What makes Irish whiskey, Irish whiskey? It’s more than just being produced on the island of Ireland! Today, we’ll explore what literally goes into making this spirit, how pot and column stills play its role, as well as the rules and regulations that must abided. Whether you’re a seasoned whiskey connoisseur or a curious newcomer, join us on this journey to discover what makes Irish whiskey so special.
The Grains of Irish Whiskey
Along with Scotch whiskey, Irish whiskey can be made from a mash of malted and unmalted grains, with malted barley at the helm of production, chosen for its rich source of starch and presence of endogenous (internally contained) enzymes needed for the conversion of grain into a fermentable sugar.
Other grains, such as corn, rye, and unmalted barley, need to be cooked and then either mixed with malted barley or externally sourced enzymes to prepare the mash for fermentation. This latter process is most common with American whiskeys, and explains why “mash bill” is such an important term there.
The Stillness of Irish Whiskey
The use of unmalted barley is also very common in Irish whiskey production so it is worth considering alongside the use of both pot and column stills, when discussing this type of whiskey.
To note, pot stills distill to a lower alcoholic strength and retain more flavour, but require delicate handling to prevent the inclusion of undesirable flavour compounds. On the other hand, column stills distill to a higher alcoholic strength but may strip some desirable flavours.
Rules and Regulations
While there are some key differences between Irish whiskey and Scotch production, many of the legal regulations are actually identical:
a maximum distillation strength of less than 94.8%
maturation in wooden vessels with a maximum capacity of 700L maturation for a minimum of three years
a minimum bottling strength of 40%
a restriction to only caramel colour and water as additives
Author Kamran Ahmed: Kam began his journey with JAK's in 2018. He worked seasonally in liquor retail for nearly a decade while pursuing a Master's in Cinema before realizing that beer, whisky, and wine were more interesting. He has WSET Level 3 in both wines and spirits, is a Prud'homme certified Beer Sommelier, and is a certified Whisky Ambassador. Outside of JAK's, find him at the Cinematheque, a local brewery, or a dog trail with his pupper, Charlie!