

That started in 1988 with the birth of Cooley to break the IDL monopoly – the company has since been sold to American-owned Beam, which was itself acquired by Japan’s Suntory in early 2014 – and the renaissance has continued with more producers entering the industry and plans for several new distilleries in the pipeline. Since those dark days, brighter skies have returned, thanks to the global success of Jamesons, a new owner for Bushmills and Tullamore Dew (which now has its own distillery), and the emergence of new players. The Scots fought back, buying and closing distilleries, war and independence followed, and political measures brought the industry to its knees, leaving just one company standing: Irish Distillers Ltd and two distilleries: New Midleton in Cork and Bushmills in the far north.

Their secret was the use of huge pot stills, with John Jameson one of the pioneers, which gave their whiskeys unmatched consistency. Our list of the best Irish whiskeys goes like this. Whether or not the Irish brought distillation to the British Isles – and they probably did – there’s no doubt that Ireland ruled the whisky world in the 19th century. 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey was created by Irishman Kieran Folliard, who was inspired by his red-headed (ginger) mother, Mary, and aunt, Delia, to follow his. Its replacement, located right next door, opened instantaneously Consistency found The Best Affordable Irish Whiskey (Under 50) Bushmills Black Bush 96 Points Wine Enthusiast This elegant, super-soft sipper is a blend of grain whiskey and malt whiskey that was finished in. Double distillation, triple distillation – and a unique style of pot still whiskey that owes its genesis to a tax dodge. Irish whiskey was one of the earliest distilled drinks in Europe, arising around the 12th century. For an industry that, until recently, had only three operational distilleries, Irish whiskey offers a richly varied array of styles and production methods. Click here to visit the home of Jameson Irish Whiskey.
