St. Patrick's Day Shopping List

It's Pi Day, but we prefer talking about St. Patrick's Day. After all, a pint is much easier to measure than pi, especially because pints don't require anything to the right of the decimal point.

If your beverage of choice for St. Patrick's is beer, we certainly have suggestions for you. If you're adding some Irish Whiskey to your shopping list, click here for an in-depth discussion of that topic.

Great Lakes Brewing, Conway's Irish Ale. Ok, we're cheating a little here, as this is a domestic craft beer. A pint for Pa Conway! Great Lakes Brewing's co-owners’ grandfather and policeman who’d likely uphold that an Irish Ale with full-bodied caramel malt flavors is just the ticket. It's arrestingly smooth with a rap sheet of toasty biscuit and caramel malt flavor. This is a seasonal item, brewed fresh for the 2016 St. Patrick's Day. 6.5% ABV, 25 IBU's.

Murphy's Irish Stout. Murphy’s is an internationally recognized Irish stout,

brewed since 1856 in the iconic Lady’s Well Brewery, Cork. Classified as an Irish Dry Stout, Murphy’s is dark in color and medium-bodied. It is silky smooth with toffee & coffee undertones, almost no bitterness, and a irresistible creamy finish. 4.0% ABV.

Killian's Irish Red. In 12-packs or 6-packs. Properly called George Killian's Irish Red.

Appearance: Deep ruby red in color with a dense off-white foam.
Aroma: Roasted and toasted caramel characteristics with ale-like fruit esters.

Taste: Toasted/roasted caramel malt introduction with nice bready characteristics.
Mouth Feel: Full-bodied with medium carbonation.
Finish: Well-balanced with slight lingering citrus rind and subtle sweetness.

Harp Lager is a delicious, continental lager first brewed in 1960 by Guinness. Brewed using pure water from the Cooley Mountains in Ireland, the beer has retained its trademark crisp taste, with a slight buttery aroma. Mix Harp with Guinness Draught to create the authentic Half & Half. 5.0% ABV.

You may also want to consider Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask. A Scottish beer, aged in Irish Whiskey casks. That's a movie plot, isn't it? And there's always Guinness.

We also know that our readers enjoy a little Irish cream liqueur. This is an extremely versatile category, suitable on its own, in a cocktail, or in coffee (hot or iced!). Everyone knows about Baileys Irish Cream and its several flavors. We also carry Carolan's, Dream Catcher, Emmet's, Maloney's and St. Brendan's.

The basic premise of this category is the blending of Irish whiskey and Irish dairy cream. Each producer has their own recipe, and we recommend trying them all!

Irish Mist Honey Liqueur. If you want something different for St. Patrick's Day, stop here. Irish Mist was the first liqueur to be produced in Ireland and is currently the only brand worldwide to have the word "Irish" in its registered name. Commercial production began in 1947 at Tullamore, County, Offaly. Irish Mist is based on an ancient recipe for heather wine, a spirit blended with honey, herbs and spices. The chieftains and nobles of Ireland’s ancient clans drank heather wine for centuries. Irish Mist, Ireland’s legendary Irish whiskey liqueur, is a classical, premium liqueur made from a unique blend of Irish whiskey, honey, herbs and other spirits. Irish Mist can also be used in a range of cocktails, as well as in hot coffee.

"Sláinte" to all as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

What's Next in Irish Whiskey

Over the last couple of weeks, we're looked at the current state of Irish whiskey. We've seen a huge range of choices in both brands and styles. To re-visit our posts, just scroll down and hit "Older Posts" until you find what you're looking for.

As we've described, Irish whiskey is usually triple-distilled before aging in barrels. These barrels contribute significantly to the different tastes, as ex-Bourbon or rum barrels, sherry butts and port pipes (to name just some of the choices) bring different elements to the whiskey.

Irish whiskey has a very long history. Bushmills traces their lineage back to 1608, when King James issued a distilling license to Sir Thomas Phillips. Their distillery, however, started operations in 1784. Kilbeggan uses a pot still that's about 180 years old.

