Paddy's Old Irish Whiskey

Paddy's Old Irish Whiskey has a long and storied history. One of the best selling whiskeys in Ireland for over a century, the brand has undergone some changes over time as would be expected given the complicated history of Irish Whiskey. A few of the bottle and label designs over the last century can be seen above.  

The brand's origins date back to the Cork Distilleries Company which started in 1867 after the consolidation of four pre-existing Cork based distilleries. Their core brand was known as Cork Distilleries Company Old Irish Whiskey, quite a mouthful before even taking a drink. Paddy Flaherty was hired as salesman in 1882. For 40 years he was so good at his job that the whiskey became synonymous with him. Bars would order the whiskey from the distillery as "Paddy Flaherty's whiskey". In 1912, the distillery changed the name to Paddy Irish Whiskey in his honor.

Knowing the troubled 20th century history of the Irish Whiskey industry, it is no surprise that the distillery did not survive; however, the brand endured. In 1966, Cork Distilleries Company merged with Jameson Distillery and Powers Distillery. The three respective distilleries in Cork and Dublin were closed and replaced with the new Midleton Distillery. To this day the Paddy brand is made by Irish Distillers at Midleton Distillery. In 2016, the brand was sold to American company Sazerac which now sells it under the revised label Paddy's.

Still extremely popular in Co. Cork, it was the fourth best selling Irish Whiskey until a few years ago. The whiskey is a blend of all three styles of Irish Whiskey: Single Grain, Single Malt, and Single Pot Still. The blend is triple distilled and bottled at 40% abv. It has a higher malt but lower pot still content than other triple style blends. Cereal and honey notes on the nose and palate with a medium finish. It is a very approachable and non-complex Irish whiskey.  It is very affordable and a great value whiskey. From a price point it is slightly cheaper than comparable Jameson, Bushmills, or Powers standard core expressions. Taste profile would be most similar to Bushmills (white) vs. Jameson or Powers. It would qualify as an "everyday drinker" whiskey that would be popular on any home bar.

OFFICIAL TASTING NOTES:

NOSE: A complex interplay of nutty maltiness, woodland fragrances and spice, with hints of honey and vanilla.

TASTE: Light and crisp with a distinctly light, nutty, malty and charred wood character.

FINISH: A gently fading sweetness with, mellow maltiness and mild woody notes.

Widely available in the US for ~$20-$25.