Irish Whiskey Recommendations in 2022?

[Harry in WashDC]

57 minutes ago, gurgalunas said:

I've tried a lot of Irish.  My favorites are Limavady and Knappogue Castle.  I like various versions of Redbreast, Teeling, Spots, Writers Tears, Clonakilty, Powers too.  While I've traditionally been a bourbon guy, Irish whiskey has become a rabbit hole for me.  Beware!

Agree.  Most of us bourbon geeks are familiar with a mash bill of 50% or more corn/rye/wheat (uh, Beam, Sazerac, Makers respectively for example), but we forget that the last 5 to 10% of a bourbon mash bill is usually barley malt to kick this whole Chem 101 project down the road.   That barley component gets ignored too often.  HENCE, I have convinced 

myself that the reason Irish goes down my throat so well (and lowland scotches, too), is because my palate recognizes that kicker.

 

We going out on St. Pat’s and I having bangers cooked in Guinness with mash and mashy peas.  Redbreast cask if they have it.  If not, I’ll share my flask with the owner - he a bourbon geek, too.

[Harry in WashDC]

Just now, Harry in WashDC said:

Agree.  Most of us bourbon geeks are familiar with a mash bill of 50% or more corn/rye/wheat (uh, Beam, Sazerac, Makers respectively for example), but we forget that the last 5 to 10% of a bourbon mash bill is usually barley malt to kick this whole Chem 101 project down the road.   That barley component gets ignored too often.  HENCE, I have convinced 

myself that the reason Irish goes down my throat so well (and lowland scotches, too), is because my palate recognizes that kicker.

 

We going out on St. Pat’s and I having bangers cooked in Guinness with mash and mashy peas.  Redbreast cask if they have it.  If not, I’ll share my flask with the owner - he a bourbon geek, too.

And, I’m not Irish atall atall!!,,

[Special Reserve]

17 hours ago, gurgalunas said:

I've tried a lot of Irish.  My favorites are Limavady and Knappogue Castle.  I like various versions of Redbreast, Teeling, Spots, Writers Tears, Clonakilty, Powers too.  While I've traditionally been a bourbon guy, Irish whiskey has become a rabbit hole for me.  Beware!

Redbreast Cask Strength is an over the top pour. I'll enjoy a small pour this evening. 

[GeeTen]

Me likee Irish whiskey:

 

 

 

 

Worked a Loch & K(e)y Society tasting a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of the High Holy Day yesterday.  Left-to-right:  Jameson 18, Midelton Very Rare, Redbreast 15, Red Breast L&K Single Cask, Red Spot (15yr), Gold Spot (12yr), Blue Spot (9yr), and Red breast 24.  Surprised that I really liked the Jameson 18 this time around.  But the Midleton Very Rare was my fave - too bad the Barry Crockett was not available for the tasting.  Now that would have been an interesting comparison!   

 

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by GeeTen

[Kepler]

On 3/18/2023 at 7:38 AM, GeeTen said:

Me likee Irish whiskey:

 

Worked a Loch & K(e)y Society tasting a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of the High Holy Day yesterday.  Left-to-right:  Jameson 18, Midelton Very Rare, Redbreast 15, Red Breast L&K Single Cask, Red Spot (15yr), Gold Spot (12yr), Blue Spot (9yr), and Red breast 24.  Surprised that I really liked the Jameson 18 this time around.  But the Midleton Very Rare was my fave - too bad the Barry Crockett was not available for the tasting.  Now that would have been an interesting comparison!   

 

Great lineup G10!!

Curious about the Midleton VR2022. I have purchased a few $100-150ish whiskies (RB various versions, Red/Blue/Gold spots, some Teeling). The red spot is the most I've spent at $165. With that as my baseline do you think the Midleton is worth $200?  I've never dipped my toe into the higher priced stuff like RB21 and RB27, but this $200 price level of the Midleton might be a good step up from the others I listed?

 

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Kepler

[GeeTen]

4 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

Great lineup G10!!

Curious about the Midleton VR2022. I have purchased a few $100-150ish whiskies (RB various versions, Red/Blue/Gold spots, some Teeling). The red spot is the most I've spent at $165. With that as my baseline do you think the Midleton is worth $200?  I've never dipped my toe into the higher priced stuff like RB21 and RB27, but this $200 price level of the Midleton might be a good step up from the others I listed?

