Bourbon Fan looking into Irish Whiskeys

GreenSpot
YellowSpot
Redbreast 12
Irishman


Others…

Daughter was in Ireland a couple years ago and ran across a Tullemore Dew “finished” release she said was her favorite. Have not been able to find it stateside.

everything listed so far is good stuff

my everyday is tullamore dew and I also really like black bush.

I’ve never been able to get into Irish Whiskey. Probably need to revisit.

But if you are looking to expand from bourbon, Scotch is the way to go.

In the past, I'd dabbled in Irish whiskey, getting bottles like teeling and writer's tears. Those were solid, but stood as nice changes of pace more so than first choices. I started taking it more seriously this year once I tried several in the redbreast line.

Redbreast cask strength stands up to any of the bourbons I've had this year in the under $100 category. With the bourbon craze only getting worse, Irish, Japanese, and Scotch all deserve a look from a value standpoint.

You've got well established,high quality bottles in those categories that are not being snatched up and resold for 3x MSRP. Take advantage of it.

God I hope Irish whiskys never take off.

I love being able to walk into any store, and get the one I want at a reasonable retail price.

Hoarders have ruined bourbon, and scotch has too high of a point of entry.

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GreenSpot

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I have a bottle of this. Not opened yet. Not sure what exactly I am waiting on.

Hello all!

It's been a little while since I did this but I really enjoy putting together lists for beginners to get to know a certain kind of whisky.

I know we have a beginner scotch list put together on /r/whisky and I've done a beginner bourbon list in the past but with St. Patrick's day coming up I wanted to put together a list of what I think are great beginner Irish Whiskys (video linked at the bottom if you'd prefer that over a list)

If you're looking for a bottle to bring to a party that can be enjoyed by all, or if you're looking to learn a bit more about what Irish Whiskey has to offer, then this guide is exactly what you're looking for. I'm including both blends and single pot still whiskeys.

(all prices are from Totalwine.com as they'll vary)

First off, let's start with

Jameson Irish Whiskey - $20 The Bottle

This is the obvious choice, you see it in every bar, it's a solid choice, and you can use them in a boilermaker. Bringing a bottle of this will never be a mistake.

Tullamore D.E.W. : $20 The Bottle

Light and Sweet, Citrusy is what Tullamore Dew is all about. It's very easy to find and the uninitiated can enjoy it on the rocks.

Powers Irish Whiskey - $23 The Bottle

Although Powers is a bit rougher, it's more complex than Jameson. I'd suggest this if the people you're buying this for have had some whiskey before but are looking to expand a bit.

The Sexton - $28 The Bottle

This one tastes good, but I'll be honest... I picked this one because the bottle looks cool and when you're introducing people to whiskey, that's part of the selling point. At $28 it's not a bad investment either.

Bushmills - Black Bush : $29 The Bottle

I specifically picked black bush over some of the other options because of it's time it spends with sherry casks. This can introduce people to something they may never have tried before.

Teeling Whiskey Small Batch - $30 The Bottle

Finished in rum casks, they may give you a familiar flavor profile to what you may already know about rum. It's a higher abv at 46% so it may be a little harsher for some.

Jameson Black Barrel - $32 The Bottle

Jameson makes this list twice because I wanted to point out this great and relatively cheap offering. The flavor profile of this whiskey is fantastic and can be a great introduction to irish whiskey for someone.

Clontarf 1014 - $35 The Bottle

Named after a great battle against the vikings, this whiskey will give a little more bang for your buck over Jameson, but offers a long fruity finish.

Green Spot : $40 The Bottle

This is where we start to really treat ourselves. We may be leaving beginner territory, but even a beginner can appreciate the pepperminty, sweet, creamy flavor of this whiskey.

Red Breast 12 : $40 The Bottle

Lastly, Red breast 12 is another obvious choice. This is the entry to the Red Breast brand. Very different from green spot although at a similar price, you'll get a rich, oily nutty flavor out of this whiskey along with surprising fruit flavors such as melon. If you can sprint for it, this would be a great whiskey to try!

Thanks for reading!

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It's a peated single malt Irish, so almost like a crossover with an Islay Scotch

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Thanks. Another one crossed off my list

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But if you are looking to expand from bourbon, Scotch is the way to go.

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I've tried a few Scotch's, and I do not care for any of the too much. I've actually tried Irish whiskeys and have enjoyed is the reason I asked for them specifically. I hear the Redbreast 12 recommendation a lot though. Might get that and one of the spots for first trial.

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Redbreast cask strength stands up to any of the bourbons I've had this year in the under $100 category. With the bourbon craze only getting worse, Irish, Japanese, and Scotch all deserve a look from a value standpoint.

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value left the station for the Japanese category a while ago

But I'm with you on Redbreast Cask Strength. I have every batch since 2016.