Irish whiskey is having a moment — what are you drinking?

February 3, 2026

I've been a bourbon guy for years, but Irish whiskey has been quietly blowing me away lately. It feels like the category has moved well beyond Jameson (no shade — Jameson is great for what it is) into genuinely complex, interesting territory. Three bottles that converted me recently: **Redbreast 12** — The one everyone recommends for a reason. Pure pot still, rich, creamy, with stone fruit and toasted oak. It drinks like a $70+ scotch but costs $60. **Green Spot** — Single pot still, lighter and more approachable than Redbreast but with this gorgeous orchard fruit (green apple, pear) character. About $50 and dangerously drinkable. **Teeling Single Grain** — Aged in California Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Wine-finished whiskey is either brilliant or gimmicky, and this one is brilliant. Red fruit, vanilla, a dry tannic finish. $35 and genuinely unique. What Irish whiskeys are you all into? Especially interested in anything beyond the usual suspects.

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Replies (3)

SS Sippin' SarahFeb 3, 2026

Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. If you love the regular 12, the cask strength version turns everything up to 11. Same flavor profile but richer, more intense, and the finish goes on forever. It's around $85-90 but worth every penny. One of the best whiskeys I've ever had, full stop — not just "for Irish whiskey."

WW Whiskey WandererFeb 4, 2026

Writer's Tears Copper Pot. Around $35, it's a blend of single pot still and single malt that has this beautiful honey-vanilla-ginger thing going on. It's lighter than Redbreast but more interesting than Jameson. Perfect for someone dipping their toes into Irish whiskey without committing to a $60 bottle. Also: Powers John's Lane 12 Year. Pure pot still, serious complexity, about $55. It's criminally underrated.

RR Rye RachelFeb 4, 2026

Method and Madness Single Grain, finished in virgin Hungarian oak. Irish Distillers' experimental range is doing some wild things. The Hungarian oak gives it these unusual spice and dried fruit notes that you don't get from American or French oak. Around $45 and totally unlike anything else in my cabinet.