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Introducing Irish Whiskey Month
If you want to impress your Irish Whiskey drinking friends this St. Patrick's Day, offer them a 'taoscán', rather than a 'dram'. The former translates as 'an imprecise amount', and is the terminology deployed in place of the word 'dram' by whiskey enthusiasts in the original home of whisk(e)y.
Because, of course, the original superpower of world whisk(e)y was Ireland. At its 19th century zenith Ireland was home to the largest distillery on the planet and outsold their Scottish rivals five to one, by some estimates.
At this peak the spirit pouring forth from the famed Emerald Isle, and consumed the world over, was not Single Malt, or Blended Whiskey — although Ireland did and do produce some exceptional whiskies in those categories — but instead it was what we now call ‘Single Pot Still Whiskey’. The origins of which either stretch from the famous Malt Tax of the eighteenth century, or even further back, depending on the historian you ask.
Either way, Pot Still Whiskey is characterised by the use of unmalted barley, and other grains, in the mash bill; all of which are then distilled via a Pot Still — in the same fashion of the Malt whiskies you know and love. The result of this ‘mixed-mashbill’ and pot still distillation is a much more creamy and spicy spirit than you might find from your typical single malt, and in the nineteenth century was the dominant style of whisky the world over until blended whiskies rose to prominence.
Take Old Comber for example - An iconic name amongst the original Irish whiskey giants, Old Comber Whiskey was founded in 1825 in County Down, but fell silent in 1953, joining many other famous names in Ireland’s list of ‘lost’ distilleries at the time. Good news though – Echlinville revived Old Comber Whiskey in 2021 after a 70 year absence, and it has maintained its tradition of Port and Sherry cask finishes.
A single estate whiskey, Old Comber Single Pot Still Whiskey is a distilled from barley grown, harvested and malted at Echlinville, Ireland’s first field-to-glass distillery. Its revival now plays an important part of the resurgence of that industry, at the forefront of the Irish whiskey renaissance.
The Old Comber Single Pot Still is now available at The Whisky Shop and is a vital release for any fans of Irish Whiskey! The first single pot still bottling the distillery has produced since it fell silent in 1953, it's bottled at an easy-drinking 46% abv, and you’ll find that there’s a reason this style of dram making is coming back with a vengeance! The nose is like walking into a patisserie - all gentle sweetness with notes of pear and almond tart, Black Forest gateaux, and cherry Bakewell. The palate is a little richer, with a viscous mouthfeel reminiscent of treacle, and an undercurrent of cooking spices. The finish develops that subtle spice into a warm, lingering glow of clove, coffee, and nutmeg.
However, the story of Irish Whiskey isn’t all about a storied hay day of over a century ago. For most of the last fifteen years Irish Whiskey was the fastest growing premium spirit category in the world. Going from an island of three distilleries to well over forty. And thus giving us lots of exciting brands like Teeling, JJ Corry, Bushmills and more.
There has truly never been a better time to start drinking Irish Whiskey. Our personal favourite which which we'll be cracking open this Irish Whiskey Month is Bushmills Black Bush.
"I’m definitely a part of the BIack Bush fan club, it’ll always have a home in my drinks cabinet. Smooth, sweet and just the right amount of smoke." - Alan, Whiskeria Magazine Contributer
A staple Irish whiskey from Bushmills distillery, this expression combines an exceptionally high amount of malt whiskey married with a lighter grain whiskey, and then matured in former Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks before being bottled at 40% abv. An easy drinker sipped neat, but also works fantastically in a fruity whiskey cocktail.
