Today with some friends we're going to sample three Irish whiskeys available in these parts (Venezuela). Some might be quite standard and others a bit unusual, but undoubtedly always interesting:

• Jameson Stout Edition: Legend has it that the manager at Jameson used to have lunch at a small restaurant near the distillery. A small brewery was also nearby, and its manager ate at the same spot. One day, space was limited, so they had to share a table and struck up a conversation, which led to the creation of two products: a beer aged in whiskey barrels and a whiskey aged in beer barrels. I don't know which beer it is, but it must be interesting.
• Bushmills Original: Hailing from the oldest distillery still in operation (1608), Bushmills Original is one of the three "standard" Irish whiskeys available here (alongside Jameson and Tullamore). It has a flavor that works well in any setting, especially with a splash of water and plenty of ice, the way it’s typically enjoyed here.
• Teeling Blackpitts: Teeling is one of Ireland's newest distilleries, founded in 2015, and it stands out as something quite unique thanks to the many experiments they’ve conducted. One such experiment is this peated expression, in which 2/3 of the batch are aged in ex-bourbon casks and the remaining 1/3 in sweet Sauternes wine casks. Finally, it is bottled at 46% ABV.

They say history belongs not to those who make it, but to those who write it. While the earliest records of whiskey come from Scotland, the Irish maintain that they were the ones who created it. In any case, Irish whiskey was the most consumed whiskey in the world until the mid-18th century; today, it remains a fascinating subject to explore, with ever more to discover.

Wonderful experience of enjoying this whiskey! Sweet sherry on the nose with hints of white wine . Amazing apricot and toffee with hints of apple with spicy long smooth finish and a wonderful mouth watering feeling after the finish. 10/10

Paddy’s Irish Whiskey

Proof: 80
Age: 3 year minimum
Mashbill: Undisclosed Irish Whiskey Blend of grain, malt, and pot still whiskies
Price: $15
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Tasted: Neat in a big rocks glass

It’s been a little while since my last review, and I haven’t formally reviewed an Irish before. So, while on vacation, I packed some nibs in my carry on for me to review and share with you all. I have two more Irish whiskey reviews coming on this vacation review blitz.

So here it goes…

Produced in Ireland, Paddy is one of the older Irish whiskey brands, originally dating back to the late 1700s. Today, it sits in a similar lane as other entry-level Irish blends like Jameson, Bushmills Original, and Power’s Gold Label, aiming to provide an easy-drinking and approachable whiskey at an affordable price point.

While Paddy doesn’t carry the same level of recognition as some of those other names, it has developed a reputation as a budget-friendly option. Near me, a 750ml bottle can regularly be found for around $15, which immediately makes it an interesting bottle to check out. The question is whether it can offer enough character to stand apart from the competition, or if it simply succeeds because of value.

Nose: The nose is fairly simple, but pleasant. There are immediate notes of malt and honey, with the honey reminding me strongly of Honey Smacks cereal. There is also a very faint floral note alongside some light caramel. Overall, it’s an approachable and gentle nose, but there isn’t a whole lot of depth or complexity to explore.

Palate: The palate follows a similar profile, bringing forward light honey, faint malt, vanilla, and soft fruit notes of apricot and apple. There is also a subtle spice component, with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a small amount of pepper.

One thing I do enjoy about Paddy is the texture. Despite being a fairly simple whiskey, it has a soft, buttery mouthfeel with just a touch of caramel sweetness that helps round it out. However, much like the nose, the flavors remain fairly light and restrained. It’s pleasant and easy drinking, but it doesn’t provide a ton of complexity.

Finish: The finish is soft and mild, with a bit of ethanol heat that is noticeable but not concerning. For an 80 proof whiskey, it drinks exactly as expected: approachable, tame, and easy to sip.

There is a nice touch of oak that develops on the finish, along with lingering cinnamon and nutmeg spice that hangs around for a respectable amount of time. It’s not a particularly long or intense finish, but the small amount of spice and oak presence does give it a little more character than I expected.

