I’m a fairly devout Scotch whisky girl—but not in March.
As St. Patrick’s Day nears, I will admit that my wandering eye turns to a variety of superb Irish whiskeys—particularly the single pot stills. And when it comes to navigating these amber waters, there’s no better guide than Jack McGarry of New York’s Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog—the award-winning watering hole that also happens to be America’s finest. McGarry, who cofounded the bar, very graciously shared his top ten picks, which is as diversified and comprehensive a list as one can get. (He mentions Irish whiskey in three categories: single pot stills, blends, and single malts.)
And if you’re already well versed on the Emerald Isle’s most popular export, consider these two new releases, which have heftier price points but are totally worth the splurge: Green Spot Château Léoville Barton ($100) and Midleton Dair Ghaelach ($300). The former is matured in ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-Bourbon barrels before being transferred to ex-Bordeaux wine casks. The result is—as expected—an exceptional fusion of flavors and notes. As for Dair Ghaelach, this limited-edition whiskey is aged in barrels made from virgin Irish oak grown on the Ballaghtobin Estate in County Kilkenny. And it’s mighty tasty. You just need to move fast if you want to grab a bottle for yourself: Astor Wines limits purchases of Dair Ghaelach to one per customer.
SINGLE POT STILLS
Redbreast 12-Year ($65)
“A beautifully sherry-led single pot still Irish whiskey—with great notes of Christmas cake and tremendous of Christmas spice.”
You can never go wrong with Redbreast. It’s wonderful neat—but it’s also not overly precious, meaning you can use it to concoct a tasty whiskey cocktail.
Powers John’s Lane ($72)
“Powers John’s Lane is a true representation of 19th century single pot still Irish whiskeys—with a beautiful meaty and oily mouthfeel,” McGarry says. “And the spice is seriously evident here.”
Green Spot ($55)
“Green Spot is also a great introduction to single pot still Irish whiskeys. It’s very wood driven, aged in fresh ex-bourbon barrels and sherry. The result is an incredibly fresh and crisp single pot still.”
It took a while for Green Spot to hit the American market. (It was released Stateside in 2014.) But it was worth the wait. And now, there’s Green Spot Château Léoville Barton ($100), which is matured in ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-Bourbon barrels before being transferred to ex-Bordeaux wine casks.
BLENDS
Jameson Original ($40)
“Low pot still and high grain, Jameson is a great introduction to Irish whiskey,” McGarry says. “It’s subtle, sweet—and with a whiff of pot still spice.”
It seems like every household is stocked with at least one bottle of Jameson whiskey. There are at least two good reasons for that: It’s a solid spirit with a reasonable price point.
Bushmills Original ($40)
“This blend is more or less an equal split of grain and malt whiskey. Sweet and extremely light with floral aromatics shining from the malt.”
Bushmills Black Bush ($50)
“Bushmills Black Bush is a heavy malt and low grain blend,” McGarry explains. “The heavy use of sherry aging produces a beautiful Christmas-cake-like notes of prunes, raisins, and spice.”
Powers Gold Label ($40)
“A high pot still and low grain blend, the spice shines beautifully with subtle sweetness.”
SINGLE MALTS
Bushmills 10-Year Single Malt ($59)
“A stunningly juicy and green single malt. Like apple pie.”
Knappogue 12-Year ($50)
“Again, this whiskey is very juicy and full-bodied,” McGarry says. “It’s aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels.”
Teeling Single Malt ($60)
“The first whiskeys were, more or less, exclusively aged in ex-bourbon barrels. But Teeling single malt is finished in five different casks: sherry, port, Madeira, Burgundy, and cabernet sauvignon,” McGarry notes. “It’s great to taste their influences on the single malt.”
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