Imagine that it is St Patrick’s Day… and that you would like to have a taste of Irish Whiskey. Which one would you choose? Which one tastes best to you ( now ) ?
Back in the day, I liked Connemara, but it doesn’t taste the same to me now. Red Breast is very good… but I just had some Paddy’s… and at 1/4 the price it was just as good.
Anyway, that was my opinion but I’d like to hear yours (please). Your favorite, the one you hate, etc. etc.
Redbreast is good, but my favorite is Green Spot. It really hits a price-tastiness sweet spot for me. My understanding is there’s other colored spots too, but the green is the only one I could afford.
Of course, good ol’ Jameson’s always good in a pinch too. Cheap but quite good for its price.
I was not a huge fan of Silkie or Tullamore Dew.
My go-to Irish is Redbreast, which I first discovered when we went to Ireland in '95. At that time, it wasn’t yet being imported to the U.S., so if I knew someone who was going to visit Ireland, I’d ask them to buy a bottle for me.
I always have a bottle of their standard 12-year-old in the house; when I’m feeling spendy, I’ll buy a bottle of the 15, as well.
I also enjoy Teeling; I used to also drink Paddy, but haven’t had it in years (though I remember it being enjoyable).
I’ve been drinking Clonakilty after my BIL raved about it. Very nice drinking whisky, not that I drink a lot of Irish whisky.
I was in the ROI in 2000… probably that same Connemara…! I bought it at an off license and took it home with me right before Bush the xxxx stopped the ability to take home bottles.
Sadly, what gets shipped here now just isn’t the same. There was something called Middleton that was ok for a while… but I don’t think they make it anymore.
When I was able to drink on the regular, I always bought Jameson’s, it’s readily available in Oregon and good enough for my uneducated palate.
I lean more toward tequila’s and rums, but whenever my (Irish) wife’s family visits they bring Paddy’s or Jameson’s. I always have to pretend it’s a rare and thoughtful gift that I couldn’t get from the Vons down the street.
You do what you choose. Yours seems an offensive and ungrateful post for a post of thumbs up or thumbs down of Irish Whiskey. If you had started a different thread about how, on the low-down, you hate your inlaws, their gifts, and maybe your wife… well that’s on you now isn’t it?
It seems beyond the scope of this thread though. IMHO.
I don’t drink Irish Whiskey often, but when I do it’s usually some variety of Bushmills.
My most memorable dram was 23 years ago today. I had just arrived in Sydney and things were really hopping under a full moon. My hotel was just a short walk from the Opera House so I strolled over for a nightcap. The Opera Bar only had Jameson’s, but that was fine with me.
You read a lot of stupid shit into my post. All I intended to convey is that our Irish guests believe Paddy’s and Jamison’s is top shelf and not readily available in the US.
As this is asking for opinions about beverages, I’m moving it to Cafe society.
Give me Jameson any day of the week. Glad to try others, but buying for myself, Jameson hits the spot just fine.
I am shocked at the respect Paddy’s gets here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine if I have no other Irish, but saying Paddy’s is as good as Redbrest is just silly.
The taste is there ( for me ). Besides, my half-empty bottle of Red Breast is served out in small glasses ( via eye-droppers ) when close family is here. But it is very good.
In regard to Irish traditions, I was told to always bring a bottle of Crested Ten when visiting respected members of the family in Ireland. In Irish culture I was told that that is just what you do to show respect. When one of the above posters made fun of that it seemed like they were making fun of an Irish cultural tradition. I found that to be disrespetful.
I’ve tried Bushmills, Jameson, Red Breast 12, Yellow Spot, and Green Spot. It’s all fine, but all sweet and thin and boring. Maybe I’ll head to one of the whiskey bars in town and try to find something my taste, but I suspect its just not my thing.
Redbreast is the smoothest whisky I’ve found.
A quick shout out to The Monroe Street Irregulars. We’d meet at an Irish pub for the happiest hour I’ve ever found: half off all Irish whiskies.
But the best part is that they had a wonderful bartender who’d educate us by explaining the history and profile of each shot we ordered.
Our “bracket” ended with Redbreast beating all comers in terms of mellowness and warmth.
I’ve always preferred Bushmills to Jameson. I had a bit of Redbreast a few years back when my sister-in-law brought a bottle home from Ireland, but haven’t bought any Irish whiskey since then.
I agree 100%. An Irish friend says that when someone invites you into their home for a sip of whisky in Ireland, it’s usually Paddy’s.
My first thought was “Yeah, but after you leave, he pulls out the Teeling’s (or, if he’s well off, Redbreast 15) for himself.”
I bought a bottle of Redbreast once, based on recommendations in previous whisky threads. For the price, it didn’t strike me as all that great. I may have to try some of the other less expensive ones mentioned here.
Question: how do you drink your Irish whisky? Neat? On ice? Something else?
In my drinking days, Powers was my Irish of choice, but I don’t remember getting in the weeds with its various offerings. Just an alternative to ubiquitous Jameson’s and Bushmill’s.