180 Year old Working Still at Kilbeggan

In our earlier posts, we also highlighted a couple of old/new combinations. We just introduced a Canal's Family Selection version of the Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey. And we also discussed Teeling Whiskey. Their whiskey-making dates to 1782, but they recently opened the first new distillery in Dublin in 125 years, bringing in handcrafted copper pot stills. What's that saying about everything old being new again?

But what's next for Irish whiskey? According to the trade publication The Tasting Panel, one answer is maturation in virgin Irish oak. Local coopers have taken 130 year old oak and made casks for Midleton. Look for that as a single pot still expression in the future.

In addition, Mark Reynier, formerly of Bruichladdich, bought the old Guinness plant in Waterford, and plans on distilling a new Irish whiskey there. With Bruichladdich's tradition-defying distilling in Scotland, this could be an interesting development for this category.

And if you travel to Ireland, don't miss the Irish Whiskey Museum, located near Trinity College in Dublin. This independent museum has the endorsement of Bushmills, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Teeling, and Tullamore D.E.W.

 Clearly, this is an exciting time for the Irish whisky category, and not just because of St. Patrick's Day!

Friday the 13th Grab Bag

Welcome to the St. Patrick's Day weekend. There's a lot to cover today, so let's get started.

Events in Lawrenceville

We have our regular wine tastings this weekend, 4-6pm today, and 2-4pm tomorrow. Click here for the tasting menu.

Events in Woodbridge

We're also having our regular weekend wine tastings in Woodbridge. The hours are 4-6pm today, and 1-3pm tomorrow. Click here for the menu.

It's a pretty busy rest of the month in Woodbridge, with Brunello Tuesdays, the Penn Brewery tasting on March 20, the Yards Brewery tasting on March 26, the Hiro Junmai Sake tasting on March 27, and the Vermont Brewers Tap Takeover, also on March 27. Keep track of our own version of March Madness via our website's Events page.

What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day

This is the final installment, and we'll first conclude our review of Irish whiskey.

Teeling Irish Whiskey. Teeling's Flagship Irish whiskey is their attempt to create the most interesting Blended Irish whiskey. This small batch bottling consists of hand selected casks which are given further maturation in ex-rum barrels imparting extra character and smooth flavor unique to Irish whiskey. Bottling at 46% with no chill filtration completes an Irish whiskey of true character.

NOSE: An inviting nose where vanilla and spice dances with bright sweet notes of Rum.

TASTE: While being very approachable, the influence of the rum cask and higher percentage alcohol creates a unique smooth, sweet, slightly woody marriage that sparkles on the tongue.

FINISH: Slightly moorish, sweet spice finish complimented by woody undertones.

The Knot. The Knot is a spirit that blends a proprietary recipe of spices with Irish whiskey. Really, it's more liqueur than whiskey, but as a crossover, we'll keep it here.

Delightful bouquet of butterscotch, hazelnut, old cigarette ashes, spices, fennel and honey. Entry is intensely herbal and semisweet; the midpalate is medicinal, a touch smoky, herbal and honeyed. Finishes with a notable honey taste and an end taste reminiscent of Drambuie. At 100 proof, The Knot has a higher alcohol content than most Irish whiskey.

With Tullamore D.E.W., it's hard to escape the power of three. Three natural ingredients, three varieties of grain, three distillations and a blend of all three types of Irish whiskey - pot still, malt and grain. We believe it's this trinity that closes the typically unbridgeable gap between our whiskey's world-renowned smoothness and the gentle complexity in every drop.

What's D.E.W.? Daniel E. Williams was certainly made of the rare stuff. His earliest days in the distillery were spent shovelling malted barley; his nights spent sleeping in the hayloft. He was the ultimate self-made man, propelling himself quickly through the ranks. In 1873 he became General Manager and ultimately owner of the distillery. Single-handedly, he began to turn a good whiskey great. Some time later, this accomplished, he proudly marked every bottle from the Tullamore Distillery with the initials D.E.W.

The Original. The early floral yet biscuit flavor reflects the grain whiskey, while the soft spicy notes can be attributed to the pot still whiskey in the blend. The citrus flavor is contributed by the malt. Finally notice the nutty or even marzipan note combined with distinctive vanilla in the finish – imparted by the sherry and bourbon casks used in maturation.

