It may seem odd for a distillery to label something a “mistake.” Wild Turkey’s Forgiven, a supposedly accidental blend of bourbon and rye, may have started the trend over a decade ago, but since then other happy hiccups have brought us all kinds of different and delightful whiskeys. It made for good marketing back when… The post Review: Natterjack Irish Whiskey The Mistake appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Irish whiskey powerhouse Bushmills has offered a 10-year-old age-stated single malt for decades, but somehow, we’re just now getting around to reviewing it. A snazzy new package refresh in recent years helped bring this oversight to our attention, so without further ado. This is the youngest and simplest of the Bushmills core range, showcasing a… The post Review: Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey 10 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Redbreast added a 21-year-old to its core, age-stated range in 2013 and followed that lofty offering with an even more luxe 27-year-old in 2020, leaving most cost-conscious fans of the brand (who like numbers on their bottles) with only the entry-level 12-year-old and increasingly expensive 15-year-old expressions to choose from. In September, Redbreast closed that yawning price… The post Review: Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 18 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Minnesota-based Keeper’s Heart built its early reputation by blending Irish and American whiskeys, or as the company says, “melding Irish and American whiskey traditions.” They followed up some early attention with several more straightforward releases, including a 10 year old Irish single malt we called “restrained but elegant.” Under the guidance of Brian Nation —… The post Review: Keeper’s Heart Irish Single Malt Finished in Tokaji Barrels 21 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Irish spirits — whiskey in particular — is one of the fastest growing liquor categories in America. U.S.-based sales of Irish whiskey are up over 90 percent in the last decade. Much of that growth comes from major brands like Jameson and Bushmills, but dozens of new labels are gaining market share as well as… The post Inside Bord Bia, Ireland’s Big Global Spirits Push appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

The Spot Whiskeys introduced a new hue, Gold Spot, back in 2022 in celebration of the 135th anniversary of the Mitchell family’s entrée into the whiskey bonding trade. At the time, it wasn’t clear if that was a line extension for the Irish whiskey heavyweights or just a one-off, but now we know. The Spots… The post Review: Gold Spot Irish Whiskey Generations Edition 13 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Exciting things are happening at Clonakilty in County Cork, Ireland, and I recently had a chance to learn about them when I sat down again with Padraic Coll, co-founder of the Clonakilty Distillery, as well as Master Distiller Oisin Mulcahy. Meeting at the Hugh O’Neill’s Pub in Malden, Massachusetts, they informed me that Clonakilty has… The post Review: Clonakilty Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Waterford first established its reputation producing whiskeys made with barley drawn from individual farms in Ireland, creating a brand new whiskey category: “Single Farm Origin.” Then, in 2020, they produced their first blend, Organic Gaia 1.1, and in 2022 The Cuvée. Today we try their newest blend, which their website notes is “the apogee of… The post Review: Waterford Distillery Cuvee Koffi appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Irish whiskey darling Redbreast now has two different special release ranges delivering periodic additions to the portfolio: the Iberian Series and the American Oak Series. The latter kicked things off in 2023 with Kentucky Oak Edition, a standout debut that saw Redbreast finished in virgin casks made from oak harvested from a single farm in… The post Review: Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Missouri Oak Edition appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Teeling’s third installment in its Wonders of Wood series — following Chinkapin Oak and Portuguese Oak — is here, and the Irish distillery is turning to its most northern wood source yet: Sweden. WOW #3 is a single pot still whiskey (as usual) that is aged in virgin Swedish white oak. (All three whiskeys in… The post Review: Teeling Single Pot Still Virgin Swedish Oak Irish Whiskey appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more