Regardless of how or where you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, you'll need to have Irish whiskey on hand. Whether for sipping neat, with a splash of water, on ice, in a cocktail, or chased by a Guinness, we have you covered! There are four main styles to explore: Single malt, made from 100% malted Irish barley and either double or triple distilled; single pot still, known for its spiciness and distinctive oily mouthfeel, made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, and occasionally adjunct grains such as oats and rye; single grain, made from different grains in a column still; and blended, made from a combination of any two of the above styles. For the Irish diaspora scattered across the world, St. Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to raise a glass to the old country. When it comes to which whiskeys to pour, we’ve selected everything from neat pours to make-at-home Irish cocktails. In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, whether you’re Irish or not, you’re invited to the party.
19 HIGHLY RATED IRISH WHISKEYS FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY SIPPING
SINGLE POT STILL
94 points - Redbreast 12 year old Cask Strength, 56.3%, $85
Butterscotch, red berries, clove, anise, ginger root, milk chocolate, vanilla pod, and oak
93 points - Boann P.X. Cask, 47%, $60
Apples baked in brown sugar and syrup, chocolate praline, clove, licorice, plum, and prune
93 points -Drumshanbo Marsala Cask, 43%, $80
Fragrant florals, dried apple ring, clove-studded orange, tropical fruits and honey-drizzled stone fruits
93 points – Green Spot Quails’ Gate, 46%, $70
Red apple, cranberry sauce, cherry, pepper, clove, nutmeg, and a hit of salinity
93 points – Kilbeggan, 43%, $45
Orange, apricot, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, roasted hazelnut, and crisp pot still spices
93 points – Teeling Wonders of Wood Virgin Swedish Oak, 50%, $100
Caramel chocolate bars, gingersnap, vanilla, ground almond, and nutmeg
92 points – Clonakilty, 46%, $50
Coconut macaroon, orchard fruit, milk chocolate, pot still spices, toffee, and caramel
SINGLE MALT
94 points – Limavady Single Barrel (0039), 46%, $50
Barley sugar, butterscotch, candied orange peel, and pepper
94 points – Teeling Blackpitts, 46%, $75
Orchard fruit, panna cotta, sweet florals, tangy marmalade, and peppery spice
93 points – Bushmills 10 year old Private Reserve Bordeaux Finished, 46.5%, $60
Espresso, chocolate babka, cooked raspberry, and dark chocolate drizzle
93 points – Shortcross 5 year old Peated, 46%, $103
Melted milk chocolate, toffee, roasted spices, black forest gateau, and peat smoke
92 points – Ballykeefe, 46%, $65
Sweet tea, marzipan, sweet granola, black pepper, faint cayenne, and forest floor
92 points – Knappogue Castle 12 year old, 40%, $45
Lemon meringue pie, orange, spice, dried fruits, and baked apple
SINGLE GRAIN
91 points – Dunbrody Small Batch Bourbon Cask, 43%, $55
Vanilla, honey, walnut, peppery spice, toasted oak, and granola
91 points – Method and Madness Virgin Spanish Oak Finished, 46%, $60
Glazed fruit, vanilla, citrus peel oils, oak, wood spices, oat cookies, and pecans in caramel
91 points - Two Stacks Double Barrel, 43%, $45
Sweet cherry, citrus peel, pepper, clove, fudge, honey, and red apple
BLENDED
94 points – Writers’ Tears Double Oak, 46%, $65
Cinnamon, chocolate, dark toffee, pepper, and ginger
93 points – The Irishman Cask Strength (2023 Vintage), 55.3%, $155
Peach, caramel apple, heather honey, wood spices, malt, dried fruits, and hazelnut
92 Jameson Triple Triple Chestnut Edition, 40%, $30
Cassia, toffee, green pear, dark chocolate, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg
6 Irish Whiskey Suggestions to Sip On
Neat: Sip Kilbeggan single pot still to appreciate the complex interplay of flavors between the concentration of fruit and the expression of the pot still spices on the palate.
On the Rocks: The Irishman Cask Strength blend works beautifully when chilled with the flavors evolving as the ice melts.
Highball: Two Stacks Double Barrel single grain’s sufficient spice and light, fruity flavors cut through in a long drink and make a truly refreshing Highball.
Irish Coffee: While almost any Irish blend works well in an Irish Coffee, try Knappogue Castle 12 year old in this Irish Coffee riff, as the well-balanced flavors of this bourbon barrel-aged triple-distilled single malt is the perfect accompaniment to the coffee and cream.
Beside a Guinness: Dublin’s peaty Teeling Blackpitts single malt is an ideal chaperone for the stout, perfectly complementing the velvety mouthfeel so you can focus on trying to split the G.
In a Tipperary Cocktail: Enjoy classic whiskey picks in this cocktail or consider mixing things up for St. Patrick's Day. The oats and rye in the mashbill of Boann’s triple distilled single pot still PX cask, combined with the oloroso and PX solera casks, stand up well against the vermouth and orange peel garnish.
