Celtic Engagement Rings

Redbreast Irish

Redbreast Irish

A Quick Guide to Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey is distinctive from its Scottish cousin and has been made in Ireland for hundreds of years. There are several types of whiskey common to Ireland: Single Malt, Single Grain, Pure Pot Still and Blended Whiskey. The word whiskey is an Anglicisation of the ancient Gaelic term "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life". It isn't just the spelling that gives Irish Whiskey its distinction - it has a very different flavour and the brewing process does differ.

Although it is similar to Scotch whisky in that it was distilled primarily from barley, traditional Irish whiskey is distilled from a mash of mixed malted and unmalted grains (referred to as "pure pot-still" whiskey) whereas Scotch is either distilled exclusively from malted grain or from unmalted grain. That brewed from unmalted grain is generally then mixed with malt whisky to create blended whisky. Most Irish whiskey is blended from a mixture of pot still whiskey and cheaper grain whiskey.

The most common myth is that most Irish whiskey is distilled three times, unlike Scotch Whisky and that this is the main distinction between the two varieties. Irish whiskey also differs in that peat is almost never used in the malting process, so the smoky, earthy overtones common to Scotches are not present. There are notable exceptions to these rules in both countries; Connemara Peated Irish Malt (double distilled) whiskey from the independent Cooley Distillery in Co. Louth is one of those exceptions.

Whereas there are nearly one hundred Scotch Whisky distilleries all over Scotland and the Scottish Isles, there are actually only a handful of Irish distilleries producing a range of Irish Whiskey. Irish Whiskey comes in several varieties including single malt whiskey, which is made from 100% malted barley distilled in a pot still, and grain whiskey made from grains distilled in a column still. Grain whiskey is much lighter (both in colour and flavour) than single malt and is rarely bottled as a single grain. It is more commonly used to blend with single malt to produce a lighter blended whiskey.

'Pure pot still' whiskey is unique to Irish whiskey. While single malt from both Scotland and Ireland is distilled only in a pot still, the designation 'pure pot still' refers to Irish Whiskey that is made from 100% barley (mixed malted and unmalted) and distilled in a pot still. The 'green' unmalted barley gives the traditional pure pot still whiskey a spicy, uniquely Irish flavour. Similar to single malt, pure pot still is sold as a specific classification of whiskey. It can also be blended with grain whiskey. Usually no real distinction is made between whether a blended whiskey was made from single malt or pure pot still. Only Redbreast, Green Spot and some premium Jameson brands are regarded as pure pot still whiskies.

The more common Irish Whiskeys such as Jamesons, Paddys, Bushmills Original and Millars Special Reserve are readily available from most good spirit retailers, but some of the rarer varieties can be difficult to locate outside their native Ireland. However the Internet has given Irish Whiskey lovers access to some of the more exotic blends and pure pot still whiskeys, including limited editions such as Kilbeggan 15 Year Old, which was launched to mark the restart of distilling at the Kilbeggan distillery and was recently voted Best Blended Irish Whiskey at the World Whisky Awards.

Irish Whiskey makes a wonderful gift for a special occasion or as an exclusive business gift and continues to grow in popularity amongst whisky drinkers all over the world.

About the Author

For
Irish Whisky
visit Drink Finder.

Redbreast $49.99 Thomas Bewick Redbreast - Giclee Print

Robin Redbreast $49.99 Robin Redbreast - Giclee Print

The Redbreast $9.99 Detective Harry Hole embarrassed the force, and for his sins he’s been reassigned to mundane surveillance tasks. But while monitoring neo-Nazi activities in Oslo, Hole is inadvertently drawn into a mystery with deep roots in Norway’s dark past, when members of the government willingly collaborated with Nazi Germany. More than sixty years later, this black mark won’t wash away—and disgraced old soldiers who once survived a brutal Russian winter are being murdered, one by one. Now, with only a stained and guilty conscience to guide him, an angry, alcoholic, error-prone policeman must make his way safely past the traps and mirrors of a twisted criminal mind. For a conspiracy is taking rapid and hideous shape around Hole . . . and Norway’s darkest hour may be still to come.

Skylark, Songthrush & Redbreast $17.99 J. Stewart Skylark, Songthrush & Redbreast - Art Print

Robin Redbreast and Jenny Wren $49.99 Robin Redbreast and Jenny Wren - Giclee Print

The Rrobin-Redbreast, or Ruddock Motacilla Rubecula $44.99 The Rrobin-Redbreast, or Ruddock Motacilla Rubecula - Giclee Print

Irish Blessing $7.99 Irish Blessing

Irish Socks $9.99 Truly a cheerful treat for Irish feet?.socks with shamrocks, an Irish flag and the word Irish! Cotton and spandex.

The Redbreast (Unabridged) $16.89 Harry Hole, drunkard, loner and brilliant detective is reassigned to surveillance after a high profile mistake....

The Redbreast (Paperback) $20.97 This wonderfully paced and layered mystery thriller by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo simultaneously follows inspector Harry Hole as he tries to prevent a sadistic neo-Nazi from committing an assassination and tells the story of how fascist Norwegians during World War Two fought for Hitler...and continue to fight for him.

Irish Stout Recipes Magnet $9.99 Irish Stout Recipes Magnet

Irish Blessing 4 Plate $11.99 Irish Blessing 4 Plate

Irish Blessing 8 Plate $22.99 Irish Blessing 8 Plate

Honey With Irish Cream Liqueur $7.99 Honey With Irish Cream Liqueur

Irish Tux Shirt $21.99 Irish Tux Shirt

Irish Dancer Bead $53 Irish Dancer Bead

Born Usa 100% Irish $59 Born Usa 100% Irish

Irish Cup Of Tea Bead $70 Irish Cup Of Tea Bead

Irish Mom Bead $31 Irish Mom Bead

Irish Cottage Bead $55 Irish Cottage Bead

Irish Soup Recipes Magnet $9.99 Irish Soup Recipes Magnet

Irish $10 Irish

Irish Sweatshirt $39.99 Let the world know that you're proudly Irish! Printed in the USA. 50% cotton / 50% polyester.

Personalized Irish Angel Ornament $6.99 An adorable angel and as Irish as can be! Resin. Imported.

Summer Fruit Preserve With Irish Whiskey $7.99 Summer Fruit Preserve With Irish Whiskey

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 10th, 2010 at 11:09 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.