CHEERS TO A REBIRTH

Mike Bennie is in high spirits as he celebrates the thrilling revival of Ireland’s once-famed whiskey industry.

CONNEMARA PEATED SINGLE MALT, $95

From the famed Cooley Distillery, this is a rarity for Ireland, as it’s peated and challenges the orthodoxy on Irish whiskey. It’s potent with earthy undergrowth and briar scents of peat. There’s a firm texture and yet a toasty, mellow feel across the palate. Excellent.

JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY, $40

I often like having a small glass of whiskey alongside a beer, and Jameson’s standard release seems to be an easy bedfellow for just about any style of beer. Its sweet-but-smooth, warming-without-heat, easy-to-drink sipping style wins me over so often.

GLENDALOUGH 13-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALT, $135

One of Ireland’s new breed of distillers, Glendalough is one of my ‘new favourites’, offering freshness yet enough depth to satisfy the long, slow drinking it deserves. A spicy yet fruity whiskey with succulence and warmth on its side.

REDBREAST 15-YEAROLD SINGLE POT STILL, $199

This whiskey spends time in old sherry and American oak barrels, so packs a bold punch out of the glass. No wallflower, it’s heady with complex nut and honey characters, as well as ginger and spice overlaid on treacle flavours. Lavish style here.

BUSHMILLS 10-YEAROLD SINGLE MALT, $60

Way back in my early learning, my dad, a home-whiskey expert, let me have a sip of a really special Bushmills aged whiskey. The smoothness and depth of flavour stayed with me forever. This is ‘entry level’, but no less outstanding for it.

JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY SMOOTH DRY & LIME PRE-MIX, $6

Okay, okay, a lot of the pre-mixed drinks out there in the market are a bit underdone, but this blend of dry ginger ale and lime is pretty refreshing, nicely spicy and has a smooth Jameson kick. Easy access, easy drinking.

AN UNPOPULAR DINNER table topic in any Scottish person’s home is how the Irish invented whiskey, when missionary monks, returned from the Mediterranean, taught the Irish the art of distillation from grains.

Whatever history might say, there’s definitive evidence of the rise and fall of Irish whiskey. By the late 19th century there were 88 licensed distilleries in Ireland, and it’s claimed that even up to the early 20th century it was one of the world’s most-drunk alcohols. Then a confluence of events – Prohibition in America, English sanctions and economic downturn – left just three distilleries standing.

A second unpopular conversation at a Scottish person’s house is how Irish whiskey is smoother than Scotch. And a third must be how Irish whiskey’s rebirth threatens Scotland’s place as the premier producer of whiskies in the British Isles.

The thing is, for pure drinking, Irish whiskey has it in spades. It’s typically smoother, lighter and ‘fresher’, so to speak. It’s known for its mellowness in personality and softness of aromas and flavours. Usually, Irish whiskey distillers look to subtler oak inclusion and, by and large, don’t use the smoke influence of peat.

Irish whiskey’s rebirth is thrilling. There are now around 16 distilleries operating, with a dozen or so in the planning stages. The culture feels brave and experimental, anchored in canny production and an artisan approach that celebrates smaller batches and some unusual use of barrels.

I like Irish whiskey straight up or on the rocks, and I’m loving exploring all the nuances of these revivalist distillery personalities. I’m also loving it in highballs, dosed up with soda water and a wedge of lime. But an Emerald, a blend of whiskey, sweet vermouth and orange bitters, is my go-to right now. Then again, a splash of good Irish whiskey in a hot coffee with Irish cream liqueur also hits the spot… Visit delicious.com.au for exclusive video content from Mike on Irish whiskey.