12 Year. Like Tullamore D.E.W. Original, Tullamore D.E.W. 12yo Special Reserve is a triple distilled blend of all three types of Irish whiskey. However, it has a high proportion of pot still and malt whiskeys, matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, for 12 to 15 years. A very fine aged whiskey with great complexity.

Phoenix. This special limited edition is a triple distilled blend of all three types of Irish whiskey; golden grain, malt and pure pot still whiskey. It is characterized by its high content pot still whiskey finished in old oloroso sherry casks and comes to you at 55% ABV. Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix is a medium bodied whiskey, with distinctive sherry notes and pleasantly spicy creamy pot still whiskey flavors nicely balanced. Addition of a little water releases layers of caramel sweetness, delicate floral notes and oak tannins.

Finally, let's not forget the great Irish beers that we have in stock: Guinness, Harp, Killian's, Murphy's, and Smithwicks.

Click on any of these links for the earlier installments:
Part 1: Irish liqueurs
Part 2: Irish-style domestic Craft Beer
Part 3: Singles
Part 4A: Irish whiskey
Part 4B: Irish whiskey

New Products

Vicolo Primitivo. Primitivo is a cousin of American Zinfandel. From Puglia, in Southern Italy, this wine is ripe, fruit forward and soft with a touch of spice. It is a perfect wine with many foods like BBQ, pizza, pasta or burgers. Only $5.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Sláinte to everyone. Have a fun and safe weekend.

What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day, Part 4B

Today, we'll continue on with our review of our Irish whiskey portfolio. Scroll through our earlier posts to see our other Irish selections.

John Powers

Powers Gold Label is the best-selling Irish whiskey in its native Ireland. The nose is mellow, with upfront buttery caramel and bright honeyed cereal. There is also a little fruit, like a bit of blackberry jam or cherry pie filling. A splash of water opens up some light herbal, grassy notes.

On the palate you get a wash of melted butter and shortbread, then quite a lot of dryness, which finally subsides with cinnamon, clove, toffee and green apple skins. The body is quite full, with a slightly oily quality. A splash of water cuts through the body, without adding much in terms of flavor, except perhaps a few hints of fruit blossoms or fresh-cut grass.

The finish starts small and grows, giving you loads of honey, graham cracker, butterscotch, and more green apple skins.

Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey

Kilbeggan® is a unique Irish Whiskey. Like most Irish people, Kilbeggan® is easy going and approachable, but with its own distinctive style. The finest grain and malt whiskeys are blended together for a smooth, sweet taste and lovely malt finish, a characteristic of our pot still that is over 180 year old and still at the heart of Kilbeggan® Irish whiskey.

Making Kilbeggan® requires three key ingredients – pure clean water, with which Ireland is fortunately blessed, cereals of grain and barley and most importantly experience. Our traditional Kilbeggan® Irish whiskey is left to sleep for at least 3 year's and a day, but very much often longer.

As the whiskey matures in the barrel, the angels take their share – the natural breathability of the casks used to mature the whiskey is a crucial part of the flavor so no-one can begrudge the angels their share, which can be as much as 2% a year. And that leads us to...

Kilbeggan barrel room

Kilbeggan® 18 Year Old

Noel Sweeney, our Master Blender, has sampled all of the oldest casks of grain and malt whiskey matured in the ancient granite warehouses in Kilbeggan and hand selected only the best casks to create this small batch release of only 4,000 bottles. Kilbeggan® 18 Year Old highlights everything good about Irish whiskey with its beautifully balanced sweet, smooth taste with the extra character and dimensions created from over 18 years maturation - in the original warehouses from 1757.

Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey

Its production is limited, so each bottle of this Midleton very rare whisky is dated, numbered and signed by the chief distiller.

Aroma: Rich, with vanilla sweetness on a layer of oak char from the influence of American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels. A soft floral note introduces the sweet spice of cinnamon, green pepper, and garden mint. Beautifully rounded with hints of green apple and banana.

Taste: Full, with the sweet spice of vanilla, cinnamon, and licorice and the flinty note of barley grains. Ripe fruit combines with the charred oak, adding to the complexity.

Finish: Sweet spicy flavors that linger, fading slowly to leave the last word with the barley.

