The price of this blended Irish whiskey is rather a red herring in terms of its quality, complexity and downright deliciousness. Slane Irish Whiskey: The best blended Irish whiskey Whatever your budget, or tastes, you’re sure to find something you’ll like in our roundup below. In contrast, it makes sense to spend less on mixing whiskies, where the ultimate character of the whiskey can get a bit diluted. Whiskies intended for sipping alone or with just a dash of water can be considered more of an investment. A good quality bottle of Irish whiskey can easily be bought for around £40 and there are bands either side of this figure that are worth exploring too. While most Irish whiskies don’t command the silly prices seen with vintage Scotch cask releases, there are exceptions. Single malts have a reputation for being smoother and more characterful, but that is not necessarily the case given the expertise of many of the master blenders today. In addition to these kinds, there are of course blended whiskies whereby different types of whiskey are skilfully blended to achieve a desired result. Single pot still is particular to Irish whiskey only and means that both malted and unmalted barley have been distilled in pot stills at a single distillery. Single grain means barley has been mixed with corn and/or wheat, though still at a single distillery. Single malt means the whiskey is made using malted barley at a single distillery. Single malt, single grain and single pot still. There are a few different types of Irish whiskey to choose from, too. READ NEXT: Our guide to the best Scotch whisky For example, you’re unlikely to find peaty, smoky whiskey at all from Ireland, as it is usually made using unpeated barley, giving a cleaner, more cereal flavour, which allows a variety of other notes to shine through. Fewer rules make for a more diverse spectrum of whiskey flavour profiles and is why, historically, Irish whiskey makers wanted to set their wares apart from Scotch. It means producers are able to be a little more creative than their Scotch counterparts. Irish whiskey is also usually distilled three times (versus twice for Scotch), which makes for the lighter and smoother character that Irish whiskey is known for, though that’s not a hard and fast rule. It must be aged in wood for a minimum of three years and it has to be bottled at at least 40% ABV. While Scotch is subject to a litany of rules and regulations that producers must abide by to market their whisky as Scotch, Irish whiskey has just a few key controls. Using traditional distilling methods, combined with innovative ideas, distillers are able to create super smooth, drinkable Irish whiskey that shouldn’t just be the reserve of Irish coffees or chasers. Irish producers are shining the spotlight on the very best Irish whiskey, many of which hold their own against the big names. Irish whiskey – note that all important ‘e’ – has been long overlooked in favour of its more celebrated Celtic cousin, Scotch, but times are changing.
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