Irish Whiskey

[Vito]

I "discovered" Irish whiskey for the first time over the Christmas holidays. My first encounter was with Bushmills...just the plain white label stuff. Very nice, very smooth. I drank it neat, no water or ice necessary. I zoomed through the bottle in a few weeks.

Next I tried Bushmills Irish Honey...the black label stuff. It was every bit as smooth as the white label, but quite a bit sweeter. It's OK, but when I drink spirits, I want flavor more than sweetness. Irish Honey is pleasant and not sickly sweet, but still sweeter than I prefer. I finished the bottle and probably won't replace it.

Next I glommed onto a bottle of Tullamore Dew. It has a deeper nose and darker color than either of the Bushmills spirits, but in my estimation it's not as smooth. Like most Irish whiskies, it's triple distilled, so it's still a very smooth drink, and I'm enjoying it. But I don't think it's a must for the liquor cabinet.

I'm working my way up. Next I'll try Jameson. :mrgreen:

:joker:

 

[the rev]

I love Jameson

rev

 

[Ocelot55]

Just finished a bottle of Bushmill's 21 I got last year for my birthday. It was sublime!

 

[Fatman]

Jameson 12 or 18

 

[Anonymous]

Jameson is my favorite too.

 

[Vito]

Thanks to all who commented on Jameson. I'm approaching this methodically to keep from confusing myself. I'm starting with the so-called "lower tier" blends and working my way up.

I've read very good things about Jameson. I've also read good things about Powers, but Jameson seems to be much more popular (here in the U.S., at least), which is why it's next on the list. Based on the reviews I've read, I expect it to be at least as good as Bushmills (white label). Either way, I can't lose. It was Bushmills that originally smote me with its smoothness. If that's all I could ever get (or afford), I'd be happy.

But the urge to explore is indomitable, and great fun into the bargain. So, the adventure continues. Once I've scouted the ...er, "more economical" whiskies, I'll move up to the aged and single pot/single malt offerings.

:joker:

 

[Puff Daddy]

Redbreast. Single pot still Irish whisky in the same vein as single malt Scotch. Not blended with grain alchohol, not vatted with other Irish spirits to make some sort of palatable blend, beautiful stuff.

www.singlepostill.com

 

[TallyCannon]

Redbreast. Single pot still Irish whisky

+1

I purchased a bottle for my birthday, thought I would have a few out of it and save the rest.... didn't happen. There no other Irish Whisky in my opinion.

 

[Vito]

Redbreast. Single pot still Irish whisky in the same vein as single malt Scotch. Not blended with grain alchohol, not vatted with other Irish spirits to make some sort of palatable blend, beautiful stuff.

www.singlepostill.com

I know, I know, PD. I'm resisting it, dammit. On purpose. Even the cost (more than twice as much as Bushmills) is not prohibitive if Redbreast is the killer nectar its fans swear it is. But you know me; when I set my mind to investigating something, I go whole hog.

Truth be told, I'm saving Redbreast as a significant milepost on the journey. In fact, if the stuff is as good as so many claim, I'm not sure there'll be any need to go beyond its 12-year virtues. I'm inclined to be skeptical that many of the far more costly 15 and 18-year offerings can be worth the much higher prices they fetch...

...but that's the whole point of the journey, isn't it? When one wants to know, there is no substitute for the real deal of personal experience. :mrgreen:

 

[Puff Daddy]

I'm kinda the same way with scotch Vito. I'll happily try 10 and 12 year old single malts, but I'm not going to pay an exhorbitant premium for an 18 or 21 year old. When I find a distiller who makes a very good standard bottling I'm happy to have found it. If the standard bottling is good, I see no need to look to the more expensive offerings. If their standard bottling isn't so hot, I'm sure not going to pay more to see if the more expensive hooch is better. I just move along.

 

[Vito]

I'm kinda the same way with scotch Vito. I'll happily try 10 and 12 year old single malts, but I'm not going to pay an exhorbitant premium for an 18 or 21 year old. When I find a distiller who makes a very good standard bottling I'm happy to have found it. If the standard bottling is good, I see no need to look to the more expensive offerings. If their standard bottling isn't so hot, I'm sure not going to pay more to see if the more expensive hooch is better. I just move along.

Amen to that, PD. I do love a fine single malt, and have done so for many years. (Is it true, as PB sez, that single malts are the "in" thing now? I really wouldn't know... :| )

Anyhow, I'm not a single-malt purist. I can enjoy a snifter of Johnnie Walker Black Label or Chivas Regal with a splash of water. It's not a question of having an "unrefined palate"; rather, it's more a matter of enjoying each for its own merits...and sometimes, good enough is just right. :mrgreen:

:joker:

 

[Puff Daddy]

Yep, pricey single malts are quite fashionable. A lot of special releases, discoveries of old casks from dead distilleries, hero-fication of distillery managers. Ya gotta weed through the fashionista crap

 

[Jers]

Redbreast. Single pot still Irish whisky in the same vein as single malt Scotch. Not blended with grain alchohol, not vatted with other Irish spirits to make some sort of palatable blend, beautiful stuff.

www.singlepostill.com

+1

One of Midleton's more expensive but still affordable whiskeys. Very, very pleasant.

Fraternally

Jers

 

[BurleyLegal]

Bushmills and Jameson's standard offerings are both great whiskies, especially for the price. Tullamore Dew is outstanding IMO, very good stuff. To me Irish whiskies make great spring/summer spirits due to their lighter, pleasant body. I've not tried any of the higher end Irish whiskies out there, hopefully one day my wallet will catch up to my taste buds!

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

The wife and I were on a cruise with another couple. My friend's wife prefers Jameson so we stopped in to the duty free shop and saw that they had a special on Bushmills. My buddy says, well they're the same, right? The dude working at the counter in a very thick Irish accent says, that's protestant whiskey, and just walks away.

 

[George Kaplan]

The dude working at the counter in a very thick Irish accent says, that's protestant whiskey, and just walks away.

:lol!: I love that! With very few distilleries in Ireland, Irish whiskey's pretty easy to get into. There just aren't that many choices. Jameson's has a permanent place on my shelf, although I've been meaning to try Redbreast.

 

[Vito]

...The dude working at the counter in a very thick Irish accent says, that's protestant whiskey, and just walks away.

Well, I guess that settles it, then. One can't argue with such an authoritative rational analysis. :lol:

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I was gifted a bottle of Jameson 18 last year and it was excellent.

 

[BurleyLegal]

I've always dismissed the whole 'Bushmill's = protestant/Jameson's = catholic' debate since Jameson's is owned by The French firm Pernod (who used to also own Bushmill's at one point...) and Bushmill's is owned by the U.K. conglomerate Diageo (who also owns Guinness I believe). It makes for great craic to get a 'France vs U.K.' debate going!

 

[TallyCannon]

With all this talk of Single Malt Scotch Whisky I realized I have never tired it, so I did a little research and stopped by the ABC Store. Going to give McClelland’s' Islay Single Malt a whirl tonight. From the review I read it seems I could not beat it for the price and should be a good starting point.