PADDY Irish Whiskey

They trace their lineage back to 1779, but the name comes from a salesman, one Patrick J. O’Flaherty, who took the job in 1882. He was so good at what he did, that orders came in not for Cork Distilleries irish Whiskey, but for "Paddy Flaherty's Whiskey." In 1913, the name of the whiskey was officially changed to PADDY.

Not all whiskey is created equal. What separates PADDY Irish Whiskey from others is the addition of malt and the triple distillation process, which makes it soft and mellow. After fermentation, the wash is pumped to the first of three copper pot-stills; the Wash Still for distillation. Under the care of the Master Distiller, this process is repeated two more times: Once in the Feint Still and again in the Spirit Still, to get that great Irish Whiskey taste. It’s then filled into oak casks to rest and mature for years before the final careful blending process.

PADDY is a blend of three whiskeys: Malt, Grain and Pot-still. The Pot-Still gives it a silky mouthfeel, the grain delivers a light and fragrant taste, and the malt rounds it off with sweetness. The final result is a whiskey ready for the night ahead.

Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

We carry three different products from Redbreast. First up is their 12 Year old.

Full of aroma and flavor, Redbreast 12 Year Old benefits from a strong contribution from distillates which have matured in Oloroso sherry casks, giving it its trademark Christmas cake character.

The nose is complex, spicy and fruity, with evident toasted wood notes. It's full flavored and complex on the palate, a harmonious balance of spicy, creamy, fruity, sherry and toasted noted. The finish is satisfyingly long, as the complex flavors linger on the palate.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength comes straight from the cask, unfiltered and undiluted.

On the nose, it's a fruit explosion: figs, dates, ripe banana, sultana, red apple and lime. Spices combine with sweet vanilla and pine. On the palate, deep full dried fruit, a touch of citrus with aromatic oils and spices. Vanilla sweetness leads to toasted oak and barley. An exceedingly long finish, with a rich complexity of spices and fruit, slowly fading through sweet butterscotch to barley.

Redbreast 15 Year Old, launched as a limited edition, is now a permanent expression. It's matured in a combination of Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and ex-Bourbon barrels. It's fully round and mellow, with the succulence of fleshy fruit combined with spices and toasted wood.

We'll finish our look at Irish whiskey tomorrow.

What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day, Part 4-A

In today's installment, we'll review part of our blended Irish whisky portfolio. At the end of this post, we'll link to the earlier installments.

Bushmills

One of the iconic brands of Irish whiskey, we carry 5 different Bushmills expressions: Black Bush, 10 year, 16 year, Bushmills Honey, and their flagship whiskey.

In 1784, Hugh Anderson registered the Old Bushmills Distillery and the Pot Still became its registered trade mark. A fire in 1885 destroyed the distillery, and Prohibition impacted Bushmills the same as any other brand. During the World War 2 closure, a bomb destroyed their archives.

Bushmills uses un-peated malted barley. Like most Irish whiskey, it's triple-distilled to produce a lighter, smoother spirit. The new whiskey is aged in oak for at least three years. Bushmills is one of the few ‘grain to glass’ distilleries in the world, meaning that every stage of the whiskey-making process is carried out at their distillery.

Clontarf 1014

Clontarf 1014 is a bold and smooth Irish whiskey, triple distilled, aged in bourbon barrels and blended to perfection. The name 1014 was selected to remember the Battle of Clontarf in that year, where the Irish, led by High King Brian Boru, defeated the invading Vikings.

Clontarf Irish Whiskey takes advantage of the finest ingredients from Ireland's rolling green hills and cascading streams during the distilling process. A combination of barley, maize and pure spring water gives Clontarf its complex aroma and extraordinary flavor.

Clontarf 1014 Irish Whiskey is distilled three times using traditional copper pot stills, which insures the production of a smooth, delicate spirit. It's then filtered through Atlantic Oak Charcoal which gives Clontarf 1014 a pure, clean and distinctive taste.

FECKiN Irish Whiskey

FECKiN Irish Whiskey is a blend of the highest quality Irish malt and grain whiskey.

