IRISH WHISKEY

“We don’t rush our whiskey – so why should you”

IRISH WHISKEY

We don’t rush our whiskey – so why should you
What Irish whiskey do we use?
We only use the very best

Our Irish whiskeys have been hand selected by the best in the business. Each whiskey was chosen so you get to taste the highest quality whiskey we have available here in Ireland.

You will get to sample beautiful Irish whiskeys from brands such as Jameson, Bushmills, Powers and also someone unknown gems like Green Spot, Knappoque and Teeling.

We have partnered with irishmalts.com to give our clients the chance to buy their favourite Irish whiskey before or after their whiskey experience with us. Great selection and great international shipping rates.


Which Irish whiskey do we use?
“We only use the best”

Our Irish whiskeys have been hand selected by the best in the business. Each Irish whiskey on our tours was chosen so you get to taste the highest quality whiskeys we have here in Ireland.

You will get to sample beautiful Irish whiskeys from brands such as Jameson, Bushmills, Powers and also someone unknown gems like Green Spot, Knappoque and Teeling.

We have partnered with irishmalts.com to give our clients the chance to buy their favourite Irish whiskey before or after their whiskey experience. They have a great selection of Irish whiskey and great international shipping rates.


What is Irish whiskey made from?
“6 ingredients – endless possibilities”
BARLEY

Barley is the primary ingredient in Irish whiskey. All barley used is grown in Ireland. We use unmalted barley in Ireland to make our whiskey.

WATER

Water is essential in whiskey making. It is used in every stage of the process and is purified before it is used.

YEAST

Whiskey yeast typically ferments at a hotter temperature, tends to be more efficient than brewer’s yeast and is faster at fermentation.

COPPER

Copper stills are used in Irish whiskey because the copper reacts on a molecular level & eliminates sulfur in the mix – which sticks to the side of the pot still. 

WOOD

All Irish whiskey has to be aged in wooden barrels for at least 3 years. After that time they are usually aged for more time in ex sherry & ex port barrels.

TIME

The last ingredient in Irish whiskey is time. It has a huge part to play. If you ever taste a Redbreast 21, you can taste the passing of years.

How do you make whiskey?
“it takes dedication & craft to make whiskey”
FIRST STAGE

The first step in making Irish whiskey is to malt the barley. Dry barley is steeped in warm water to induce germination. As the grains begin to sprout, they’re removed from the water and left to germinate. The barley’s maltase enzymes then begin to break down the grain’s stored starches into sugars.  At this stage, the barley is dried in a kiln to stop the grain from growing and using up all the sugars that will become the whiskey’s alcohol. Some Scotch whiskeys are renowned for their peaty taste, which they acquire from phenols produced when slow-burning peat is used to dry the malted barley.

THIRD STAGE

The next, and in our opinion the most important step is to place the distilled spirit in an oak cask for at least 3 years and a day. The cask can be ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, Madeira, and every other combination you can imagine. The oak in the barrel reacts with the spirit and imparts flavours into the liquid. The length of time is up to the distillery and what flavour profile they are reaching for.

SECOND STAGE

The malted barley is now mixed with yeast and water to start fermentation. After about a day and a half of fermentation, the resulting mixture is called wort. After this stage the whisky distiller does as the name implies – they distill the low-alcohol brew into a high-proof spirit.  Depending upon the whisky, this spirit may go through multiple distillations. While American whiskies are usually distilled only once, Scotch whiskies are typically double distilled, and Irish whiskies are distilled three times.

 

FOURTH STAGE

The last stage before you get to enjoy Irish whiskey is undertaken by the master blender. Their job is to marry different flavour profiles together, from different casks to either replicate a favourite whiskey, or create a new and exciting whiskey for the market. After that it’s just the easy step of pouring yourself a beautiful dram of Irish whiskey, sitting back and taking in the whole process in your glass.

How do you make whiskey?
“it takes dedication & craft to make whiskey”
FIRST STAGE

The first step in making Irish whiskey is to malt the barley. Dry barley is steeped in warm water to induce germination. As the grains begin to sprout, they’re removed from the water and left to germinate. The barley’s maltase enzymes then begin to break down the grain’s stored starches into sugars.  At this stage, the barley is dried in a kiln to stop the grain from growing and using up all the sugars that will become the whiskey’s alcohol. Some Scotch whiskeys are renowned for their peaty taste, which they acquire from phenols produced when slow-burning peat is used to dry the malted barley.

SECOND STAGE

The malted barley is now mixed with yeast and water to start fermentation. After about a day and a half of fermentation, the resulting mixture is called wort. After this stage the whisky distiller does as the name implies – they distill the low-alcohol brew into a high-proof spirit.  Depending upon the whisky, this spirit may go through multiple distillations. While American whiskies are usually distilled only once, Scotch whiskies are typically double distilled, and Irish whiskies are distilled three times.

 

THIRD STAGE

The next, and in our opinion the most important step is to place the distilled spirit in an oak cask for at least 3 years and a day. The cask can be ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, Madeira, and every other combination you can imagine. The oak in the barrel reacts with the spirit and imparts flavours into the liquid. The length of time is up to the distillery and what flavour profile they are reaching for.

FOURTH STAGE

The last stage before you get to enjoy Irish whiskey is undertaken by the master blender. Their job is to marry different flavour profiles together, from different casks to either replicate a favourite whiskey, or create a new and exciting whiskey for the market. After that it’s just the easy step of pouring yourself a beautiful dram of Irish whiskey, sitting back and taking in the whole process in your glass.

How long does it take?
“3 years and a day is the only way”
Ingredients
Hours Distilling
Hours malting
Hours Fermenting
Days in barrel
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