Focus Irish Whiskey

Origins

Irish whiskey dates back to the year 432. It was Irish missionaries led by Saint Patrick who brought back the technique for distilling this famous spirit from their Middle Eastern journey. However, it wasn't until the 15th century that explicit mention was made of the production of a beverage distilled from grain.

Irish whiskey VS other whiskies

Ireland is renowned for its triple distillation and light, fruity whiskeys. It is one of the countries with the highest concentration of distilleries using this process. There are a few other distilleries using this method in Scotland and the United States, but they are much rarer. This method lengthens production times and increases costs, but produces a refined distillate that has come to represent the Irish style.

Ireland is also famous for its pot still distillation, which creates a single pot still, a whiskey very much in the Irish tradition. This process distills malted and unmalted barley, sometimes supplemented by a third cereal. The proportion of malted or unmalted barley is around 40-50%. Pot still distillation was created after the introduction of a tax on malted barley, so producers found this solution to pay less tax.

Flagship distilleries

Bushmills: The Bushmills range draws its identity and its fruity, spicy character from "house" malt whiskey, the very heart of its blends. Produced by triple distillation, Bushmills malt whiskey is made from unpeated barley. The resulting malt is free of any peaty or smoky aromas, producing a rich, malty, delicately fruity style.

Midleton: Midleton is one of the most modern distilleries in the world.Its production capacity is almost 19 million liters of alcohol a year. There are 13 stills producing all types of Irish whiskey (Irish Pot Stills, single malts, single grains) in different combinations.

Waterford: After having successfully managed the Bruichladdich distillery, Mark Reynier has launched a new challenge to the whiskey world with Waterford: that of transparency to reveal and enhance the spirit of the terroirs.The distillery will relentlessly transpose to single malt whiskey the same intellectual approach, methodology and rigor that exist in the world of wine.