Page 50 - Thirst Magazine Issue 2 June 2017

IRISH WHISKEY

We’ll start with Ireland, as they are the first to have
made this glorious drink, with a written reference
dating to 1405, when it was recorded that a clan
chief expired after drinking too much. But this is not
a history tour, so let’s focus on Irish Whiskey (they
spell it with the ‘e’) as it stands today. Irish Whiskey
tends to be the lightest and most delicate of all
world whisk(e)y styles with vibrant fresh fruit, floral SCOTCH WHISKY
and grassy notes, partly due to their habit of triple
distillation and their sparing use of peat. There are The Scots soon followed the Irish in producing whisk(e)y,
four types of Irish Whiskey, all of which must be aged though they choose to spell it ‘whisky’, and are probably
in oak for a minimum of three years: the most famous whisky producers in the world. They
are known for a generally richer and bolder style, with
greater use of peat and a tendency towards double
POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY Distilled from rather than triple distillation. They produce five styles,
a mash of at least 30% malted barley, some of which are not very well known.
at least 30% unmalted barley and other
unmalted cereals. It must be distilled
in pot stills such that the distillate SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY Their oldest
has an aroma and taste derived from known style, dating to at least 1494,
the materials used. Examples include and probably earlier, Single Malt must
Green Spot and Redbreast. be made with 100% malted barley, water
and yeast. It must be the product of only
MALT IRISH WHISKEY Made from just one distillery and distilled in pot stills.
malted barley, water and yeast, and Much loved by whisky fanatics around
distilled in pot stills such that the the world, examples include Glenfiddich
distillate has an aroma and taste derived and Laphroaig.
from the materials used. Malt Irish
Whiskey has a distinctive smooth, velvet, SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH WHISKY First created
full and oily texture with a malty and in the 1800s, single grain is again the
sweet taste, which is similar in style to a product of just one distillery, but it
Scotch single malt whisky. Teeling and typically uses a mixture of different
Tullamore Dew produce single malt Irish grains and is distilled in a continuous
Whiskey. still. It is generally a more neutral spirit
that single malt. Examples include
GRAIN IRISH WHISKEY Produced from Haig Club.
malted barley not exceeding 30% and
other whole unmalted cereals like maize, BLENDED MALT WHISKY A mixture of two
wheat or barley. Distilled in column stills or more single malt whiskies with
such that the distillate has an aroma and no single grain whisky. For example,
taste derived from the materials used Monkey Shoulder.
and the column distillation method. It
is comparable to Scotch single grain BLENDED GRAIN WHISKY A mixture of two
whisky. Teeling and Kilbeggan produce or more single grain whiskies with no
single grain Irish Whiskey. single malt whisky. Examples include
Hedonism, and Compass Box.
BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY Mixes of any two
or more of the styles listed above and the BLENDED WHISKY A mixture of one
best known example is Jameson Blended or more single malt whiskies with
Irish Whiskey. one or more single grain whiskies,
this is probably the best-known
whisky category in the world.
Examples include Johnnie Walker,
Chivas Regal and Grants.

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