Distilled in age-old traditional copper pot stills and patent stills, its unpeated, smooth, gentle and sweet malty notes deliver a whiskey that is strong in character, seriously smooth and easy to drink. The aromatic infusion of heather and cane sugar is perfectly balanced by a wisp of smoke and a hint of sweet honey molasses.

A whiskey with Irish spirit, finesse, strength and charm tilts its hat to the thousands of distillers who, not always legitimately, have enriched our Irish whiskey heritage throughout the centuries.

Green Spot Irish Whiskey

Green Spot Pot Still Irish Whiskey is produced by the Midleton Distillery. It is a highly sought after and very affordable Whiskey which has attained true cult status in recent years. While no official age statement is given, traditionally, Green Spot Whiskey would have been 10 Year old whiskey.

Incredible flavor and oily smoothness from this example of excellence in Pot Still Irish Whiskey.

Nose: Rich aromatic Oils and pot still spice with a hint of apple wood.
Palate: Full bodied mouth feel with lots of pot still pepper and spice with the bourbon oak in the background.
Finish: Medium finish of spice and barley.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Jameson is, by far, the biggest seller in this category. We carry several expressions, including the 12 year, 18 year, Black, Gold, and flagship blend.

Let them tell the story: "It all started back in 1780 when John Jameson created his triple distilled, smooth and perfectly balanced Irish Whiskey. We blend our remarkable pot still whiskeys with a delicate grain whiskey, infuse them with the nuttiness of our sherry casks and balance the flavors with the fragrant vanilla of our bourbon casks. And, like all our whiskeys, Jameson Irish Whiskey is triple distilled, creating a smoother spirit perfect for any occasion."

These notes apply to the flagship blended Irish whiskey:

Nose: To the nose, Jameson has a light floral fragrance, peppered with spicy wood and sweet notes.

Taste: Perfect balance of spicy, nutty and vanilla notes with hints of sweet sherry and exceptional smoothness.

What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day

Irish Cream Liqueur
Domestic Craft Beer, Irish Style
Irish Whiskey-The Singles

Click on the link to read those earlier posts.

Friday Grab Bag

We hope everyone got home safely yesterday. Maybe the "off" switch for winter got buried in the snow. But if you missed yesterday's blog post, it was a good one, especially because it could save you money. Click here to read it.

Yesterday's snow also required us to reschedule the Dogfish Head event at our Woodbridge store. It will be held today, from 5-7pm. Click here for the details.

That's enough of an introduction; let's get to the rest of the post.

Events in Lawrenceville

We have our regular weekend wine tastings, today from 4-6pm, and 2-4pm on Saturday. Click here for the tasting menu.

Our Painting Class with The Painter's Loft is this Sunday, at 2pm. This fun event is great for the starting artist, the starving artist, and everyone in between. Click here for more information. Advance registration is required. 

 Events in Woodbridge

In addition to the re-scheduled Dogfish Head event, we have our weekend wine tastings. As usual, they run from 4-6pm today, and 1-3pm on Saturday.

Looking ahead, we'll host a Penn Brewery tasting on March 20, a tasting of Hiro Junmai Sake on March 27, and there will also be a Vermont breweries Tap Takeover on March 27. Click here for our Events page, and scroll through. 

A little further ahead, look for our 2nd Annual Art Show & Wine Tasting on April 12, after hours. We still have a couple of opportunities for local artists to participate. If you're interested, click here for details.

New Products

Beran Zinfandel. This new addition to our stores is the newest arrival from the Wagner Family of Wines, the producers of Caymus, Meiomi Pinot Noir, Conundrum and Carne Humana.

"For Beran (pronounced ‘baron’), we rely on new vineyards along with old-vine plantings. We are honored to work with some of the most world renowned multi-generation Zin growers in Sonoma County, Napa Valley, Mendocino County, the desolate Sierra foothills of Amador County and other notable Zin regions."

Color: Deep dark red with a black core and purple hues.
Aromatics: Smoky, sweet cedar vanillin notes, cassis, cranberry, sweet tobacco, and cooked dark fruits like warm Blackberry pie.
Palate: Flavors of red licorice, dried cherry and ripe dark berry fruits are complexed with hints of sweet tobacco, a slight dustiness.
Structure: Very soft refined tannins balanced by a fresh acidity.

