Ireland has for long been known as a leading producer of fine whiskey, with popular humour even stating that God created whiskey to prevent the Irish from ruling the world. The country has such a long-standing whiskey culture that in the early years of the 20th Century, it was producing 90% of all the whiskey consumed around the world.
Those figures took a great tumble in the mid years of that century as unscrupulous traders smuggled low-quality whiskey dubbed in Irish branding during the years when prohibition was common. Those who had tasted first grade Irish whiskey still remained loyal, however, and brands from Dublin and its environs remain popular today.
This popularity has grown consistently over several decades now. Here are some brands that do not sit on liquor store shelves wherever you go:
Arguably the most popular Irish whiskey outside Ireland. The Jameson brand has definitely made a great deal of effort to market and publicise itself, but it would not have had such great success if it was not so smooth.
The green-bottle branded drink is aged for 12 years, earning itself the tag ‘special reserve.’
This gold-coloured drink is a blend of grain and single malt whiskies which are then aged together in casks. The whiskey draws its name from a gang that roamed the streets of New York in the 1800s, but there’s nothing terrorizing about it.
The packaging is a simple yet stylish bottle and the smell is one you will definitely want to savour.
Slane is marketed as a triple-casked whiskey due to the presence of sherry, virgin, and seasoned casks. It is well loved for its easy blend with other spirits and a classy looking black bottle that delivers the liquid happiness.
This is the whiskey of balance. It is made mainly out of red fruit then matured for a solid 15 years. The end result is a velvety drink with just enough oak taste to make it a whiskey and perfect fruity taste.
The stout bottle in which it is contained definitely does not do it justice.
You can never be comfortable in a shoe that does not fit you properly. No matter how attractive it looks on the outside, it is bound to cause you discomfort. You have to get your right fit for you to enjoy the while.
Similarly, you are not well-fitted with Irish whiskey until you have tasted Powers.
The patient aging of Irish whiskey results in their smoothness, something that makes them popular among drinkers all over the world. Their ability to make fine cocktails is a big plus too. So long as you do not fall for a bootlegger, you are in for a good time with any of the whiskeys above.