Irish Whiskey Tasting

A few weeks ago my friend Bobby and I were talking about whiskey and how you start drinking it and the differences in quality.  That had peaked my curiosity and I wanted to know more.  We both did a little research and I came across an Irish Whiskey tasting class, and it was free! I also figured that it would be interesting to blog about

We headed to The Cellars in Roseville for our class and managed to snag the last few spots. Bobby, Christine, Joe and I grabbed our clipboards and corner and got to taking notes about what we were tasting and how whiskey is made.

The class started out with a history of how whiskey is made and where it is made. Irish Whiskey, is made in Ireland, and can only be made in Ireland. There are only 3 distilleries in all of Ireland and they produce all the brands of Irish Whiskey. Whiskey is made of a blend of wheat, barley, corn and rye if it is a blend and barley only if it is a Single Malt.

What is the difference between Scotch and Whiskey? Scotch is a whiskey but must be made in Scotland and is usually only single malt. Scotch whiskey is also distilled twice while Irish single malt is distilled three times. Why? To change the flavor characteristics.

We tasted 8 kinds of Irish Whiskey, 5 traditional and 3 liquors:

Clontarf Black Label, retails for $27.99

• This was a 6 year blended whiskey

Danny Boy, retails for $27.99

• Blended whiskey

The Irishman “The Clan”, retails for 29.99

• 8-8 1/2 year old blend

The Irishman Single Malt, retails for $51.99

• 11-13 years old, only1000 cases made each year

Knappoque Castle 12 year, retails for $36.99

• #1 selling Irish single malt

Celtic Crossing, retails for $22.99

• A cordial that has honey, toffee and other secret ingredients

Hot Irishman Liqueur, retails for $29.99

• Served with hot water, tastes like darkly roasted coffee

Brady’s Irish Cream, retails $11.99

• Think Bailey’s but even better! Made with single malt and real double cream. Must be refrigerated after opened.

My favorites were the Irishman Single Malt, of course it was since it was the most expensive. Go figure. But surprisingly the two bottles I bought were the Celtic Crossing and the Brady’s. The Celtic Crossing had just a bit of sweetness from the honey and was delicious and how can you go wrong with Irish Cream!

So how should Irish Whiskey be served? Straight up with a bit of water if desired. It is 100% ok to have whiskey over ice but the colder the whiskey the smoother but less flavor you will notice.

But what if you want to mix it? Club soda, tonic, lemon or lime, water and ice. If you are spending that much on a bottle, take the time to sip and enjoy the complexity and flavors.

Hungry and wondering what to pair it with? Being the foodie that I am I had to know what to pair Irish Whiskey with, aged cheese, smoked meats, nuts and foods with rich flavors that will balance the complexity and smokiness that whiskey can have.

This class was so much fun! My whole tasting sheet was covered in notes and I really enjoyed learning about Irish Whiskey and am thinking I could enjoy a small glass occasionally.

Do you drink Scotch or Whiskey? Would your try it?