 

 

 

Yes, IMHO.  Very light in color, but great on the palate.  Looking for the Barry Crockett to step up my game, too!  

 

[lcpfratn]

On 3/19/2023 at 6:05 PM, GeeTen said:

 

Yes, IMHO.  Very light in color, but great on the palate.  Looking for the Barry Crockett to step up my game, too!  

 

I have both the Midleton VR and Barry Crockett. They are both top notch Irish whiskeys, but I’ve never tasted them side by side to determine which I like better…hmmm, I guess I should do that sometime. 

[PhantomLamb]

Picked up Knappogue Castle and Bushmills Prohibition Recipe.

[Kepler]

I recently passed on the Redbreast "Small Batch" (the blue box) at a hundred.  It's cask strength and no age statement.  I have a couple backup bottles of the RB12CS that I paid less for.  What am I missing with the Small Batch?

[PhantomLamb]

On 7/2/2023 at 12:42 AM, Kepler said:

I recently passed on the Redbreast "Small Batch" (the blue box) at a hundred.  It's cask strength and no age statement.  I have a couple backup bottles of the RB12CS that I paid less for.  What am I missing with the Small Batch?

Here I thought they were the same lol. I picked up Killbeggan 16yr the other day, absolutely phenomenal.

[Kepler]

1 hour ago, PhantomLamb said:

Here I thought they were the same lol. I picked up Killbeggan 16yr the other day, absolutely phenomenal.

 From what I've read, the RB Small Batch probably has older whiskey than 12 year in the blend, but also has younger as well. 

 

I have not had Kilbeggan 16 before (or any Kilbeggan for that matter). Sounds like I might be missing out!

 

[Kepler]

 

I had Mrs. Kepler set me up a blind SBS of 6 sub $100 single pot still Irish whiskies.  For this first SBS I wanted to group my lower proof and lower priced bottles.  I'll do a blind SBS tasting with higher proof/higher priced bottles at a later date.

 

In the photo I lined up the bottles in order of my blind taste-off ranking:

 

1.  RB Lustau (92 proof)

2.  RB Kentucky Oak (101 proof)

3.  Yellow Spot (92 proof)

4.  Powers John Lane 12 yr (92 proof)

5.  Teeling Pot Still (92 proof)

6.  RB 12 Yr (80 proof)

 

The top two were head and shoulders above the rest and it wasn't close.  I love the balance of both these whiskies.  Both seem to bring my favorite aspects of single pot still style without tipping over to an unbalanced profile.  

 

Other things of note:

- The Teeling SPS had by far the most malty and "cereal" forward taste profile, which is enjoyable on many occasions, but I found it a bit too much and somewhat unbalanced when comparing directly to the others.  But I really enjoy this one when the mood strikes.

- The Powers John's Lane strikes me as possibly the value leader of the bunch at $58 to $65 in my area.  Underrated.

- the standard Redbreast 12 was at a distinct disadvantage due to lower proof.  I fulIy expect the CS version will do better in my next blind.

-  I'll probably include the KY Oak in the higher proof sbs because at 101 proof it should compare well.

- the glaring omission is Green Spot but I don't have one on hand. Oh well.

 

This was fun.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Kepler

[Harry in WashDC]

3 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

I had Mrs. Kepler set me up a blind SBS of 6 sub $100 single pot still Irish whiskies.  For this first SBS I wanted to group my lower proof and lower priced bottles.  I'll do a blind SBS tasting with higher proof/higher priced bottles at a later date.

 

In the photo I lined up the bottles in order of my blind taste-off ranking:

 

1.  RB Lustau (92 proof)

2.  RB Kentucky Oak (101 proof)

3.  Yellow Spot (92 proof)

4.  Powers John Lane 12 yr (92 proof)

5.  Teeling Pot Still (92 proof)

6.  RB 12 Yr (80 proof)

 

The top two were head and shoulders above the rest and it wasn't close.  I love the balance of both these whiskies.  Both seem to bring my favorite aspects of single pot still style without tipping over to an unbalanced profile.  

 

Other things of note:

- The Teeling SPS had by far the most malty and "cereal" forward taste profile, which is enjoyable on many occasions, but I found it a bit too much and somewhat unbalanced when comparing directly to the others.  But I really enjoy this one when the mood strikes.

- The Powers John's Lane strikes me as possibly the value leader of the bunch at $58 to $65 in my area.  Underrated.

