There are numerous presents you can give to the whiskey lover in your life (who could be yourself, and that’s perfectly valid) this Christmas: from whiskey stones made from Connemara Marble, to a good book about the tipple closest to his or her heart (we thoroughly enjoyed Peter Mulryan’s The Whiskeys of Ireland, for example).
If you’re on a budget, a special glass won’t break the bank. This year, we were introduced to the Túath Irish Whiskey Glass, an innovative piece of glassware that was designed with the goal of enhancing the experience of tasting and drinking Irish whiskey, and that will make a lovely stocking filler.
You can also opt to treat others or yourself with an educational and delicious experience. Earlier this year, we published a guide on Irish whiskey tourism with a comprehensive list of distilleries, visitor centres, bars and other locations offering activities where the water of life takes the spotlight. We have teamed up with Do Dublin to offer you a one of a kind tour of Teeling Whiskey Distillery and Jameson Distillery Bow St. You can see the available dates here.
With so many creative options out there, one could almost forget the most obvious gift idea for a whiskey aficionado: a bottle of the good stuff! Because more often than not, the simplest solution is also the best. With this in mind, we have gathered a few of the bottles of Irish whiskey that have captivated our palates throughout the year and that will make wonderful presents this Christmas.
Pearse Lyons The Original Blend
42% ABV
€42.95 – Available at Molloys Liquor Store, L. Mulligan Whiskey shop
Bring a smile to a whiskey lover’s face with a Bottle No. #001. Not just because it’s a little piece of history, but because it contains a lovely drop aged in Bourbon barrels, mellow, citrusy and lightly toasted with a delicate touch of sweet spices.
An approachable whiskey that won’t break the bank.
Heritage D.W.D.
40% ABV
€49.99 – Available at Mitchell & Son, Celtic Whiskey Shop, The Loop
A blast from the past with a very bright future, this newly launched small batch blended whiskey celebrates the prestigious bottles that once came from the old Jones Road Distillery.
Bright and approachable, it has pleasant caramel and vanilla notes, orange peel, and rum & raisins gelato.
Writer’s Tears Red Head Single Malt
46% ABV
€48.99 – Available at Celtic Whiskey Shop, O’Briens Wine, Mitchell & Son, L. Mulligan Whiskey Shop, Irish Whiskey Museum
Matured in oloroso sherry casks and non-filtered, its lightly reddish hues honour its name. One of the best value for quality Irish single malts out there.
Intense and with a nicely balanced presence of yellow tropical fruit, sweet spices, dry apricots and toasted nuts.
Dingle Single Malt Whiskey Batch No. 2
46.5% ABV
€75 – Giftsforhim.ie, Martins Off Licence, L. Mulligan
Kerry’s Dingle Distillery made history by releasing the first Irish whiskey fully made by an independent distillery in decades. This is the second edition of that pivotal launch, with only 6,000 bottles available.
Matured in Bourbon, Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Casks, it feels dry and with warming spice, salted almonds, citrus peel and white pepper.
Glendalough 13 Year Old Single Malt
46% ABV
€75 – Available at Molloys Liquor Store, Celtic Whiskey Shop,
This pioneering Irish craft distillery brings us this classic and balanced small batch single malt aged in Bourbon casks.
Elegant and intense, it regales you with notes of honey, pepper, vanilla, banoffee, preserved lemons and biscuit.
Irishman Founder’s Single Malt Irish Whiskey Florio Marsala Cask Finish
56% ABV
€100 – Available at the Walsh Whiskey Distillery
An Irishman with a Sicilian accent. There are only 320 bottles of this 12 year old, aged in Bourbon barrels and seasoned for a minimum of 12 months in Marsala hogshead casks from the Florio winery in Sicily.
Aromas of flan, vanilla, baked apples, panettone and dried apricots await you.
J.J. Corry The Gael Irish Whiskey
46% ABV
€80 – Available at Celtic Whiskey Shop
This newly launched Irish whiskey is a 60% Malt, 40% Grain blend from a company that proudly embraces its role as a bonder (a person or business that sources whiskeys to blend them and mature to create a unique product).
Smooth, with a nutmeg and gingery spicy kick mellowed by honey, marmalade and fresh mango notes.
Retronaut 17 Year Old Irish Whisky
46% ABV
€120 – Celtic Whiskey Shop, Bradley’s Off Licence, O’Briens
How does a 3 year old distillery launch a 17 year old single malt? The irony is not lost on this time travelling adventurer. However, no laws of physics were bent for this very limited edition (only 1,060 bottles), instead, it’s the first in a series of bottlings of outstanding whiskeys found by Blackwater Distillery’s Director Peter Mulryan.
Teeling Revival IV
46% ABV
€120.00 – Available at Celtic Whiskey Shop
Winner of “Irish Whiskey of the Year” at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2017. There are only 10,000 bottles of this special edition single malt, aged 17 years and finished in Muscat wine barrels.
Smooth and medium bodied, with aromas of pear, caramel, peach and toasted strudel.
Midleton Dair Ghaelach Bluebell Forest
Between 55.30% to 56.30% ABV
€259.99 – Celtic Whiskey Shop, Irish Whiskey Museum, McHugh’s
This single pot still Irish whiskey is the next chapter in Midleton’s Virgin Irish Oak collection, finished in barrels from Irish oak from the Bluebell Forest in Co. Kilkenny, it is a combination of 12 to 23 year old whiskeys.
Each bottle can be traced back to one in six individual trees used for making the barrels. A memorable and luxurious gift to impress.
Gabriela’s passion for writing is only matched by her love for food and wine. Journalist, confectioner and sommelier, she fell in love with Ireland years ago and moved from Venezuela to Dublin in 2014.
Since then, she has written about and worked in the local food scene, and she’s determined to discover and share the different traditions, flavours and places that have led Irish food and drink to fascinate her.
Gabriela Guédez Gabriela Guédez
