Ireland's Latest Chapter

The Irish whiskey narrative over the past 15–20 years has been a story of restoration, perseverance, and conviction, galvanized by a resilient spirit that recognizes how the island nearly lost its whiskey industry in the 20th century. Dozens of new distilleries and hundreds of new Irish whiskey brands were founded with aspirations of capturing the U.S. market, but now find themselves facing a post-Covid world 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, and even the country’s number-one whiskey maker, Irish Distillers, recently announced a three-month pause in production. 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. And 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, as we explore below.

Blended whiskeys still represent the biggest category in Irish whiskey by volume, but here too there has been much creativity—led by market leader Jameson itself, whose Triple Triple Chestnut edition certainly represents a departure from the Jameson of old. In the meantime, there’s a host of names in our reviews that have emerged as some of the country’s best whiskey makers.

All of it shows that the whiskey scene in Ireland continues to evolve, both from long-standing producers and newcomers. Creative barrel selection, finishes, and other techniques are producing an increasingly refined array of Irish expressions to choose from.

CREATIVE ENERGY

Here are four Irish whiskey makers—with operations increasing in scale and complexity—who are taking on market challenges with zeal

NATTERJACK

Whiskey Bridge to America

Aidan Mehigan, founder and CEO of independent bottler Natterjack Irish Whiskey, is a risk taker and survivor. The former hedge fund trader swapped the world of finance for whiskey making, and chose the Natterjack toad, an endangered native species with a distinctive yellow line running down its back, as his brand’s symbol. Natterjack had an inauspicious start, forced by Covid to quash plans to convert a former mill into the Gortinore Distillery. The fledgling business slid into bankruptcy protection in 2022, with Mehigan having an eight-day deadline to raise $5 million in the same week that his wife was about to give birth to their third child.

Failure was avoided by focusing on the U.S., and drawing on the methods of American whiskey culture. Custom distilling is quite common in the U.S., and Mehigan set out to control how his Irish whiskey was made. Triple distilled at Great Northern Distillery to Mehigan’s specifications, Natterjack’s side would handle the aging, finishing, and blending.

Jordan Via, best known from Breckenridge Distillery in Colorado, was recruited as master blender. Experimentation included blending together Irish and American whiskeys to find the right flavor profile. The final Natterjack product is 100% Irish, but its signature virgin American oak finish creates a flavor profile familiar to bourbon drinkers. When the initial 40% blend failed to capture much of their attention, Mehigan launched a cask strength version at 63%, bursting with butterscotch flavors. It was a highly unusual strength for an Irish whiskey, but well attuned to the American whiskey drinker and word began to spread. Natterjack Irish whiskey is now found in 20 markets in the U.S. and sold in 27 countries.

“To develop the industry, you need to innovate to convince people to look at what you have,” says Mehigan. “So if Natterjack can be that gateway for a bourbon, scotch, or Japanese whisky drinker to take a fresh look at Irish whiskey, then the whole sector wins.”

TWO STACKS

Bonded Whiskey 2.0

Irish whiskey bonding was widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries, when bonders bought stock from different distilleries to mature, blend, and bottle for their customers. The tradition had died out by the mid-20th century when the Irish whiskey industry fell into peril, and it took until the last decade for a revival to occur. The modern-day bonder acquires both mature and new distillate from distilleries across the island, and works with cooperages to build up a range of cask types. “Being whiskey bonders gives us flexibility and creative freedom that traditional distilleries might not have,” says Shane McCarthy, co-founder of Two Stacks. Six years after McCarthy and partners Liam Brogan and Donal McLynn started a global export company specializing in Irish beer and whiskey, they created Two Stacks in 2020 and opened their independent bond in Newry, Northern Ireland in 2022. Their signature blend combined single pot still, single malt, peated malt, and grain whiskeys, showcasing that there’s more to Irish whiskey than triple distillation and smoothness. Each year, Two Stacks commissions distillate from independent distilleries such as Ardara, often with heritage mashbills. Many people discover Two Stacks through its Dram in a Can. A first for Irish whiskey, these little 100-ml cans show that Two Stacks wants to create high-quality whiskey that can be accessible and portable.

McCarthy draws confidence in the future from Ireland’s current cultural renaissance, from hip-hop bands to Oscar-winning actors including Cillian Murphy, Saoirse Ronan, Barry Keoghan, and Paul Mescal, and an explosion of award-winning bars and restaurants. “There’s a renewed sense of pride in what we create,’ he says. “This cultural energy is fueling Irish whiskey’s rise, making it more than just a drink—it’s a statement.” Two Stacks has released more than 120 whiskeys to date, and holds stocks from 17 different Irish distilleries, though maintaining long-term contracts, securing high-quality spirit, and ensuring consistency between batches is an ongoing challenge.