- the standard Redbreast 12 was at a distinct disadvantage due to lower proof.  I fulIy expect the CS version will do better in my next blind.

-  I'll probably include the KY Oak in the higher proof sbs because at 101 proof it should compare well.

- the glaring omission is Green Spot but I don't have one on hand. Oh well.

 

This was fun.

 

 

 

 

My subjective recollections of some of these fit yours.  Teeling in its several iterations is heavily grainy - I happen to like the "pure" barley flavor so that's a plus for me.  I've shied away from the various Powers offerings.  I found the few I tried too close to basic Bushmills - oily, grassy, no depth.  I really ought to try some more of them.  Redbreast CS is exquisite - drank about a quarter bottle neat after the Wash Caps won the Stanley Cup at The Dubliner, an Irish bar in Wash DC, and that was at LUNCH!!  Basic Redbreast, though, is a pass. for me.  The Spots?  While I've had the Yellow and the Green, I've found them to be "Okay" but nothing special.  I would, however, pay the premium to drink them instead of basic Bushmills in a bar.  If they weren't available, I'd stick to Black and Tans.

 

But,  That's just me and I am an old, opinionated fart.  ASIDE - As Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band said,  "But, the Old Fart was Smart!"

https://genius.com/Captain-beefheart-and-his-magic-band-old-fart-at-play-lyrics

[Kepler]

5 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said:

My subjective recollections of some of these fit yours.  Teeling in its several iterations is heavily grainy - I happen to like the "pure" barley flavor so that's a plus for me.  I've shied away from the various Powers offerings.  I found the few I tried too close to basic Bushmills - oily, grassy, no depth.  I really ought to try some more of them.  Redbreast CS is exquisite - drank about a quarter bottle neat after the Wash Caps won the Stanley Cup at The Dubliner, an Irish bar in Wash DC, and that was at LUNCH!!  Basic Redbreast, though, is a pass. for me.  The Spots?  While I've had the Yellow and the Green, I've found them to be "Okay" but nothing special.  I would, however, pay the premium to drink them instead of basic Bushmills in a bar.  If they weren't available, I'd stick to Black and Tans.

 

But,  That's just me and I am an old, opinionated fart.  ASIDE - As Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band said,  "But, the Old Fart was Smart!"

https://genius.com/Captain-beefheart-and-his-magic-band-old-fart-at-play-lyrics

 

I like your comments and agree.  Going in (before the blind SBS) I would have predicted that the Teeling SPS would've done better.  But the thing about blinds are, a person has to be honest with themselves and rate them in the moment, with zero outside influence [well, a regular "blind" SBS like this is not truly blind, because I knew the 6 bottles in the group -- I just did not know which bottles I was tasting in each glass.  A true "blind" SBS would mean that I had no idea going in which 6 whiskies were being poured.  But I digress].

 

But just between us friends, I have spent some time with the Teeling SPS and I really enjoy this whiskey.  If I want to reach for a bottle that epitomizes the "Irish Single Pot Still" style, this is the bottle I would reach for first.  But in blind SBS, many times the "outlier" does not do well, because it sticks out as being "off" or (in my case during my tasting) "overpowering."  During this blind SBS, the Teeling flavor was overpowering and a bit off-putting in comparison to the others.  But if I'm just sitting at home and enjoying a dram, it does not matter. 

 

My takeaway is that blind tastings are very illuminating (in that we learn a lot about ourselves and our biases) but they are not the be-all / end-all for drinking enjoyment.

 

 

 

[Kepler]

Ok I finally got around to my blind of higher end Irish whiskies.  Ranking from left to right.  The Midleton 22 was disappointing in comparison to the others.  I never like matching such a wide variety of high and low proof in blinds because the higher proof pours are at an advantage to "stand out" from the others and the Blue Spot did that.  I'm no proof whore but 80 proof for an Irish whiskey is way too low for me because Irish flavors are a bit soft and delicate enough to begin with. 

These are all new bottles so I look forward to appreciating each of these on their own merit without comparing them in a SBS.

 

[PhantomLamb]

Never seen the Midleton before, let me know how it is!

[Kepler]

On 8/14/2023 at 5:02 PM, PhantomLamb said:

Never seen the Midleton before, let me know how it is!

