Irish Whiskey Reviews

The Bushmills 1608 Anniversary Edition is a beautiful blend with sentimental value. Released in 2008 to commemorate Bushmill's 400th anniversary for their license to distill, a new review now may seem somewhat out of place. For reasons I will now expound, the review is timely in October 2025. When Irish Whiskey Society America launched in October 2010, there were only 3 Irish distilleries producing whiskey. Variety was somewhat lacking, especially compared to today with over 40 distilleries and numerous other bonders, bottlers, and independent brands. As we were just beginning as an Irish Whiskey club in the USA, this expression...

Exciting things are happening south of Belfast at Rademon Estate Distillery, home to the Shortcross range of distilled spirits. From the 2014 launch of their Shortcross Gin, the range of spirits has expanded into intriguing Irish Whiskey releases. David and Fiona, husband and wife team, are crafting unique expressions at their boutique distillery which are winning over whiskey enthusiasts and creating a legion of fans.  From their first whiskey release in 2021, you knew something was different at Rademon Estate. Their inaugural release was matured in Bordeaux red wine casks before finishing in chinquapin oak, making it unusual having not...

In 2022, Sazerac Company purchased the Lough Gill Distillery in Co. Sligo. Lough Gill had previously released sourced whiskeys, most notably the trilogy series of 14yr single malts under the Athru name. In April 2025, Sazerac renamed the distillery Hawk's Rock and announced further investment and expansion of the sprawling facility at Hazlewood House by the lake made famous by W.B. Yeats. The Garavogue 20yr Single Malt Release 1 is the first Irish Whiskey under the new iteration. This new Irish Whiskey is named after the river in Sligo. The Garavogue may be the shortest significant river in Ireland; however,...

World Rum Day on July 12th inspired this review of Killowen Rum & Raisin Single Malt. Killowen distills its own Dark Rum and then uses its rum casks when finishing this single malt sourced from Great Northern Distillery.  Killowen is one of the smallest Irish distilleries, located in the Mourne Mountains of County Down. Despite its small stature, the artisinal methods of bonding, blending, and distilling have amassed a huge following of enthusiasts known as the Killowen Kult. Killowen's Dark Rum is made from sugar and blackstrap molasses distilled in a thumper keg, a type of mini still that makes a...

The Writers' Tears Irish Whiskey brand, the brainchild of Walsh Whiskey, pays tribute to the famous Irish literary giants like Shaw, Joyce, and Wilde who sought writing inspiration in whiskey. Our review of the Double Oak expression is inspired by the month of June, particularly Bloomsday (in honor of James Joyce Ulysses) and National Cognac Day (to highlight the whiskey's finish).  The original Writers' Tears launched in 2009 at a time when the Irish Whiskey had yet to re-emerge into the new renaissance we know now. The significance of the brand (and its cousin The Irishman) was its unique style....