Whisky Advocate: Ireland’s Latest Chapter

The Irish whiskey narrative over the past 15–20 years has been a story of restoration, perseverance, and conviction. Dozens of new distilleries and hundreds of new Irish whiskey brands were founded with aspirations of capturing the U.S. market, but they now find themselves battling the combined effects of geopolitical uncertainty, economic downturns in China, trade tensions, and a sober-curious Gen Z.

Persuading whiskey drinkers to explore beyond Jameson has been a challenge, such is its dominance among Irish whiskeys. As all styles of whisky struggle, the global casualty list of distilleries keeps growing, the most high-profile Irish example being Waterford Distillery, which went into receivership in November 2024 with substantial debt. Others are in similar straits, with several Irish distillers pausing production this year. It was not that long ago that production was being expanded at Bushmills and Midleton to meet projected demand.

But the Irish whiskey world is undaunted, and in recent years has produced some of the most stunning whiskeys, fulfilling an evolution that was promised at the outset of the modern boom. For starters, the arrival of new Irish single pot still distillers, making the signature whiskey style of Ireland, was just a glimmer of hope a decade and a half ago, and now there’s a greater variety of labels beyond classics like Redbreast and Powers.

While some of the newer arrivals are sourced liquid, producers like Teeling, Drumshanbo, Clonakilty, and Boann have all moved into full swing. Meanwhile, Redbreast, the leader in Irish single pot still, continues to up its game with aged releases, new creative finishes, maturation in different wood types, and other means.

In the Irish single malt arena, distillers like Dingle (which also makes single pot still whiskey), have grown up, with a number of new finishes that weren’t on the radar a decade ago, while newer arrivals like Powerscourt and Rademon Estate are already producing highly rated whiskey. And single malt leader Bushmills was readying a profusion of new finishes and ultra-aged expressions. Whisky Advocate takes a closer look at the state of the Irish whiskey category.

Tagged : Boann, Bushmills, clonakilty, Drumshanbo, Irish whiskey, Jameson, Powers, Two Stacks, Whisky Advocate

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