Irish Whiskey

12th Century

• one of earliest distilled drinks in Europe

• Irish monks brought the technique of distilling perfumes back to Ireland around 1000 AD

• Older known record is 1405 in the Irish Annals of Clonmacnoise

1556

• widespread, law was passed by English Parliament which mad it illegal for anyone other than the peers, gentleman, and freeman of larger towns to distill spirits without license from the Lord Deputy

• Law only extended to the Pale so had little to no effect on whiskey production

1608

• King James 1 granted license to Sir Thomas Phillips, land owner in Bushmills County Antrim

• Old Bushmills Distillery uses this fact to claim they are the oldest surviving distiller in the world

• 1661 government introduced tax on whiskey production in Britain and Ireland, led to the illlicit and licit production of whiskey

• Whiskey produced by registered distilleries were known as Parliament Whiskey

• Whiskey produced illicitly was known as Poitin

Parliament Whiskey

Whiskey produced by registered distilleries

Poitin Whiskey

Whiskey produced illicitly, term for small pot in reference to the small pot stills used by the illicit distillers

18th Century

• deman grew significantly, and producers prioritized quantity over quality

• Prompted parliament to pass law in 1759 that prohibits distiller form using any ingredient other than malt, grain, potatoes, or sugar in production and prohibiting use of several unsavory ingredients

• Ireland was still the largest spirit market in the UK, Dublin emerges as major distilling center

• By 1823 Dublin boasted the five largest distillers, largest being Roe’s Thomas Street Distillery, with output exceeding 2 million gallons per year

• Four largest: John Jameson, William Jameson, John Powers, and George Roe

Largest producer in 18th century

Roe’s Thomas Street Distillery

Four largest Dublin distilling firms in 18th century

John Jameson, William Jameson, John Powers, and George Roe

1832

• Invention of Coffey Still, led to Ireland’s Great Famine in the 1840s

• Irish War of Independence followed by civil war and trade war with Britain, along with the prohibition in the US

• This led to decline of Irish Whiskey

1997

• British historian, Alfred Barnard published his account of distilleries in Britain and Ireland

• Only 28 distilleries in operation

• 1960s, only a few remaining, and in 1966 only three remaining (John Jameson, Powers, and Cork Distilleries company)

• These banded together under name Irish Distillers

• 1972 Bushmills joined Irish Distillers so there were only two whiskey distilleries operation in Ireland

• New Middleton Distillery and the Old Bushmills Distillery

Geography

Ireland does not have GI like Scotland, but possesses rich history and many well known brands that are subjected to strict standards and regulations

October 2015

• Set of technical standards implemented in accordance with the EU requirements for PGI status of Irish whiskey. Standards expand on Whiskey Act of 1980

• must be bottled in Ireland, or if not it must be shipped off island in inert bulk containers and subject to company controls and strict verification to ensure safety and integrity of the product

• not allowed to be exported from Ireland in any type of wooden containers

Original and Updated requirements

• distilled in Ireland from mash of cereal grains

• Must be distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8%

• Distilled so the distillate has aroma and flavor derived from materials used

• No additives except for water and caramel coloring

• Stored in wooden casks (not to exceed 185 gallons) for min of 3 years

• Bottled in Ireland, ir not bottled in Ireland, must be shipped off the island in inert bulk containers and subject to company controls and strict verification to ensure safety and integrity

• Not allowed to be exported in any type of wooden container

Irish Malt

• must be made from 100% malted barley, with wort separated from solids before fermentation

• Pot stills

• Traditional process uses smaller pot stills to encourage complex flavors and full oily texture, but no requirements

• Traditionally triple-distilled but double distillation may be used

• Bushmills Single Malt, Irishman Single Malt, Tyrconnel Single Malt

Irish Grain

• Produced from mash containing a maximum of 30% malted barley

• Remainder is made up of unmalted cereal grains, typically maize, wheat or barley

• Typically does not undergo any separation of the solids from the liquids before distillation

• Continuously distilled using column stills

• Light of full flavor, depending on cut points

• Typically used in blends - one exception is Cooley Distillery which is a single grain small batch, Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Irish Pot Still

• required to be produced using mash containing a minimum of 30% malted barley, and minimum of 30% unmalted barley

• Remainder may be malted or unmalted barley and may include up to 5% other unmalted cereal grains

• Wort is separated from solids before fermentation

• must be pot stills

• Traditional practice is triple distillation in large pots, but double may be used

• Traditional product only produced by a few distilleries that was first produced as a result of an excise tax on Irish malt introduced in 1600s

• Redbreast, Green Spot, Jameson 15 year old Pure Port Still Whiskey

Blended

• Blend of two or more different whiskey types which must be made in accordance with standards in each type

• Blends can include Irish malt whiskey, grain whiskey, and or pot still whiskey.

• May be chosen from different distilleries, ages, types of cask finish, and flavor profiles

• Tends to be smooth and mellow with range of flavors, and light silky mouthfeel

• Jameson, Black Bush, Bushmills, Paddy and Tullamore DEW

Factors that influence aromas and flavors of Irish whiskey

• Non-pleated Malt

• Grain Recipe

• Distillation

• Maturation

Non-Peated Malt

• most notable about Irish Whiskey

• Irish producers traditionally use non-pleated malt

• Considered smoother and less smoky than Scotch

Grain Recipe

• combination of malted and unmalted barley as well as some other unmalted grains

• Gives a unique leathery flavor

Distillation

• traditionally triple distilled, modern rule does not have this requirement

• Irish malt whiskey and Irish pot still whiskey must be distilled in pot stills but may utilize triple distillation

• Irish grain whiskey is required to be distilled in column stills

• No requirement for shape of still, size of still, cut points, or other operation techniques

Maturation

• required to be aged in Ireland, in wooden casks, for at least 3 years

• Many are matured as long as 7 to 8 years before being bottled and shipped

• May use new or used wooden casks, but used casks are traditional choice

• New standards mention the casks that were previously used to store Madeira, Sherry, Port, or Bourbon will produce more complex and balanced spirit that will not be overpowered by wood extract and tennis