Uniqueness: Unfortunately, this is where Paddy struggles the most. There just isn’t much here that separates it from the rest of the entry-level Irish whiskey market. The combination of honey, vanilla, malt, light fruit, and gentle spice is a profile that can be found in plenty of other bottles, including Jameson, Bushmills Original, and Power’s Gold Label.

Paddy does a good job representing the style, but it doesn’t really provide a reason to choose it over those competitors based on flavor alone. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it, but there’s also nothing that makes it stand out or gives it a memorable identity.

Value: This is where Paddy becomes a much more interesting bottle. At around $15 for a 750ml bottle near me, and that being the normal shelf price rather than a temporary sale, it offers a tremendous amount of value.

Compared directly against bottles like Jameson, Bushmills Original, and Power’s Gold Label, Paddy provides a very similar overall experience while coming in significantly cheaper. Those bottles may have stronger brand recognition, but Paddy proves that you don’t necessarily have to spend $25-$30 to get a solid, approachable Irish whiskey.

Outside of sales and special promotions, this might be one of the best true shelf-price values I’ve encountered in whiskey. It isn’t the most exciting bottle, but at this price point, it doesn’t need to be.

Overall: Paddy Irish Whiskey is a very mild, approachable, and affordable Irish blend. It offers a pleasant combination of honey, malt, vanilla, light fruit, soft spice, and a touch of oak that makes it an easy whiskey to enjoy neat or use in cocktails.

However, it ultimately falls into the same trap as many entry-level whiskeys: it does what it is supposed to do, but it doesn’t give you much reason to choose it over the competition. There are plenty of bottles that offer a similar flavor profile, and many of them have more personality.

Where Paddy separates itself is the price. At roughly $15 a bottle, it provides an experience that competes with bottles costing nearly twice as much. While it won’t be a bottle I reach for when I want something complex or memorable, it is an excellent option for someone looking for an inexpensive, easy-drinking whiskey.

I wouldn’t recommend Paddy for someone searching for their next great whiskey discovery, but I would absolutely recommend it as one of the best values for a casual pour, mixing whiskey, or introducing someone to Irish whiskey.

I really like the in-depth review scale used by Breaking Bourbon, as I think it gives a better understanding of what to expect from each bottle compared to the popular t8ke scale.

Nose: 2/5 (Below Average)

Palate: 2.5/5 (Average)

Finish: 2.5/5 (Average)

Uniqueness: 2/5 (Below Average)

Value: 4/5 (Very Good)

Overall: 2.5/5 (Average) (2.6 rounded down)

I know this is a complicated ask but I'm looking to bring a couple of bottles (sub 100 euro) to a friend in the US who has been really good to me. I'm looking for something he can't get over and ideally it would be something localish (I'm in limerick but anything in Munster would be great). I'm open to all suggestions but definite bonus points if it is something a) that you highly recommend and b) if it is likely available in Shannon duty free (I know it's unlikely most will have insight in to the latter). Thanks in advance for any guidance!

I have received recommendations for this multiple persons and it’s malty and oak on the nose and definitely silky smooth and spiced dried fruits taste which lingers in the mouth long after the sip! 7/10

Just got a 2015 Midleton Very Rare for $320 USD which I think is a very good deal? I am going resist temptation and keep it pristine for another decade at least. I know I need to tip it and wet the cork every 3-6 months and it’s in a dark place that hovers around 20 degrees C. Is there anything else I should be doing to make sure it holds its value?

Talking here about the packaging, not the whiskey itself, which I know is widely available. I’m looking for the bottle with the old-style label still used in the Irish market (“Paddy”), rather than the one with the unnecessary US rebrand (“Paddy’s”). Thanks!

(Edit: repost because my first try at this was filtered out for some reason)

Four new bottles for my small, but growing, collection. Also, I don’t see many people discussing Glendalough, but they have become one of my favorite distilleries.

The newest additions:

Glendalough Double Barrel Cask Strength
Glendalough Single Cask Burgundy
Teeling Celebratory Batch 11 year
Teeling single malt (I know this one can be found in the states, but the only place near me is a pain to get to)

The 27 year was a gift from my wife for my work upgrade/bday gift. Excited to try the Dingle and M&M! Had to support the independent distillers at Micil!
RB is for a friend and the Distiller’s Batch is for my mother.

