Great blurb from Foodrepublic.com about some Irish whiskies to check out. Anyone have a favorite on this list?
1. Jameson 12-Year-Old Special Reserve: Regular Jamesons isnt everyones cup of tea, but its a smart go-to when the back bar looks dodgy. For those who love it, this 12-year-old Jamesons is a treat, spiced with a soft sherry finish.
2. Powers 12-Year-Old Special Reserve: Wouldnt you know it Powers has a 12-year-old Special Reserve, too. Its intensely flavored, complex and aromatic, and yet retains the same spice and honey notes of the original.
3. Redbreast 12-Year-Old: Often the first Irish whiskey discovered beyond the Jameson-Bushmills-Powers trifecta, its a little nutty and peppery, with just the right amount of sweetness. Wonderfully balanced and a great value.
4. Tullamore Dew 10-Year-Old Single Malt: Aged in four different casks bourbon, sherry, port and Madeira expect notes of vanilla and toasted oak, as well as some brighter fruit flavors.
5. Knappogue Castle 12-Year Single Malt: Thanks to a Texas couple, the dilapidated 15[SUP]th[/SUP]-century Knappogue Castle was restored, but its their son who would launch the whiskey brand. Light and fruity, with candied notes, this single malt embodies the Irish style.
6. Greenore Single Grain 8-Year: This small-batch whiskey is labeled single grain, as in, from a single distillery. (Its actually a blend of corn and some malted barley.) Made at Irelands only independent distillery, its cakey sweet with a hint of spice.
7. Bushmills 10-Year-Old Malt: The ads you see of hip indie folks hanging out dont even show them drinking the original Protestant whiskey, never mind the 10-year-old bottling, which is lovely, filled with flavors of toasted vanilla and hints of cocoa.
8. Tyrconnell 10-Year-Old Madeira Cask Finish: Tyrconnell also has bottlings finished in port and sherry casks. The Madeira cask-finished whiskey is nutty and dry, rather complex, and lightly caramelized.
9. Connemara Turf Mor (Big Turf) Peated Single Malt: Did we say that Irish whiskey sets itself apart with oven-dried malt instead of peated? Scratch that. This smoky spirit is heavily peated, full of dried fruit flavors, with a slightly bitter edge.
10. Midleton Very Rare: Considered one of the finest blended whiskeys from Ireland, there are only 50 casks of it produced each year so it is, indeed, very rare. Richly aromatic and spiced, it boasts a characteristic often described as furniture polish. Oh, and thats a good thing, by the way.
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/03/15/10-irish-whiskeys-try-right-now
1. Jameson 12-Year-Old Special Reserve: Regular Jamesons isnt everyones cup of tea, but its a smart go-to when the back bar looks dodgy. For those who love it, this 12-year-old Jamesons is a treat, spiced with a soft sherry finish.
2. Powers 12-Year-Old Special Reserve: Wouldnt you know it Powers has a 12-year-old Special Reserve, too. Its intensely flavored, complex and aromatic, and yet retains the same spice and honey notes of the original.
3. Redbreast 12-Year-Old: Often the first Irish whiskey discovered beyond the Jameson-Bushmills-Powers trifecta, its a little nutty and peppery, with just the right amount of sweetness. Wonderfully balanced and a great value.
4. Tullamore Dew 10-Year-Old Single Malt: Aged in four different casks bourbon, sherry, port and Madeira expect notes of vanilla and toasted oak, as well as some brighter fruit flavors.
5. Knappogue Castle 12-Year Single Malt: Thanks to a Texas couple, the dilapidated 15[SUP]th[/SUP]-century Knappogue Castle was restored, but its their son who would launch the whiskey brand. Light and fruity, with candied notes, this single malt embodies the Irish style.
6. Greenore Single Grain 8-Year: This small-batch whiskey is labeled single grain, as in, from a single distillery. (Its actually a blend of corn and some malted barley.) Made at Irelands only independent distillery, its cakey sweet with a hint of spice.
7. Bushmills 10-Year-Old Malt: The ads you see of hip indie folks hanging out dont even show them drinking the original Protestant whiskey, never mind the 10-year-old bottling, which is lovely, filled with flavors of toasted vanilla and hints of cocoa.
8. Tyrconnell 10-Year-Old Madeira Cask Finish: Tyrconnell also has bottlings finished in port and sherry casks. The Madeira cask-finished whiskey is nutty and dry, rather complex, and lightly caramelized.
9. Connemara Turf Mor (Big Turf) Peated Single Malt: Did we say that Irish whiskey sets itself apart with oven-dried malt instead of peated? Scratch that. This smoky spirit is heavily peated, full of dried fruit flavors, with a slightly bitter edge.
10. Midleton Very Rare: Considered one of the finest blended whiskeys from Ireland, there are only 50 casks of it produced each year so it is, indeed, very rare. Richly aromatic and spiced, it boasts a characteristic often described as furniture polish. Oh, and thats a good thing, by the way.
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/03/15/10-irish-whiskeys-try-right-now
