Single Malt

Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Single malt Irish whiskey is a superb category comprising many long-standing and new brands. Although Ireland’s most popular whiskey, such as Redbreast, Midleton VR or Powers Johns Lane, tend to be single pot still whiskey, the single malt category has always been hugely important to the country’s diverse whiskey industry.

Irish single malt tends to be smoother, fruitier and sweeter than the Scottish or Japanese equivalent. It is also traditionally triple-distilled, which is one of the main reasons the whiskey that emerges from Ireland has this softer, more rounded appeal.  However, several well-known names are double-distilling, which is more common in Scotland and Japan. 

One of the best-known and best-selling Irish single malt whiskies is Bushmills Distillery, which has a wide and varied range of aged single malts.  Since it is the oldest licenced distillery in the world, it has centuries of experience and offers some incredibly smooth and flavoured pours. Bushmills 30-year-old, for example, is a terrific release and represents one of the older whiskeys to have been distilled at the Northern Ireland whiskey maker’s home. Matured in bourbon barrels and sherry butts for 14 years, it is then transferred to the Pedro Ximenez for a further 16 years. This long and complex maturation creates a deeply flavoured, velvety texture that is unbeatable in their range. But Bushmill’s much younger single malts are hugely popular, too. Bushmills 10-year-old single malt is one of the most easily found bottles on shelves but is considered a wonderful Irish single malt release. It also has siblings of 14-, 16-, 21- and 25-year-old single malts.

Newer entrants to the Irish single malt whiskey scene are working hard to keep up with Bushmills’ dominance. The Shed Distillery at Drumshanbo in Co Leitrim is a young but dominant player that has produced a range of excellent Irish whiskey pours, including the Drumshanbo Single Malt Galanta Release. Entirely matured in ex-bourbon, this triple-distilled single malt creates an outstanding balance of honey, toasted nuts and sweet apples. It has a long lingering finish that belies its non-age statement labelling.

Another great entrant in this category is The Irishman Single Malt 17. This delicious whiskey from Walsh Whiskey in Co Carlow is a massive hit with fans. Bottled at 56%, this limited edition annual release is entirely matured in oloroso sherry casks. Just three casks are created each year to maintain the exclusive edge that this extra-mature release offers. 

Teeling is a leader in the new wave of Irish single malt production, and their Teeling 32-year-old single malt is a perfect case in point.  Part of their Teeling Reserve Collection, this superior Irish single malt is a triumph and is produced in very small numbers each year. 

Other new whiskey makers with terrific single malts include Roe & Co with the Solera range. The Northern Ireland-based Two Stacks offers the Two Stacks Double Barrel Single Malt. This is an excellent example of a double-distilled single malt from the independent Co Down whiskey maker.