Once the most popular spirit in the world, Irish whiskey experienced a sharp decline in the late 19th century when the number of distilleries dropped from at least 28 to two. With the opening of the Cooley Distillery in 1987, Irish whiskey has seen a boom in popularity with more than 30 distilleries in Ireland today.
If you are looking to learn more about Irish whiskeys, there is no better place to start than Eagan Arms Public House. They have 136 different types of Irish whiskey there for you to try. Lee Tomlin, the resident whiskey expert, is happy to talk about whiskey with anyone who walks in, and he even does regular whiskey and scotch tastings where he delves into the history, distilling, and tasting of the spirits.
I was fortunate enough to sit down with Lee and get a quick primer in Irish whiskeys. According to Lee, “Irish whiskey is a beautiful, easy drinking whiskey.” While he doesn’t have a favorite, his love and appreciation for the spirit was evident in our conversation.
Irish whiskeys typically fall into one of four categories – single malt, single potstill, grain and blended. Single malt whiskeys contain only malted barley that can be taken from multiple barrels from a single distillery. They must be produced at one distillery in a single potstill and must be distilled at least twice, but triple distillation is common. Single potstill whiskeys are like single malts; however, they can contain a blend of malted and unmalted barleys. The blend of malted and unmalted barleys was a clever workaround by distillers to avoid the taxes imposed on malted barley. Single grain Irish whiskeys can contain multiple grains that can be malted or unmalted, but they must be distilled at a single distillery. Blended whiskeys can contain different different grains, malted or unmalted, that can be distilled at more than one distillery.
For someone’s first foray into Irish whiskey, Lee recommends a good single potstill whiskey like Redbreast. Made by the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Redbreast has a full-bodied and fruity taste. It is aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks which helps it develop a distinctive smoothness and depth.
Tullamore D.E.W. Blended Irish Whiskey or Bushmills Original are two other recommendations for entry points. These blended whiskeys combine different whiskeys, mixing grain whiskey with either single malt whiskey, single potstill whiskey, or a combination of both. Blended whiskey is typically less expensive and faster to produce when compared to malt or potstill whiskey. Blending allows distillers to create whiskeys with a wide range of flavors as well as maintain consistency from batch to batch.
Waterford Single Farm Origin offers something truly unique in that it is a limited edition made from 100% Irish barley that is grown on individual farms. The flavor of the whiskey is influenced by the soil, microclimate and site that the barley is grown on.
For Irish whiskey cocktails, Lee likes to use Jameson. The quality for the price point is very good, and you can make some fantastic cocktails or Irish coffees with it.
Lee loves to talk about whiskey. If you see him at Eagan Arms Public House, don’t be afraid to ask him about it. If you want to get more in depth, keep an eye on their website for their “Introduction to Irish Whiskey” tastings.