Some Irish whiskies to celebrate St Patrick's Day


March 17, 2025

Some Irish whiskies to celebrate
St Patrick's Day

I know, it’s not exactly original, but sometimes we settle down a bit without even meaning to. We’ll try to have a bit of everything, without going overboard—after all, there are zillions of new Irish brands, and we gave up trying to keep track of them all a long time ago. Fingers crossed for Midleton as well, celebrating its 200th anniversary, though it seems production will be paused from April to summer.

(Grok)

That seems to be the trend everywhere, and what’s happening in the USA probably isn’t helping matters. In any case, support for all distillers, all over the world. That said, the Irish too seem increasingly keen on seasoning their whiskies with wines and other assorted beverages…

Tullamore Dew ‘Cider Cask Finish’ (40%, OB, Irish blend, 50cl, +/-2024?)

A small bottle for €20 in shops, so perhaps not the glory of glories... Colour: gold. Nose: frankly, this is all about very ripe apples, with just a hint of damp cardboard, shortbread, and a touch of vanillin in the background. Perfectly inoffensive, which is already something. Mouth: apple compote, a little white pepper, then green tea and a dusting of cinnamon. Finish: short, with a slight bitterness and an aftertaste reminiscent of certain artisanal meads. A metallic touch, as often found in some entry-level Irish. Comments: quite acceptable if you enjoy well-ripened, even slightly wrinkled apples. Very chilled sparkling water or a few ice cubes should do it some good.
SGP:330 - 75 points.

Green Spot ‘Finished in Zinfandel Château Montelena’ (46%, OB, Irish single pot still, +/-2023)

Here we are in Midleton, with a Green Spot finished in Zinfandel (red) from Napa, California, and not Cabernet Sauvignon as many websites seem to suggest. As we write this, one might wonder whether the proportion of American wine in this whiskey (10%? 15%?) should be deducted from any potential tariffs imposed by D. Trump, should they ever apply to EU whiskies. Incidentally, we rather enjoyed its cousin, the version finished in Léoville Barton (WF 84). Colour: apricot. Nose: no doubt, this is well done, the red fruits don’t come rushing in like a dog in a bowling alley but rather express themselves through bay leaf, peonies, and hints of grenadine and apricot liqueur. Danish pastries, cassata… Mouth: but of course, this is good. Still very much a whiskey, the Zin brings fruitiness and softness rather than any pronounced spice—despite it apparently being French oak. Ripe apple reappears, along with muesli and even a touch of mustard oil. Nice. Finish: fairly long, becoming slightly more bitter at this stage but still very enjoyable. Peach leaves. Comments: we don’t have the Léoville and this Montelena side by side, but we’d say they’re on a similar level.
SGP:541 - 84 points.

Bushmills 10 yo ‘Vino Dulce Reserve’ (43%, OB, Irish single malt, 2024)

They call it ‘Reserve’ but it’s only a finishing. Vino dulce means sweet wine, and we don’t have any further details, except that it was probably Spanish sweet wine, given the spelling. Colour: straw. Nose: cane and agave syrups, then very ripe plums and tinned fruit cocktail. So yes, very, very ‘dulce’, compadre. Mouth: same impression, tinned fruit cocktail with a drizzle of molasses honey. Ultra-soft, feeling closer to 37.5% vol. than 43%. Finish: short, slightly syrupy, almost ointment-like. Comments: perfect for pouring over your… tinned fruit cocktail. Actually, not bad, but it lacks the exotic edge found in many Bushmills malts.
SGP:640 - 79 points.

Gold Spot 13 yo (46%, OB, Irish single pot still, Generations Edition, 2024)

This one’s been partially aged—not just finished—in Recioto della Valpolicella, a very rich Italian wine made from dried grapes, somewhat like passito or certain vins de paille. Not too sure how it differs from Amarone, but let’s move on—our Italian friends will correct us. Right, let’s dive in… Colour: gold with pink hues. Nose: not too far from its green cousin finished in Zinfandel. Soft, fruity, far from the excesses one might expect, more on dried figs, proper meadow honey, then the tropical fruits we were hoping for—ripe banana and tinned pineapple drizzled with butterscotch. Lovely touches of damp plaster and chalk in the background, keeping it from feeling flabby. Mouth: let’s forget how they put this together—it just works. Chocolate with rum-soaked raisins, then dates and figs, before a burst of very, very expressive maple syrup. Worth noting: while it does lean sweet, at no point do you feel the thick red wine itself. Finish: long, more caramelised and spiced. Fruitcake. Comments: I think this is a success.
SGP:751 - 85 points.

