The spirited revival of Irish whiskey: Read on to find out more about the smooth libation

The amber liquid that is matured in ex-bourbon or rum barrels — for at least three years — once ruled the world of whiskey. Back in the mid-1800s, Ireland had hundreds of distilleries, which, towards the end of the century, exported their pot-distilled whiskey to the farthest reaches of the British empire and the United States, and accounted for a large percentage of global whiskey sales. But the first couple of decades saw the Irish suffer massive reverses even as their neighbours adopted the continuous distilling process, which made their wares, including smoother blended whiskey, cheaper than Irish products. The setbacks included the imposition of Prohibition in America, trade embargoes imposed by the Brits during the Irish independence struggle, the Great Depression, and finally, WW-II. And they never really recovered from it. Today Scotland reportedly sells about 90 million cases a year as compared to the Ireland’s 10 million. But one shouldn’t let Fate’s capriciousness (with regard to the Irish) — and some fantastic marketing by the Scots — influence one’s decisions when it comes to whiskey.

If you are keen on finding out more about Irish whiskey, the ideal way to take the plunge is to pick up a bottle of Jameson or Tullamore Dew, or, perhaps, even Jameson 12-year-old Special Reserve. Other old favourites — and longstanding icons — include Powers, Green Spot, Red Breast and Bushmills. Or, you could turn your gaze towards the newer crop of Irish whiskeys that have bloomed in the country’s verdant landscape over the last ten years, encouraged in all probability by a Millennial affinity for the smooth libation.

Stakeholders in these new, or soon to be operational distilleries include U2 frontman Bono and the boxer Conor McGregor, who’s among the people behind the Proper No. Twelve that was launched last year. The newer bunch of Irish whiskeys all look interesting. There is Clonakilty, which was set up in 2016, Boann, Powerscourt, which makes the Fercullen single malt whiskey, and Dead Rabbit, which takes its name from an Irish American street gang in 1850s New York and is a collab between the popular Dead Rabbit bar in New York and the Dublin Liberties Distillery. And, then, there is Teeling Whiskey Company, which was set up in 2012 and revived a 230-year-old name. Earlier this year at the World Whiskies Awards, their single malt, matured for 21 years in bourbon barrels and then for another three years in Sauterne wine casks, was voted the World’s Best Single Malt. And that, we’d think, is as good a reason as any to pay some serious attention to Irish whiskey.