How to pour it
an Irish whiskey in
Let the bottle and glass reach 18 to 20 degrees. Irish whiskey is rarely smoky, so the finer notes have to do the work, and they disappear if the glass is too cold.
Pour 4 cl into the nosing glass, just above the widest point of the bowl, and hold the glass at the bottom so your hand doesn’t warm the whiskey.
Smell it first from a distance and then closer, with your mouth slightly open. With a pot still whiskey, the thick, spicy impression brought by the unmalted barley is particularly noticeable.
Take small sips and let it roll over your tongue; that oily texture is its trademark. Then add three drops of cold water and smell it again.
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The story
Single pot still is what gives Irish whiskey its distinct place. The mash bill consists of malted and unmalted barley, and that second part is the difference: unmalted barley brings a thick, oily, spicy texture that you do not encounter in a whisky made only from malt. Ireland also often distills whiskey three times instead of twice. This is common practice, not a requirement, and it makes the spirit softer and rounder. After a long period in which the category shrank considerably, Irish whiskey has grown strongly again in recent years, with new distilleries and more bottles on the shelves.
The right glass
For Irish whiskey, you want a tulip-shaped nosing glass: the bowl gives the bouquet room, and the inward-curving rim directs it to your nose. This model stands on a sturdy base rather than a long stem, so hold it at the bottom, because otherwise your hand will warm the whiskey. A wide tumbler lets the vapors spread out instead, making the alcohol take center stage. Also shown here is the glass in which Irish whiskey most often arrives at the table: the stemmed glass for the hot version with coffee and cream, tempered for boiling-hot fillings. More models can be found among the Irish coffee glasses.
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special Whisky Nosing Glass 32.2 cl (4 pieces)
Onis Bill Irish Coffee Glass 24 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 57,90.
The right tools
For Irish whiskey, besides the glass, use a bar spoon to let the cream run over the rounded side onto the coffee, and a jigger to measure exactly 4 cl. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 61,85.
What do you pour alongside it?
Irish whiskey sits among the other aged grains. Place it next to bourbon to hear what corn does, and next to Jameson, the best-known Irish bottle on the shelf. On every drinks page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair with it, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The best-known application is Irish coffee: hot coffee, brown sugar, Irish whiskey, and a layer of softly whipped cream that stays afloat. If you want to keep it neat, place a single pot still next to a blended whiskey from the same cabinet; you will immediately notice what the unmalted barley does. Ireland also produces single malt, which, like Scotch, is made from malted barley only. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Pour 4 cl at 18 to 20 degrees and place a glass of cold water beside it. Three drops of water open up the aroma; ice cools the whiskey so much that little of its aroma remains. If you want it warm, pour it into a stemmed glass, as that glass is made for boiling-hot fillings.
Good to know
Single pot still: malted and unmalted barley
This is a style made nowhere else in quite the same way. The mash bill consists of malted and unmalted barley, and the unmalted portion brings a thick, oily, spicy texture. A whiskey made with only malted barley immediately feels leaner. On the label, it is called single pot still.
Triple distillation is customary, not a rule
In Ireland, whiskey is often distilled three times, whereas elsewhere it is distilled twice. This is common practice, not a requirement; there are Irish bottles that are distilled twice. Each additional pass makes the distillate softer and rounder, and removes some of the heavier notes.
Why Irish whiskey is rarely smoky
The smokiness in whiskey comes from peat that is burned when drying the malt. In Ireland, this drying is usually done without peat, so there is no smoke either. There are exceptions, and those are stated as such, but the rule is: Irish whiskey is unpeated and therefore not smoky.
Mature for at least three years, in Ireland
Irish whiskey must mature for at least three years in wooden casks, and this must take place in Ireland. Many bottles rest longer, but three years is the minimum. If there is no age statement on the label, you only know that this minimum has been met.
Whiskey with an e
Irish bottles spell it whiskey with an e, while Scotch bottles spell it whisky without one. American bottles also usually spell it with an e, with a few notable exceptions. It is not a quality mark, but it is the first thing on a label that reveals where the bottle comes from.
A category that has grown again
Irish whiskey was once huge, then declined for a long time to just a handful of distilleries, and has grown strongly again in recent years. New distilleries have been added, and there are more bottles on the shelves, from blended to single pot still.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky?
Three things. The spelling: Ireland writes whiskey with an e, while Scotland writes whisky without one. The style: single pot still made from malted and unmalted barley is typically Irish and exists nowhere else. And the smoke: in Ireland, the malt is usually dried without peat, so Irish whiskey is rarely smoky.
Why do you spell Irish whiskey with an e?
That is how the usage evolved. Irish and most American bottles spell it whiskey, while Scotch and Japanese bottles spell it whisky. There is no rule about quality behind it; it is a spelling difference that immediately reveals the origin.
What is single pot still whiskey?
Whiskey distilled in Ireland in a pot still from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley. The unmalted barley gives it the oily, spicy texture the style is known for. You will not find it anywhere else in this form.
Which glass do you use for Irish whiskey?
Drink it neat from a tulip-shaped nosing glass holding roughly 10 to 20 cl, which you hold at the bottom so your hand does not warm it. If it goes into hot coffee with a layer of cream, it belongs in a stemmed glass that can withstand boiling-hot temperatures.
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