Waterford ‘Micro Cuvée Racines’ (50%, OB, Irish single malt, Foundations, 2024)

50% of this baby was aged in ex-red Bordeaux casks, so this isn’t Waterford’s usual ‘cask bill’. Not much news from Waterford lately, but we keep praying to St Emilion and, above all, St Amour for them. May their pause be temporary! (as is the case with so many in the business). Colour: straw. Nose: incredible, the freshness of the barley holds its ground masterfully against the Bordeaux. This is like stepping into a proper bakery (one that actually bakes its own bread) at 5:30 in the morning. Brings back student days—when we weren’t even in bed yet at that hour. Now, we’re already up. Just kidding! With water: still all about barley, barley, and more barley. Mouth (neat): but where’s Waldo? Indeed, where’s the Bordeaux gone? Not that we’re complaining, mind you, as we’re still on fruity bread, with little bits of apricot, pear, and citrus zest. Excellent. With water: little change, except for a tiny saline touch, almost maritime. Finish: same. Lovely bitter notes in the aftertaste. Comments: of course, it’s young, and of course, the Bordeaux cask was a concern—but not anymore. Still, this is to barley what Meursault is to Chardonnay. There.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Dingle 2015/2024 (59.4%, OB, Irish single malt, Kirsch Import, oloroso, 348 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: plenty of porridge, cocoa powder, tapioca, yeast, tobacco, toasted pecans… Doesn’t quite feel like a classic oloroso. With water: coriander and juniper seeds, fresh sawdust, freshly sawn pine wood, sauna oils… Almost like stepping into an Ikea, though in a good way. Mouth (neat): rich, creamy, very spicy, heavily marked by the wood. Cedar, cherrywood, fir, ginger, turmeric… With water: it wakes up to fruit, but the woody spices still rule the game. Finish: remains extreme, still wood-heavy and for quite a while. Comments: not the easiest to grasp, this Dingle—very, very peculiar. But don’t overthink it, it’s probably just me.
SGP:361 - 75 points.

Let's try again...

Dingle ‘Single Malt Small Batch 5’ (46.5%, OB, Irish single malt, bourbon, PX & Madeira, 30,000 bottles, 2020)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: there’s a noticeable woodiness, but the foundation remains on oriental pastries, panettone, orange blossom, honey, sultanas, and fresh barley… Very, very nice! Mouth: yes, this is easier, fairly soft, well-balanced, yet with a deep fruity and pastry-like profile. Apple tart and crème brûlée, with hints of limoncello. Feels like it’s been at least three weeks since we last mentioned limoncello. Finish: rather long, fruity, more on pear liqueur. Apples and a certain woody tannicity return in the aftertaste. Comments: I find this little one very good, and above all, easier than its more imperious woody sibling.
SGP:551 - 83 points.

Teeling 15 yo (50%, OB, Irish single grain, 2023)

A one-year finish in Sauvignon Blanc, and a bottle that looks very bourbon-like in presentation. Let’s hope no one in Europe gets them mixed up. And one has to wonder, at this point, whether Irish whisky can hold its own without the widespread use of wine casks of all kinds. Colour: pale gold. Nose: a lovely grain that reminds us of a little of old Lochside ‘grain’, very citrusy and vanilla-forward, then we have honeysuckle. You’ll say honeysuckle is abundant in Sauvignon Blancs like Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, and you’d be right. With water: coconut water and vanillin. Bad news. Mouth (neat): really lacks body here, like many grains, even the better ones—unless they’ve aged in top-tier sherry casks. Not my thing at all, this flabbiness and ‘empty’ feel. With water: hello? A few traces of wood, very vanilla-heavy. Finish: very short. Comments: I owe Teeling an apology for picking this poor grain to taste on St Patrick’s Day, when we still have so many wonderful Teeling malts left to try properly. We’ll make up for it soon, promise—cross my heart...
SGP:520 - 65 points.

