the same folks that are behind The Irishman line of whiskeys. This was produced at an undisclosed distillery. It is a blend of single-pot still and triple-distilled malt whiskeys and was aged in ex-bourbon casks. The vatting of the two types were done by Bernard Walsh. (SRP $45)

Northcross Triple Wood is crafted and aged at Great Northern Distillery in Co. Louth, just south of the Northern Ireland border. The three barrels used for maturation are ex-bourbon, oloroso sherry and virgin American oak. It's bottled at 86 proof without chill filtration. Available online in many US states beginning February 2023 with further availability in select markets. (SRP $24.99)

This blended whiskey is made with both grain and malt whisky in 3:1 grain to malt ratio. These whiskeys are matured initially in ex-bourbon barrels before they are married and placed into Central American rum casks for up to 12 months. This rum finished whiskey is bottled at 46% ABV without chill-filtration. (SRP $32.99)

Lost Irish is the debut release from entrepreneur Neil Sands and Irish whiskey ambassador and author Tim Herlihy in partnership with Casa Lumbre. It is a blend of all three styles of Irish whiskey – grain, malt, and pot still — matured in casks sourced from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. It is bottled at 40% ABV with a release in select U.S. markets as of November 2021 with plans for further expansion in 2022. (SRP $39.99)

Kilbeggan Single Pot Still is a limited edition release from the brand. Single pot still whiskey is unique to Ireland and this bottling features 2.5% oats in its makeup in addition to the malted and unmalted barley. It was double distilled in copper pot stills and matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 8-9 years. This is the second limited edition release to be entirely distilled and matured at the Kilbeggan Distillery which was restored in 2010. Available in the US as of February 2020. (SRP $44.99)

Crafted at Irish Distillers' Midleton Distillery, Powers Irish Rye Whiskey is made from 100% Irish rye sourced from the Cooney Furlong Farm in Co. Wexford. The rye whiskey was aged in a mix of virgin oak, first fill and refill casks. Bottled at 43.2% ABV, Powers Irish Rye will be released from 20th February 2023 in the US, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Dublin Airport and online at PowersWhiskey.com with other markets to follow in the coming months. SRP €40 (US$32/£32)

Diageo re-entered the growing Irish Whiskey category early 2017 by releasing Roe & Co, a blended Irish whiskey made from grain and malt whiskeys. Roe & Co Irish Whiskey matured in bourbon casks, a great proportion of which were first-fill barrels. Bottled at 45% ABV without chill-filtration. (SRP $34.99)

Bushmills 10 Year is the youngest single malt expression for the brand. It is triple distilled in copper pot stills and is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. (SRP $49.99)