ARDARA

Peated, The Donegal Way

County Donegal in the far northwest of Ireland was once the heart of Ireland’s illicit distilling activity. Today it’s where James Doherty is on a mission to reclaim the area’s lost whiskey heritage. Both of Doherty’s grandfathers were illicit distillers, so distilling is in his blood. He and his wife Moira founded Sliabh Liag Distillers (pronounced “sleeve league”) in 2014, initially with The Legendary Silkie, a sourced label in various versions that entered the U.S. in 2020. Around that time, Sliabh Liag was building its own distillery, Ardara, which began production in 2022. Its debut whiskey has been bottled, and after a decade spent establishing his company and building a fan base with The Legendary Silkie, Doherty feels like he’s just getting started.

Ardara is not your typical Irish whiskey. Doherty says he wanted to develop a whiskey with a distinctive identity and a profound sense of place. “Distilleries that are successful stand for something, and for us, that’s peat,” he says. Ardara is a heavily peated, triple-distilled single malt with a fruity, nutty, and waxy character and a delayed smokiness that goes off in your mouth like a depth charge. Doherty argues that most peated Irish whiskeys are essentially peated scotches made in Ireland, and he took Ardara down a different route and went “grains in,” a principle that would undoubtedly be familiar to his grandfathers. Made with a hammer mill and cooker, the mash is unfiltered, and so retains higher levels of phenols. After 72 hours of fermentation a waxy quality develops, with the grains carrying more peat smoke into the wash still than would occur at a conventional distillery using clear wash. The intermediate and spirit stills are short and modeled on those at Macallan, while the Ardara wash still has a quirky offset neck that creates lots of reflux. Precise cut points target the ashy, smoky character in the distillate without bringing over the medicinal notes associated with Islay whiskies. “I love those flavors, but a smoky Irish should be approachable in a different way,” Doherty says.

As a distillery owner, Sliabh Liag has complete control over the process, techniques, and flavors, and that reinforces its message about the whiskey’s intrinsic qualities. Obviously, building a distillery requires more capital expenditure and time, but Ardara is armed with a clear story to tell. “We remain optimistic,” says Doherty. “You can never really pick a ‘good’ time to start a business like ours, but we chose now. Good whiskey that stands up to scrutiny, peer review, and has a profound sense of place has always been in demand.”

BUSHMILLS

A Decade of Change

Twenty-five years ago, the Old Bushmills Distillery offered a dependable lineup of traditional single malt sippers and two quality blends, Bushmills Original and Black Bush. New releases were rare until Proximo Spirits, the Mexican drinks concern that owns the Jose Cuervo tequila franchise, Stranahan’s American single malt, and Pendleton Canadian whisky, acquired the distillery in 2015. Of course the Bushmills team was already busy innovating, but neither the whiskey market nor the former owners (Diageo) seemed ready for all that.

Bushmills has since benefited from a sustained period of investment, growth, and recognition, including the 2023 opening of its Causeway Distillery (adjacent to the existing one) and its first-ever milestone of over a million cases sold annually. Its floral, fruity spirit is tailor-made for finishing, and that’s now showcased through expressions finished in chestnut, acacia, and a wide variety of wine, port, and sherry casks. Master blender Alex Thomas has applied her expertise to the Bushmills Private Reserve series, using some of the most unusual casks to date, from muscatel to amarone. Age statements have increased too, making Bushmills more collectible. The core range now extends to 30 years old, and The Rare Cask Collection included limited editions aged from 28–32 years.

Then Bushmills 46 year old came along in 2025, the oldest Irish single malt ever. Priced at $12,500, it scored 95 points with Whisky Advocate. It has a nose of roasted coffee, walnuts in syrup, ground cinnamon, dark chocolate, nutmeg, and bitter oak, with a dark, syrupy consistency on the palate. A burst of black cherry jam is replaced by walnut, treacle, sultana, cinnamon, and clove, followed by maple syrup, dried apricot, marron glacé, blackened oak, and coffee grounds, leaving a long spicy, syrupy satisfying finish.

Thomas regards Bushmills 46 year old as a reminder of Irish whiskey’s tough times in 1978, when that liquid was laid down, as the Emerald Isle had only had two operational distilleries. “Now, it’s a completely different story,” she notes.

