How To Choose The Best Irish Whiskey For Your Collection: A Complete Guide

By Author: Castle Freke
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Love savouring whiskey on evenings? Well, there’s nothing as fine, smooth, and silky as the famous Irish whiskey. The best Irish whiskey is its own kind of spirit as it is made in a very particular way. To be classified as whiskey produced in Ireland; it should remain in the barrel for at least three years, although some are kept for a longer time.

The world of whiskey is a complex maze of flavours, grains, and distillation processes. In order to understand what whiskey is, you will have to look at every individual style. However, there’s something that sets apart whiskeys produced in Ireland. Irish whiskey is a great getaway for people who wish to go beyond their usual cocktails and diversify a bit. Also, it’s more within the reach of younger consumers than Scotch.

Here’s all you need to know about Irish whiskeys.

Irish Whiskey – The Father Of All Whiskies

Widely regarded as the father of all whiskeys, the best Irish whiskey is one that’s produced in Ireland. Often, it’s a blend of unmalted and pot-stilled malted whiskeys with corn-based, column-stilled whiskey. ...
... Also, just like Bushmills, it might be triple distilled malted barley.

It is this complex blend and the fact that Irish malt is dried in a closed kiln away from smoke and fire, which distinguishes Irish whiskey from Scotch. Great care is taken during the distillation process to keep the temperature low so that the delicately sweet, honey, toasty flavour doesn’t break.

Quite often, whiskeys produced in Ireland are aged in used Bourbon barrels or wine casks for a minimum 3 years. And, as with all whiskeys, Irish varieties can be aged for a long period and this affects the smoothness as well as price.

Types Of Irish Whiskey: A Quick Glance

Single Pot Still

• One distillery
• Pot still
• Malted and unmalted barley

Single Malt
• One distillery
• Pot still
• Malted barley

Single Grain
• One distillery
• All types of grains
• Coffey Still or Column

Blended Irish Whiskey
• Multiple distilleries
• Blend of single grain, single malts, or single pot still whiskey
• Coffey, Column, or Pot Still

What Do You Need For Tasting Irish Whiskey?
When you approach the best place to buy whiskey online, you will learn that Irish whiskeys come in several forms and flavours. So, you need to appreciate them. Firstly, you need a bottle of Irish whiskey. Next, follow the below instructions:

• Observe Your Spirit
Before sipping whiskey produced in Ireland, it is advised to swirl the spirit around in the glass. Look at the ‘legs’ or the long trails left by the spirit as it slips down the glass’ side. Keep in mind that the longer is the legs, the higher is the alcoholic content.

Next, you should look at your whiskey’s colour – a good indicator of the kind of wood it was matured in. A pale colour indicates an American oak, amber colour depicts sherry wood, and tinges of ruby point to port pipes.

• Smell Your Drink
The prickle or “nose feeling” you get in nose when swirling and sniffing your alcoholic beverage for the first time is alcohol. If you sniff again, your nose will be anaesthetized and you will smell nothing. If it happens again, go outside or sniff a glass of water. This is because your nose will grow accustomed to smells. So, it is essential not to sniff too often or too hard – just note your initial impressions and then move on.

• Taste The Whisky
Next, have a sip of the best Irish whiskey and then pay special attention to the way it feels on your mouth. While some whiskeys would feel syrupy and fat, others will feel light. A fine whiskey is one that sets off a chain of reactions on your tongue, thus sparking sensations all over – sometimes in sequence or sometimes all at once. Lastly, swallow your sip of whiskey and notice the after-effects.

Author Bio:
Since it is smoother than Scotch, even novices can drink Irish whiskey – be it neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. At the end of the day, everything depends on your taste buds and you can experiment until you find something that you actually enjoy. Approach the best place to buy whiskey online and you will be spoilt for choice!