Even with some big stories of closures and external purchases running through Irish whiskey distilleries, it is still an immensely strong category in the world of whiskey. Whether you are looking for newer brands or something a little unusual from a more famous location, Ireland has a wealth of options to choose from, with plenty of scope for experimentation.
The list below includes a few select choices that we love the sound of, and in some cases have even purchased full bottles for personal enjoyment. Check it out and let us know which one you like the sound of most.
Jameson Distillers Batch Single Pot Still, 46%, £60 / $50 – Spirits Gold 2026, 96 points
This is a bottle that I have bought and enjoyed over the last few months, so I was quite happy to see it pick up such a prestigious award.
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It is a classic single pot still style from Midleton Distillers, matured in five different cask types. The key ones are ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, so nothing too unusual there. Then it gets fun, with three separate fresh oak influences: American, Spanish, and Irish virgin oak.
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This is a bottle that needs some time after opening to allow those cask influences to really balance out, but it is all about honeycomb, salted caramel, spicy toffee, ginger, and orange peel. A really fun, interesting release from the folks at Midleton.
The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 46%, Join The Waitlist – Spirits Gold Outstanding 2026, 98 points
Another release with a strong focus on unusual cask influences. Originally launched in 2023, The Donn has been a focal point of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.
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READ THE STORYAlongside more traditional oak influences from ex-bourbon, ex-tawny port, and ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, there is also Hungarian oak at work here. It is not stated whether this comes from ex-Hungarian wine casks, such as Tokaji, or from fresh Hungarian oak, but it is clearly providing a huge amount of flavor for those with a sweet tooth.
Expect piles of dark chocolate, pecans, and maple syrup, with toasted oak and nutty dryness. It is a rather lovely expression of new Irish whiskey.
McConnell’s 20 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 51.2%, £300 / $375 – Spirits Gold 2026, 95 points
The first release in the Cromac Collection from McConnell’s, this is one of the creamiest, sweetest older single malts I have ever had the joy of trying.
McConnell’s has always impressed me with its core releases, but that consistency of quality has also shone through in its older bottlings. This whiskey spends 19 years in ex-bourbon casks before being moved into ex-tawny port casks, and you can really feel the quality of those woods.
This is not an old release being sold simply because of its age. It is genuinely wonderful. It is full of creamy white chocolate and fresh raspberry, while the palate develops further with baked plums, spiced red apple, and notes of lemon and black pepper.
The finish is massive, with a long, brooding profile that moves between grapefruit and lime juice before returning to more of that luscious toffee and white chocolate style.
Limerick Spirits The Society Cask Select Single Malt, 57.5%, £110 / $150 – Spirit Silver 2026, 94 points
This is a nine-year-old single malt whiskey, distilled in 2016 and matured in ex-bourbon casks for all of those wonderful foundation flavors of honey, toffee, and vanilla. It is then moved into ex-Marsala wine casks.
Marsala is an excellent sweet wine from Sicily, and it brings deeper, nuttier, more syrupy notes to add to that ex-bourbon foundation. Being bottled at cask strength allows this whiskey to really show off all of its qualities.
If you are into interesting casks from an interesting company, do check out the Limerick Spirits website for all of its fun offerings.
Killowen Distillery Signature Rum & Raisin Peated Single Malt, 55%, £51 / $63 – Spirit Silver 2026, 94 points
A fully peated Irish single malt matured in ex-dark rum and ex-Pedro Ximénez casks, bottled at 55% ABV. How can you say no to this?
Killowen has become known for making incredible quality Irish whiskeys, as well as naming them after the flavor profiles found within the bottle. This is loaded with hefty smokiness, followed by rich aromas of toasted coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and tropical fruits.
It is an excellent, fun bottle of single malt that showcases exactly what kind of quality distilling is happening in Northern Ireland. This is somewhere you all need to visit and taste the liquids for yourselves.
Teeling Crystal Single Malt, 46%, £68 / $90 – Spirit Silver 2026, 93 points
To create crystal malt, you have to use a process called stewing. This starts like other barley germination processes, but once the barley has germinated, it is heated in a closed environment, essentially mashing the starches in the barley.
The sugars created during that process are then caramelized by the heated environment. The use of heat and time helps create a specific flavor and profile.
So, the whiskey. Teeling is no stranger to experimentation, and here we have distillers’ barley and crystal malt, dual fermentation with distillers’ yeast and white wine yeast, triple distillation, and maturation solely in fresh American oak. Now breathe.
There are massive, crisp aromas of green apple and pear on the nose, with a super buttery taste profile of honey and toffee. The finish is very, very long, with notes of spiced pineapple, cinnamon, and caramel. An incredible bottle of whiskey.
Beara Distillery Black Cask Blended, 40%, £35 / $45 – Spirit Bronze 2026, 89 points
This is a somewhat classic Irish blended whiskey, but with one important and deliberate variation. It is a combination of Irish single malt whiskeys and Irish grain whiskeys, with the grain element matured in extra-char ex-bourbon casks. This gives the overall whiskey a creamier, richer feel.
It is then watered down with Caha Mountain spring water and bottled. The result has excellent aromas of ginger, chocolate, and fresh melon, with a taste and finish of toasted oak, sweet caramel, and soft, gentle spices.
An excellent example of new, affordable Irish whiskey.
Irish Whiskey Still Has Plenty To Say
Irish whiskey is not going anywhere, even with a downturn in the global market. It remains a massive, dense force in the whiskey world, with the ability to be a little more flexible in what it can release and how it can be matured.
Check out the experiments, check out the newer distilleries, and, of course, make sure you still get involved with the bigger distilleries to see what the wider world is buying.
