Best Irish Whiskey: 10 Bottles That Aren't Jameson
The captain's log carries a different tone when we make port in Ireland. The air is softer, the welcome warmer, and the whiskey — God help you if you spell it without the 'e' over here — has undergone a transformation that would have seemed impossible twenty years ago.
Irish whiskey nearly died. By the 1980s, the entire country had just two working distilleries: Midleton DistillerySouth IrelandToursShop and Old Bushmills DistilleryNorthern IrelandToursShop. Two. For an island that once had over a thousand. But the last decade has seen an extraordinary revival — there are now over 40 distilleries either operational or in development across Ireland, and the quality pouring out of them is staggering.
Jameson is fine. It is perfectly pleasant, wildly popular, and responsible for introducing millions of people to Irish whiskey. But if Jameson is all you have tried, you have been standing in the hallway and calling it the whole house.
The Single Pot Still Icons
Single pot still is Ireland's unique contribution to world whisky — a mix of malted and unmalted barley distilled in copper pot stills. The result is a creamy, spicy texture you cannot get any other way.
Midleton
Redbreast 12 Year Old
The benchmark. Toasted bread, sherry fruit, warm baking spice, and that unmistakable pot still creaminess. Every sip reveals another layer — dried fruit, green herbs, a touch of citrus zest. If someone asks what single pot still means, hand them this bottle and stop talking.
Buy on Master of MaltRedbreast comes from Midleton DistillerySouth IrelandToursShop, the same enormous distillery that produces Jameson, Powers, and a dozen other brands. Midleton's versatility is extraordinary — their pot stills can produce wildly different spirits depending on how they are run.
Midleton
Green Spot
Originally made exclusively for Mitchell & Son wine merchants in Dublin, Green Spot is pot still whiskey at its most elegant. Fresh green apple, toasted barley, clove, and a buttery finish. Lighter and brighter than Redbreast — like the difference between a rich burgundy and a crisp white.
Buy on Master of MaltMidleton
Powers John's Lane Release 12 Year Old
Named after the original Powers distillery on John's Lane in Dublin. This is muscular pot still whiskey — toasted oak, charred fruit, black pepper, and a long, dry, spicy finish. Bottled at 46% and it carries the extra strength beautifully. Powers was once the biggest-selling whiskey in Ireland, and this expression shows why.
Buy on Master of MaltThe New Wave
These are the distilleries proving that Ireland's whiskey future is as exciting as its past.
Teeling
Teeling Small Batch
The first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years, and they came out swinging. Rum cask finished, which gives it tropical fruit, vanilla, and warm spice over a grain-and-malt base. Bottled at 46% without chill filtration. Bold, different, and affordable — Teeling is not trying to be Jameson, and that is exactly the point.
Buy on Master of MaltTeeling Whiskey DistilleryEast IrelandToursShop opened in Dublin's Liberties district in 2015 and has been winning awards ever since. Their visitor experience is one of the best in Ireland.
Dingle
Dingle Single Malt
From a small distillery on the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry. Bourbon and sherry cask matured, giving you honey, marzipan, toasted oak, and a gentle maritime influence. Still young as a distillery, but the quality is already remarkable. Each batch release sells out faster than the last.
Buy on Master of MaltDingle DistillerySouth IrelandToursShop sits at the western edge of Ireland where the Atlantic weather shapes everything. Small-batch production, genuine craft, and a town worth visiting for the food alone.
Walsh Whiskey
Writers' Tears Copper Pot
A blend of single pot still and single malt that punches above its price tag. Green apple, honey, ginger, and a wonderfully silky mouthfeel. Named after the tradition of Irish writers fuelling their work with whiskey. At under thirty pounds, this is arguably the best-value introduction to quality Irish whiskey you can buy.
Buy on Master of MaltCooley
The Tyrconnell Single Malt
Double-distilled (unusual for Irish) and entirely unpeated. Light, citrusy, and floral — lemon curd, green grass, honey, and a clean, dry finish. Named after a racehorse that won at odds of 100-1 in 1876, which feels appropriate for an underdog whiskey that keeps surprising people.
Buy on Master of MaltThe Tyrconnell is made at Cooley DistilleryEast Ireland, the distillery that broke the Midleton-Bushmills duopoly in the 1980s. Without Cooley, the Irish whiskey revival might never have happened.
The Wild Cards
Cooley
Connemara Peated Single Malt
The black sheep of Irish whiskey. Peated Irish single malt sounds like a contradiction, but Ireland had a long peat-smoking tradition before it fell out of fashion. Gentle turf smoke, heather honey, citrus, and malt. Softer and more approachable than Islay peat — think campfire embers rather than bonfire.
Buy on Master of MaltKilbeggan
Kilbeggan Single Grain
Single grain Irish whiskey is rare, and Kilbeggan's version is a quiet triumph. Vanilla, toffee, light tropical fruit, and a smooth, easy finish. Made on a column still from a mix of corn and malt. Simple, honest, and deeply satisfying. A conversation starter for anyone who thinks grain whiskey is just cheap filler.
Buy on Master of MaltKilbeggan DistilleryEast IrelandToursShop has been making whiskey since 1757 — it is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world. The building itself is worth a visit.
The State of Irish Whiskey
The numbers tell the story. In 2010, Irish whiskey was a footnote — a distant third behind Scotch and bourbon. By 2025, it was the fastest-growing spirits category in the world.
What makes this renaissance different from a hype bubble is the diversity. You have traditional pot still from Midleton, experimental finishes from Teeling Whiskey DistilleryEast IrelandToursShop, craft distilling from Dingle DistillerySouth IrelandToursShop, peated whiskey from Cooley DistilleryEast Ireland, and a wave of micro-distilleries from Connacht to West Cork bringing entirely new flavour profiles to the category.
Visiting Ireland?
Unlike Scotland, where distilleries are often remote, many of Ireland's best distilleries are in or near cities. Dublin alone has Teeling, Roe & Co, Pearse Lyons, and Dublin Liberties within walking distance of each other. A weekend whiskey crawl is very achievable — and very dangerous.
If you have been sleeping on Irish whiskey, now is the time to wake up. Start with Redbreast 12 if you want the classic. Start with Teeling Small Batch if you want the new wave. Either way, you will not be disappointed.
Continue the voyage
Scotch vs Irish vs Bourbon: What Actually Makes Them Different
The real legal, production, and flavour differences between Scotch, Irish whiskey, and bourbon — not the generic version.
Dublin to Dundalk: Ireland's Whiskey Corridor
15 distilleries along Ireland's east coast — from Teeling's Dublin revival to Slane Castle's rock-and-rye heritage.
Best Whiskey Between £30 and £60: The Sweet Spot
10 brilliant whiskeys in the £30-60 range — the price bracket where quality actually lives. Scotch, Irish, bourbon, and Japanese picks with real tasting notes.