Confessions Of A (Former) Irish Whiskey Hater

By Anthony Todd in Food on Mar 15, 2016 4:40PM

Photo via Shutterstock.

Rumor has it, my last name used to be O’Lalley. Though my red hair may come from a Walgreens box, there’s plenty of Irish in my family tree. And true to my heritage, I’m a good drinker. But I have a shameful secret: I’m an Irish whiskey hater.

Or at least I thought I was. (More on that in a minute.)

Give me a nice shot of bourbon whiskey—your Buffalo Trace, your Bulleit, your Woodford Reserve—and I’m a happy woman. But Irish whiskey and its cousin Scotch whisky (note that little “e,” or lack thereof - it’s important) have been lost on me. So, the good folks with Teeling Irish Whiskey sent me a tasting pack with samples of their Single Grain, Small Batch and Single Malt whiskeys to try to turn this hater into a fan.

They also connected me via phone to Dublin with their brand ambassador, Kevin Hurley, whose dreamy Irish accent could turn any hater into a fan. “The very first thing you need to know is that the Irish invented whiskey,” Hurley said. “It was definitely the Irish … Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” (In truth, the Irish and Scots continue to fight over who “invented” whiskey/whisky. We’ll probably never know the originator for sure.)

Hurley explained that Prohibition in the United States coupled with Irish independence from Britain all but crushed Irish whiskey sales and production. But Irish whiskey is seeing a rebirth. Sales of the spirit in the United States were less than $1 billion in 2008, but are expected to climb to nearly $3 billion by 2019, according to Euromonitor International. Worldwide Irish whiskey sales are following a similar rocket-like trajectory. New distilleries are opening, such as Teeling and other craft makers like Waterford, Tullamore Dew and Rademon Estate. In fact, there are now 32 new or proposed distilleries across Ireland.

Chicago bars, including GreenRiver, Cherry Circle Room and many others, are starting to take notice with inventive Irish whiskey-based cocktails on their menus.

But back to me and those little samples of Teeling Irish Whiskey. I was scared. I’d had very limited Irish whiskey experiences in the past. Maybe a shot of Jameson in some coffee a couple of times. But I knew I didn’t care for that distinctive musky, smoky flavor. “Come at it with an open mind,” Hurley urged. “There’s a whole world of Irish whiskey. There’s diversity in the category.” He suggested I start with the single grain, then the single malt and, finally, the small batch.

So, I got out my trusty glencairn tasting glass (which usually contains a splash of bourbon) and set to “work” on the single grain. It’s shockingly smooth and rich as butterscotch. The whiskey is aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels from California, which adds a fair bit of fruit flavor. It is, in fact, quite delightful and incredibly drinkable.

I texted my editor: “This Irish whiskey tastes good! Am I drunk? Am I hallucinating? What is wrong with me?” [Editor's note: She actually did]

I was not such a fan of the single malt, however. It’s a blend of whiskeys of different ages, all made with malted barley and aged in five different types of wine barrels. Teeling says it has “character and personality.” To me, it still has that funky, musky whiskey flavor of which I’m not an admirer. (But if you already like Irish whiskey, then this craft version might be just your thing.)

Finally, the small batch version. This one is finished in a rum cask and that sweet, spicy rum flavor is unmistakable. I wonder if this might give a new twist to my tiki cocktails this summer? It is also quite smooth and easy to drink, but with much more spice than the single grain. I don’t think I’d reach for this to sip on, but I suspect it’d make some mighty fine mixed drinks.

Am I an Irish whiskey lover? Not sure I’d go that far yet, but I’m certainly Irish whiskey curious now. Plus, I’ve now mustered the courage to toast St. Patrick’s Day properly.

Slainte!