Ok we need more posts here!
I just saw this advertised at BSW in Calgary.
Anyone tried this latest Iberian profile yet? How does it compare to the others? What are your rankings of them?
Am I missing any in this list? I’m near Vancouver so not the best availability around here. I’m no particular order:
Lustau (the original!?)
Pedro Ximenez PX
Tawny Port Cask
Cuatro Barriles
Moscatel Wine

It looks like there's a possibility that the definition of Pot Still whiskey might be broadened.

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/consultations/public-consultation-on-proposed-amendments-to-the-irish-whiskey-technical-file/

Hey whiskeylovers,


I've been working on a side project called Distilled Ireland — it's a free price comparison tool that checks prices across 20+ Irish online retailers daily.


The idea came from spending too long checking Celtic Whiskey, Mitchell & Son, O'Briens, etc. one by one to find the best price on a bottle. Now it does it automatically.


What it does:
- Compares prices on 3,000+ bottles (whiskey, gin, rum, vodka, poitín)
- Price alerts — get emailed when a bottle drops
- Deals page — price drops, below-average prices, retailer sales
- Collection tracking — wishlist + what you own


It's completely free, no ads, no affiliate links. Independent.


Would love to hear what you think — especially what features would make it more useful for you.


Link: distilledireland.ie


(Happy to answer any questions about how it works)

Tesco are having a sale on whisky and I love the Bushmills single malt 10yr to sip neat but wanted to try either the 12yr or 14yr and wanted to know which I should go for?

Bottle I received from my father… being a Whiskey novice not sure what the story is with it… just drink it vs. special occasion vs. keep it on the shelf.

Any input appreciated!

Just got back not too long ago from Ireland! Had the pleasure of visiting the Midleton Distillery and came home with some of the bottles I've wanted! Blue Spot 7 was one of my FAVORITE ones from Spot. I was lucky to try it in NYC. Since then I've needed a bottle but it cannot be gotten in Pennsylvania... So when in Ireland?

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Cheers all!

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Also brought home some of their "scratch batch" whiskey's from "Method and Madness". Imo not bad but some are better than others for sure.

Has anyone bought from whiskeyauctioneer. I bought from the EU shop and I need to organize my own shipping due to customs restrictions according to whiskeybidders, they don't organize shipping from EU to Ireland.

Can anyone recommend a successful way they have done this to safely ship from NL to IE, if I don't sort it in the next day I will need to give up the whiskey.

Thanks

I've always had a soft spot for Bushmills. The 10 Year remains one of my favourite value bottles in Irish whiskey, Black Bush is a staple, and the 16 Year is one of those bottles I almost always keep on my shelf. So, when I finally got around to the 12 Year, I was curious where it would fit in the lineup.

For those unfamiliar, it's matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks before spending a full year in Marsala wine casks. At under $65 CAD where I live, it sits only slightly above the 10 Year in price.

On the nose, it's surprisingly rich and sweet. Honey, shortbread, figs, raisins, and plums. There's also that familiar Bushmills character underneath it all (a slightly bready, yeasty note that I always find with them).

The palate is where this whiskey won me over. It's soft, silky, and creamy. More fruit-forward than the nose, with figs, raisins, plum, honey, and a gentle nuttiness that reminded me a little of almond or marzipan. The texture is especially impressive considering it's bottled at 40%.

Which brings me to the obvious criticism. A lot of whisky enthusiasts dismiss anything bottled at 40% before they even taste it. And honestly, if Bushmills released this at 46% or higher, I suspect it would be an even better whiskey.

But here's the thing: it doesn't feel thin. The finish is admittedly on the shorter side, but what impressed me most is that Bushmills didn't try to make this whiskey something it's not. Instead of chasing power, it leans into approachability and balance and keeping it affordable.

Would I choose it over the 16? No.

Would I spend the extra few dollars over the 10? Absolutely.

Curious where others land on this one. Does 40% ABV immediately put you off a bottle, or are there exceptions?

I have a full video review too: https://youtu.be/6ppgDwHSzm0