 

Well I've only had 2 different tastings of it so far (I went back to it again last night since I posted the SBS results).  It is quite tasty and has some very nice complex flavors, but honestly it is so light and the flavor and nose is so muted that I just have not been all that impressed so far.  Maybe my palate isn't sophisticated enough to fully appreciate it 

Seriously, it is a nice whiskey that I know I will enjoy over time, when the mood strikes me.  But no way is it worth 200 bucks to me when you can get so many great value bottles such as Redbreast Lustau and 12 yr CS.  Even the higher priced bottles like Red Spot (which has its own value proposition "challenges" shall we say) are much better purchases for my money.  Perhaps my palate is more conditioned for bold "in your face" flavors that bourbon, rye and scotch provide and I just can't appreciate the nuances that this Midleton VR has to offer, YMMV...

[PhantomLamb]

On 8/19/2023 at 12:53 AM, Kepler said:

 

Well I've only had 2 different tastings of it so far (I went back to it again last night since I posted the SBS results).  It is quite tasty and has some very nice complex flavors, but honestly it is so light and the flavor and nose is so muted that I just have not been all that impressed so far.  Maybe my palate isn't sophisticated enough to fully appreciate it 

Seriously, it is a nice whiskey that I know I will enjoy over time, when the mood strikes me.  But no way is it worth 200 bucks to me when you can get so many great value bottles such as Redbreast Lustau and 12 yr CS.  Even the higher priced bottles like Red Spot (which has its own value proposition "challenges" shall we say) are much better purchases for my money.  Perhaps my palate is more conditioned for bold "in your face" flavors that bourbon, rye and scotch provide and I just can't appreciate the nuances that this Midleton VR has to offer, YMMV...

I’m the same way, there is such a thing as “too light” for me, and for $200 it’s a pass.

 

Not sure if over ice or a bit of water would open it up at all?

[Kepler]

On 8/20/2023 at 3:07 PM, PhantomLamb said:

...

Not sure if over ice or a bit of water would open it up at all?

I haven't tried it yet, I doubt it, but I should definitely try that. Thanks!

[Anwalt]

Finally opened the Blue Spot. Great flavor, especially upfront, as well as on the palate. Making up my mind on the finish. Tastes hot, at least at first. But that could be "I'm not used to some proof in an Irish whiskey and would not react to the same heat in a bourbon in the same way". Time will tell.

[Anwalt]

On 7/9/2023 at 6:55 PM, Kepler said:

the glaring omission is Green Spot but I don't have one on hand

 

And there are a bazillion versions of it. Wonder how different they truly are.

[Kepler]

Picked up some local goodies while in Ireland. 

 

[Anwalt]

15 hours ago, Kepler said:

Picked up some local goodies while in Ireland.

I have a friend in Ireland now. He is willing to mule. The problem: Most of what I looked at was more expensive there than in US/France/Germany, to which I have easy access.

 

Anything you thought well-priced in Ireland? 

 

I tried the RB27 and liked it a lot. Not familiar with the others.

[Kepler]

On 9/6/2023 at 9:43 AM, Anwalt said:

...

Anything you thought well-priced in Ireland? 

...

 

Bourbon wise, nothing.  I saw Michter's Limited release, Bomberger's and Shenks, but all were well over MSRP, and even MSRP is dubious for these IMO.

 

So I focused on Irish whiskey instead as sort of souvenirs from my trip.   In that spirit I picked up a couple of store picks from Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin.  Nice folks there and I can recommend them.

Price wise, Irish and Scotch was cheaper over there than here in the states as expected.  Check out the duty free shop at the airport.  Great price on Red Spot there, much cheaper than here, even with the 700ml factor included.  If I didn't already have some already I would have picked up one of those too.  But I really wanted something unique that I can't get at home (hence the store picks and the Jameson travel exclusive).  I picked up the RB27 just because I wanted it and saved some money (it's too expensive at home now).

Good luck sir!

 

[Kepler]

On 8/29/2023 at 3:24 PM, Anwalt said:

Finally opened the Blue Spot. Great flavor, especially upfront, as well as on the palate. Making up my mind on the finish. Tastes hot, at least at first. But that could be "I'm not used to some proof in an Irish whiskey and would not react to the same heat in a bourbon in the same way". Time will tell.

 

I hear ya.  The Blue spot won my blind SBS, but I figure that's mostly due to the higher proof and subsequent intense flavor and longer finish.  I thought Red Spot had the more interesting flavor and for casual tasting I'm pretty sure I prefer it over the blue.