Depaz Rhum. Not a simple rum, Depaz is a Blue Cane Rhum Agricole, from Martinique. Only 3% of all rums are made this way, using fresh cane juice.

Depaz has been making rhum agricole since 1651, exclusively from fresh, luxurious blue cane, seasonally harvested. And as an AOC product, you're assured that they adhere to precise standards of excellence.

Limited quantities are available. 1 liter size.

We also have a couple of new flavored vodkas, from a familiar label.

Sweet Carolina Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka combines the finest handcrafted

vodka with traditional southern style sweet tea. Surprisingly smooth, seductively sweet – it is the perfect sipping cocktail.

Sweet Carolina Raspberry Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka combines the finest handcrafted vodka with luscious raspberry flavor and traditional southern style sweet tea. The mouthwatering flavored vodka pairs well with any mixture and can be enjoyed straight-up or over ice.

What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day

Our series will conclude next week, when we take on blended Irish whiskey. Meanwhile, here are the earlier installments (click to read):

Irish Cream Liqueur

Single Malt/Single Grain Irish whiskey

Domestic Craft Beer, Irish-style

Have a great weekend!

What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day, Part 3: Singles

In this installment, we'll move in to Irish whiskey, but not in a way that you might expect. Over the last few years, Single Malt Scotch whisky has been a category with strong growth. From the lighter, sweeter drams like Glenlivet to the smoky, intense flavors of an Islay malt like Ardbeg, the Single Malt is hot.

But Single Malt (and single grain) whiskey is produced elsewhere. Balcones makes a Single Malt in Texas, for example. But, since this is about St. Patrick's Day, we're turning our attention to the Singles from Ireland.

A Single Malt, by the Scottish definition, is made from malted barley, using a pot still at a single distillery, and aged for at least 3 years in oak barrels. You can take the concept elsewhere and change some elements (the grain or the type of still, for example) and still call it a Single Malt, depending on the rules in that location. And we'll start our tour of Irish whiskey with a variation of the Single Malt.

Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Inspired by modern distilling techniques and through a desire to produce the smoothest and sweetest Irish Whiskey, Greenore was born. There are three simple reasons for the signature Greenore taste.

Greenore is made primarily from corn, and is distilled in column stills, allowing for a more pure spirit with a smooth taste profile. Greenore is then aged for 8 years in first fill Kentucky Bourbon barrels, adding its familiar vanilla notes.

The flagship bottling of Greenore is aged 8 years to give the perfect balance between the ingredients that produced the whiskey, the way it was produced and the ex-bourbon casks that matured the whiskey. Sweet and smooth, this delicate whiskey is produced in small batches to the highest possible quality for your ultimate enjoyment.

Nose: Clean light grain with honey and oak characters.

Taste: Silky smooth and mellow. A honey start combined with fresh almonds and spices.

Finish: A warm honey taste with a dry finish.

Connemara

This is a traditional Single Malt whiskey. Inspired by Ireland’s ancient distilling traditions, Connemara’s smooth sweet malt taste and complex peat flavors makes it a truly unique Irish whiskey. Connemara is the most decorated Irish whiskey with a huge collection of Gold Medals and has been honored as the “Worlds Best Irish Single Malt”. Connemara allows you to unearth the Peated Pleasures of Ireland.

Mildly peated, Connemara has a nice balance between the malt and the peat. It's smooth and clean, with the palate evenly divided between malty sweetness and smoky peat.

                           The Tyrconnell

The Tyrconnell is a brand steeped in history and heritage, dateing back to the glory days of Irish whiskey. Traditionally, most Irish malt has been used to create blended Irish whiskey, so it is rare to find Irish malt whiskey bottled in its purest form. Distilled in the old Irish tradition, this pure pot still single malt whiskey uses only the most natural Irish ingredients of barley and fresh spring water. The resulting whiskey is then left to peacefully mature in oak casks stored in 200 year old granite warehouses, allowing it to develop its full flavor and character.

Tasting notes:
Color: Golden Yellow
Nose: Full and fruity aroma with a citrus – spiciness taste
Taste: Well structured, with honey notes hanging from the nose. A tang of oranges and lemons, a strong malt presence that balances well with the oily sweetness
Finish: A long finish, with the malt becoming more dominant to the end without the soft fruits and honey, which helped make up the middle.

The Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey is an historic Irish whiskey brand from the 1900’s named after a horse that won a legendary race at odds of 100 to 1. Made from 100% malted barley in traditional copper pot stills Tyrconnell has a beautiful fresh, fruity bouquet with a smooth sweet taste and a delicate dry finish.

Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish

Our final Irish Single Malt finished in sherry casks, and has limited availability.

Nose: Strong on sherry, it has a strong Fino feel to it, very grape-like, with notes of juicy raisins, golden berries, just a hint of mint.

Palate: Delectable and utterly decadent! This dessert in a glass with a hugely authentic note of wonderfully thick Fino sherry. Also hints of tarte tatin and custard.

Finish: More of that sherry, with apple tart and cinnamon.

           Yellow Spot

A limited production whiskey, aged in ex-bourbon barrels, plus Sherry and Malaga Butts. Yellow Spot is actually aged in those barrels, not finished there, imparting richer flavors.

Nose: Pepper, spice and cloves with Peaches and honey from the Malaga.
Taste: Super mix of warm, creamy tastes with honey, apple sponge and caramel.
Finish: Lovely long finish with a dry sweetness from the Malaga.

There are significant differences between the whiskeys listed here, as well as even greater differences between these and blended Irish whiskey. Your palate will appreciate the opportunity to explore something that is at once different and familiar. We think an Irish Single would be a great addition to any home bar.

Irish Style

This is the second post in our "What to Drink for St. Patrick's Day" series, with at least two more to come. Beverages with the Irish designation cover several categories, and this will be the first installment in the Beer category. And the headline alludes to the fact that we'll be discussing Irish-style beers that are actually brewed in the US.

We're not big fans of green beer; our favorite beers for St. Patrick's Day will be red, or otherwise be a bit darker and maltier than usual. Here's an alphabetical listing of beers that we carry that fit the profile we've described.

Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout

Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout proudly carries on the tradition of dry stouts brewed in Ireland for centuries. A blend of dark roasted, pale, and flaked malts produce a thick, natural head as well as rich coffee and chocolate flavors that wipe away clean with a stampede of refreshing carbonation. It weighs in at a sessionable 4.7% ABV and is best served with "two fingers" of foam alongside burgers, oysters, corned beef, and friends. Sláinte!

Malts: Two-row English, black malt, black barley, caramel malt and unmalted barley.

Hops: Willamette, Fuggles, Cascade, East Kent Golding.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. Conway's Irish Ale®

We pay homage to Patrick Conway, grandfather of co-owners Patrick and Daniel, and a Cleveland policeman who directed traffic near the Brewery for nearly 25 years. Second only to dry stout as Ireland’s most distinctive brew, red ale was first made popular by the G.H. Lett Brewery of Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland.

Conway's Irish Ale® has a notable toasty flavor, derived from lightly roasted malt. Pair with Corned beef, Shepherd’s pie, and stews.

This was actually the Featured Product in our Bottle Club® email back on February 13.

Samuel Adams Irish Red

As comforting as an evening in an Irish pub, this red ale brings together a roasted malt sweetness with an earthy hoppiness for an incredible balance and full flavor.

Made with East Kent Goldings, English Fuggles, and Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops, plus Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60 malts. 5.8% ABV. While this is available year-round, it's particularly in demand around St. Patrick's Day.

Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout

Our Irish-Style Extra Stout amplifies the traditional drier versions from Ireland for a bolder, black brew.  The addition of both roasted barley and Dark Crystal malted barley give Extra Stout undertones of chocolate, molasses and dried fruit.  The beer is generously hopped with East Kent Goldings to balance the sweetness from the malted barley.

Extra Stout is a descendent of the British and Irish porters of the 18th Century.  These strong porters eventually became known as strong stout, then Foreign Stout or Extra Stout, depending on origin.  Extra Stouts were exported world-wide, gaining popularity in the West Indies, Africa and parts of Asia. 8.0% ABV.

In case you missed it, we reviewed our Irish Cream Liqueurs in part 1 of this series. Click here to read that.