Your Irish Whiskey Cheat Sheet

#1 The first thing to note is that there is an E in Irish Whiskey

Maybe you've noticed it before, but let’s just take a wee moment to help you keep your Es in order with this simple rule: There is an E in the word Ireland, so there is also an E in their Whiskey.

The rule also holds true for the United States, so while there is no E in Scotland, Japan, and Canada the same goes for their Whisky. All clear? Good.

#2 That little 'e' is not the only difference between Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky

A style unique to Irish Whiskey, though not the only production method used in Ireland, is called single pot-still. It's a triple distilled Whiskey, made from a combination of malted and also unmalted barley.

The malted barley that is used is typically (with a few exceptions) dried in closed ovens, so the smoke never gets to influence the taste, whereas in Scotland it's much more common to dry malted barley over the fire and in smoke and then distill it twice.

The differences in the production method influence the flavor profile of the Irish Whiskeys that tend to be lighter and smoother, which makes them very approachable.

MORE HERE >> Scotch Whisky vs. Irish Whiskey: What's the Difference

#3 Types of Irish Whiskey

In the Spirit of the Irish and to make things just a tiddly bit more complicated, not all Irish Whiskeys are of this kind. In fact, 90% of them are a blend of single pot-still and another two types:

• Grain Whiskey - made from corn or wheat, distilled in column stills, and particularly light in style.
• Malt Whiskey - made by distilling malted barley in pot-stills.
  

#4 Good enough for royalty

One of the most famous brand ambassadors for Irish Whiskey was none other than the famous 16th-century flame-head, her majesty Queen Elizabeth I.

Whilst the history of Irish Whiskey goes way, way back, it’s not all blue skies and green fields, but the late 16th century is recorded as definitely one of its bright periods when it became a trendy drink of the English court.