Right, let's step it up...

Knappogue Castle 20 yo 2002/2022 (51.9%, LMDW Singapore, Ex-Libris, ‘Invisible Harps’, Irish single malt, cask #61910)

Matured in French oak from the Tronçais forest and finished in a sherry butt. Sherry butts are okay, right. It’s been ages since aficionados split into two camps—those who believe these superb Knappogue Castles are Bushmills, and those who think they’re Cooley. Last we heard, they’re still arguing, but we have our own little idea. By the way, the name of this bottling refers to a major work by Salvador Dalí… or so we imagine. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a sublime mango, banana, and pear cake, 50%/50%/50%, all drizzled with a honey and Sauternes sauce. Pure indulgence. With water: fresh-cut hay, chamomile, sunflower oil, chickpeas, and damp earth appear. Mouth (neat): Williams pear takes the lead. That usually suggests youth, but not here. Then come avocado, papaya, and guava, blended into a fresh purée over ice. Got a straw? With water: little change, except for a touch of greenness layering on top. Pear and peach skins. Finish: not very long, but always on those knockout Williams pears. Comments: not much to add.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

By the way, can you have an Irish session without Redbreast?

Redbreast 25 yo 1997/2024 (57.6%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, cream sherry butt finish, cask #14143, 534 bottles)

This has been ‘hand selected,’ you understand—no AI required, not even some MS-Excel sheet. By the way, ‘cream’ sherries are what some used to call ‘sweet oloroso,’ essentially olorosos softened with PX. Some finos are also fortified with mosto/paxarette, but that’s probably not the case here. Colour: deep gold. Nose: you can tell right away that water will be needed—at this stage, it’s oddly leafy and rather blocked. With water: there it is—damp earth, mushrooms, walnuts, an old wine cellar, ancient casks, a touch of saltpetre, Maggi, lovage… all that. Mouth (neat): hints of gunpowder, black pepper from the pepper mill… Water feels essential here as well. With water: no kidding! The gunpowder note remains, but now comes a procession of dried fruits and earthy notes. We’re deep into sherry territory here, much closer to Andalusia than to County Cork. Finish: Chinese black mushrooms, espresso, and bitter chocolate. That gunpowder note lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: more of a fighter than a civilised, easy-going Redbreast that strokes you the right way. Love it or hate it—we love it.
SGP:462 - 89 points.

Bushmills 32 yo 1991/2024 (43.4%, Lucky Choice & The Auld Alliance, barrel, cask #8393, 96 bottles)

Blimey, a 32-year-old Bushmills! Back then, it was still distilled by Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard, I imagine… Colour: pale gold (!?). Nose: this is Jamaican rum, perhaps an extremely old Appleton. Banana and mango juice mixed with olive oil, essence, and linseed oil. In short, utterly sublime. Mouth: great Scott, could you please summon both the anti-rumoporn battalion and the anti-maltoporn brigade immediately? To be clear, there’s a bit of wood at the start (black tea-ish), but then come waves of oils (rapeseed, olive) and, above all, stewed exotic fruits, which carry everything away—especially as we’re once again catapulted to Jamaica, with tar, black olives, a touch of solvent, and even seawater and clams. Bonkers. Finish: long, increasingly saline, maritime, and varnishy. Crazy. The aftertaste is more bitter, but who cares. Comments: with spirits like these, what happens after 30 has little to do with what happens before. indeed, a gratuitous statement, but aren’t we living in the post-truth era anyway? In any case, as George Costanza rightly said, it’s not a lie if you believe it.
SGP:571 - 92 points.

Well, happy St Pat’! While we’ve enjoyed some fine Irish whiskies today, you may have also noticed that, along the way, we’ve had cream sherry, PX, Madeira, oloroso, Valpolicella, vino dulce, zinfandel, cider, and… bourbon. That’s right.

Check the index of all Irish whiskies we've tasted so far