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10 Irish Single Pot Still Whiskeys

94 Redbreast 18 year old, 46%, $249

Milk chocolate, maraschino cherry, black currant, licorice, dried fruits, and clove

93 Boann P.X. Cask Finished, 47%, $60

Raspberry, red apple, plum jam, baked apples, chocolate praline, and active spices

93 Bushmills Private Reserve Series 2012 12 year old Bordeaux Cask Finished, 47%, $75

Raspberry, sliced apple, vanilla, creamy malt, and gingersnaps

93 Drumshanbo Marsala Cask Finished, 43%, $80

Apricot, clove-studded orange, honey-drizzled stone fruits, pot still spices, mango, and papaya

93 Method and Madness Amburana Cask Finished, 46%, $80

Toffee, crushed cardamon pod, Oreo cookies, cinnamon stick, ginger, and hazelnut syrup

92 Clonakilty, 46%, $50

Vanilla, coastal freshness, lime zest, kiwi, coconut macaroon, and Ferrero Rocher

92 Gold Spot 13 year old Generations Edition, 46%, $165

Deliciously oily, red grape, dusty oak, red apple, roasted nuts, and toasted oak

92 Writers’ Tears, 46%, $80

Orange cake, glacé cherry, crisp red apple, marmalade, cinnamon, and plum

91 Two Stacks The First Cut, 43%, $40

taffy, apple, peach, dried tropical fruit, spice, caramels, toffee, berry-studded chocolate, and cappuccino

89 The Busker Small Batch, 46.3%, $50

Stewed apple, blueberry pancakes, marzipan, pot still spices, bramble, and dark chocolate

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Irish Single Malt Releases

94 Teeling Blackpitts, 46%, $89

Subtle smoke, orchard fruit, panna cotta, sweet florals, marmalade, and peppery spice

93 Shortcross 5 year old Peated, 46%, $103

Honey, graham cracker, dried orange, chocolaty peat smoke, roasted spices, and Black Forest gateau

92 Dingle Lá ‘Le Brìde, 52.5%, $150

Honey, vanilla, peppercorn spice, clove, dried herbs, caramelized brown sugar, and cinnamon

92 Keeper’s Heart 10 year old Malaga Wine Cask Finished, 43%, $100

Creamy vanilla, brown sugar, oatmeal cookies, and pepperoncini spice

92 The Quiet Man 10 year old Marsala Wine Barrel Finished, 43%, $55

Pineapple, passion fruit, cherry limeade, Creamsicle, citrus sorbet, and subtle oak

91 Fercullen, 46%, $50

Green apple, florals, citrus peel, lemon, brown sugar, and creamy malt

91 Glendalough 7 year old Mizunara Finished, 46%, $100

Citrus, melon, sandalwood, root ginger, grapefruit peel oils, and banana custard

91 W.D. O’Connell Small Batch 5 year old Fino Cask Finished, 50%, $80

Blossom honey, custard creams, sugared almonds, banana peel, and green olive

89 Connacht, 47%, $60

Lemon peel, barley, dried flowers, baby cucumber, creamy custard, and aniseed

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Selected Irish Blends

93 Midleton Very Rare Vintage 2024, 40%, $350

Citrus peels, vanilla toffee, nutmeg, tropical fruits, spun sugar, and toasted oak

92 Irish Whiskey Bonding Co. Chancer, 43%, $55

Aromatic peat smoke, candied lemon, Love Hearts, lemon mousse, creamed banana, and apricot syrup

92 Jameson Triple Triple Chestnut Edition, 40%, $29

Toffee, toasted hazelnut, green pear, double chocolate muffin, vanilla, and spice

91 Bart’s, 46%, $50

Honeysuckle, vanilla sponge, citrus peel, peat smoke, s’mores, and sweet pear

91 Dunville’s 1808, 40%, $30

Barley, honey, nutmeg, soft fudge, mandarin, and cantaloupe

91 Natterjack The Mistake, 46%, $59

Heather honey, beeswax candles, toasted coconut, vanilla, toasted oak, and gingersnap

91 Portmagee, 40%, $60

Candied lemon, creamy vanilla, ground cumin, tangerine, sweet rum, and grapefruit

90 Slane, 40%, $30

Blackberry, apple, toffee, butterscotch, nuts, and herbs

90 The Legendary Dark Silkie, 46%, $44

Coal dust, shoe polish, dried coffee grounds, sliced apple, malt, and peppercorn

89 Muff Liquor Co., 43%, $35

Smoked fish, burning oak chips, grain notes, honeydew, vanilla, and woodsmoke

88 Lost Irish, 40%, $40

Mango, pineapple, honeydew, lime sherbet, and gooseberry

Unusual Irish Releases

91 Dunbrody Small Batch Bourbon Cask Matured Single Grain, 43%, $55

Vanilla sugar, English muffin, cornbread, granola, honey, and white pepper

89 Powers Irish Rye, 43.2%, $32

Green foliage, nutty rye bread, red apple, dry earthiness, Ryvita crispbread, and peppermint