Irish Whisky

[cowdery]

Paddy is unique, in that it's a blend of pot still whiskey, grain whiskey and malt whiskey. The malt comes from Bushmills, and the rest comes from Midleton. It wouldn't be a favorite of mine, but it has a big following in Co. Cork, in Ireland. All the other Irish blends are a mix of either malt and grain, or pot still and grain.

Isn't all malt pot and all pot malt? I thought it was the same as Scotland, malt whisky is pot-distilled, grain whiskey is column-distilled.

I know Middleton has both pots and columns, does Bushmills? I was under the impression (more like an assumption, really, based on nothing) that Bushmills makes malt whisky and the grain whisky for the Busmills blends comes from Middleton.

[Gillman]

Well, I would say not all pot is malt in the sense that "pure pot still" means whiskey distilled in a pot still from a mash made of barley malt and unmalted grains. I did not know Paddy combines malt whiskey, pure pot still (in this sense) and grain whiskey. I thought Irish blends were either malt whiskey and grain whiskey or pure pot still and grain whiskey. Bushmills uses malt whiskey made in Antrim (site of the famed Ulster Bushmills distillery) and grain whisky made at Midelton.

Gary

[fitzharry]

Isn't all malt pot and all pot malt? I thought it was the same as Scotland, malt whisky is pot-distilled, grain whiskey is column-distilled.

I know Middleton has both pots and columns, does Bushmills? I was under the impression (more like an assumption, really, based on nothing) that Bushmills makes malt whisky and the grain whisky for the Busmills blends comes from Middleton.

Chuck:

Actually, Irish pot still whiskey is a blend of malted and unmalted barley, and that's what gives it the unique taste. Redbreast 12 is pure pot still whiskey (unlike Power's and Jameson's, which are blends).

I believe that Bushmills has only pot stills, and all the grain whiskey for the Bushmills blends are indeed brought in from Midleton. Bushmills distills only malt whiskey, although it does make a few blends.

Harrison

[Gillman]

I find Black Bush a fine whiskey and value: 80% malt whiskey, 20% grain, I believe only one each is used. I think it is finished in sherry casks. I had a bottle almost full (leaving 3 ounces maybe) and topped it up with 16 year old Bushmills Malt (a version bottled only for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario) and now the BB is even better. I actually prefer it to the Bush 16 on its own which has a very unusual (for me) strong taste that Jim Murray, speaking (admiringly) of another Irish whiskey, pegged perfectly when he referred to "wet old raincoats"!

Gary

[Joeluka]

They sell a Bushmills 16 year old single malt here in the US too. Is the 16 yo you get up there not a single malt????

[Gillman]

Hi Joe and by the way, congratulations on the new birth!

This is a Bushmills Single Cask "Specially Selected For Canada". Distilled 1989. Actually, I see now that the label does not state the bottling date but there was a leaflet that came with it, which I no longer have, that I thought stated the whiskey was 16 years old. Very interesting nose of petrol, semi-oxidised sherry, and "cool glade in the forest". Very big in flavor too. It reminds me of some pure pot stills I've had even though it is all-malt (that "connection" the good Irish whiskeys have). Wet raincoats kind of sums it up too! I do enjoy it, actually, but I find this kind of whiskey is best blended and Black Bush is a fine example of the art.

Gary

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I used to drink quite a bit of BlackBush. Since I got in bourbon in a big way two years ago I don't drink it often. I have a bottle of Bushmills 10 single malt open and have a pour occationally. I have the Paddy and like it a lot. Never had the Powers or Redbreast, but I have the Green Spot which I am told is young Redbreast. I have both Jameson and Jameson 12 and like them.

I am now waiting for the delivery of my first Bushmills 16 year old single malt.

Ed

[nickynick]

This is a Bushmills Single Cask "Specially Selected For Canada". Distilled 1989. Actually, I see now that the label does not state the bottling date but there was a leaflet that came with it, which I no longer have, that I thought stated the whiskey was 16 years old. Very interesting nose of petrol, semi-oxidised sherry, and "cool glade in the forest". Very big in flavor too. It reminds me of some pure pot stills I've had even though it is all-malt (that "connection" the good Irish whiskeys have). Wet raincoats kind of sums it up too! I do enjoy it, actually, but I find this kind of whiskey is best blended and Black Bush is a fine example of the art.

Which single cask is it? In the states we have a Sherry Cask, a Bourbon Cask and a Rum Cask. I have had the bourbon, but wasn't enough to get a feel for it. At $100+ a bottle they only gave me a little taste. I'm a big fan of Black Bush. As well as the single malts.

As for pot still whiskey, I had been reading alot about Redbreast 12 yo on this website. But at $44, I bought a bottle of Powers to see if I would even like pot still whiskey. It seems tangy, and smooth, however not as smooth as other Irish whiskies I've had. Only a 1/3 of the way through the bottle and I'm liking it more now then I did at first. I'm a bourbon drinker first, but I enjoy a good Irish often. I have Bushmills(White, Black, and SM 10) also Micheal Collins(Blend, and SM) as well as the Powers.

[ILLfarmboy]

As for pot still whiskey, I had been reading alot about Redbreast 12 yo on this website. But at $44, I bought a bottle of Powers to see if I would even like pot still whiskey. It seems tangy, and smooth, however not as smooth as other Irish whiskies I've had. Only a 1/3 of the way through the bottle and I'm liking it more now then I did at first. I'm a bourbon drinker first, but I enjoy a good Irish often. I have Bushmills(White, Black, and SM 10) also Micheal Collins(Blend, and SM) as well as the Powers.

Jameson's 1780 (the 12yr. "luxury blend" if you will) is cheaper (ten bucks cheaper in my area) than Redbreast and tastes similar certainly more full and more robust than the Powers gold label. I like the powers the best of all the budget blends.

[cowdery]

I like to think (please humor me) that I played a small part in getting Black Bush imported into the US. First, Gary, yes it is finished in sherry casks. I know it has a much higher percentage of malt than the standard, presumably 80% as you say.

Back in the early 1980s, Brown-Forman (through its Joseph Garneau subsidiary) had the U.S. distribution rights for Bushmills and the agency I was working for did some of the marketing for the brand. At the time, they strictly imported the standard blend. Some of the executives from both companies made a trip over to the distillery (I wasn't invited) and a couple brought back bottles of Black Bush in their luggage. They shared and we all loved it. Thereafter, whenever anyone was making the trip, we would all badger them to bring us some Black Bush and I obtained my first bottles of the stuff in that manner. We always joked that they finally started to import it so they wouldn't have to keep carrying it back for us in their luggage.

Sometimes when I am out with friends and my only bourbon choices are Jim, Jack and MM, I will opt for a Jameson. Otherwise I don't drink much Irish, but I'll always have a soft spot for Black Bush.