Irish Whiskey

Who was born first, Scotch whiskey or Irish whiskey? We will probably never know the answer, and in the end it is not even of fundamental importance.
What interests us here is to talk about the many characteristics that make Irish whiskey unmistakable.

The differences, apart from the name, begin with the raw material. In Ireland historically, unmalted barley can be used in addition to wheat, rye, oats and maize - this makes the whiskey fresher and softer than in Scotland. The oats, when present, are crushed rather than ground: at the end of the brew the wort is passed through the skins to the bottom of the vat for a more intense flavour.

Both blended and single malts are produced in Ireland, but the typical Irish whiskey is Pot Still Irish Whiskey, made from a blend of unmalted and malted barley, both of which are present at a minimum of 30%.

Also widespread is triple distillation, which has now almost completely disappeared in Scotland. Distilling often means purifying, and so an extra cycle of distillation leads to a 'white' distillate that is edgeless and elegant.

Peat is present in Ireland as it is in Scotland, and not everyone knows that until the early 1900s many Irish whiskeys contained malted barley with peat smoke.

Over the years this technique was lost and today there are very few peat-smoked Irish whiskeys.

However, a new generation of distillers has blossomed in Ireland, with the number of distilleries increasing from less than 10 to 40 within a decade. Distilleries that are often artisanal, capable of recovering traditions but also innovating, yet all oriented towards quality rather than quantity.