And now for a wee dram . . .

Interest in Irish whiskey has never been stronger, and now there are several single pot still varieties to enjoy, writes JOHN WILSON

IRELAND HAS A long and noble history in making whiskey, although the 20th century was not kind to us. A combination of factors – two World Wars, the war of independence, civil war and the economic war with Britain and prohibition in the US – left producers without their traditional export markets. By the 1970s we had just two distilleries remaining. By contrast, our neighbours in Scotland saw a massive expansion in the same period, and Scotch became the whisk(e)y of choice in most countries.

In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in whiskey in Ireland, with the opening of the Cooley and Kilbeggan distilleries, alongside the existing Midleton and Bushmills operations. In addition, both Bushmills and Irish Distillers (owned by Diageo and Pernod Ricard respectively) have increased their range dramatically, and now offer a range of styles in various price brackets. Included in this are a few single pot still whiskeys.

A single pot still whiskey is a uniquely Irish form of spirit. It is made in large copper stills, using a mix of malted and un-malted barley. It is therefore distinctly different to a spirit made in a continuous still. Pot still whiskey is triple-distilled, and therefore smoother, often with an oily texture. A single malt, in the Scottish tradition, is also distilled in copper pot stills, but is generally only distilled twice, and uses only malted barley. In Ireland, Cooley Distillery and Bushmills both produce fine examples of these.

For many years, Green Spot, originally a Jameson aged by wine merchants Mitchell Son, and Red Breast were the sole remaining pot still whiskeys. However, Irish Distillers recently revived the art with the launch of two new pot still whiskies, Power’s John’s Lane, named after Power’s spiritual home in Dublin, although it is produced in Midleton, and Barry Crockett Legacy, in honour of the master distiller of Midleton. Crockett was born in the Distiller’s Cottage in Midleton, and began working in the distillery at the age of 17. He succeeded his father as master distiller in 1981, and his name appears on every bottle of Midleton Rare.

Not to be left out, Cooley has just released a triple-distilled pot still Poitín, the first produced outside of Midleton for 35 years. Given a few years ageing in cask, this could legally be classified as a whiskey. At the moment it is well worth trying (€29.99, from the Celtic Whiskey Shop) to discover what a young, un-aged pot still spirit tastes like. I found it spirituous, but with distinct fruit and citrus flavours.

Each of the pure pot whiskeys has its own distinct character. The method of distillation has a role, but the flavours will change dramatically, depending on the types of cask in which it was matured, and the length of time spent in barrel. Whiskey producers use a mix of used sherry, port, bourbon and new oak casks (American or European), depending on the style they wish to create. The length of time spent in barrel intensifies the flavour and smoothes out any rough edge, too.

For those interested in trying all four single pot still whiskies, there will be a taster pack available soon, with a generous 50ml bottle of each, perfect for two people. These will be available in Dublin airport duty-free and from the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dawson Street (€39.95). The full bottles are available in most off-licences throughout the country. For further details of pure pot still whiskeys, see singlepotstill.com.

BOTTLES OF THE WEEK

Power's John's Lane Single Pot Still 10-year-old Whiskey, 46%, €55Some floral notes on the nose. This is less oaky than many whiskeys, with a very individual, worn leather note on the palate; that may not sound too attractive, but it is. There are also plenty of dried fruits and citrus, and a subtle oakiness. It has an oily texture, too, and some chocolate and pepper on the finish.

Green Spot Single Pot Still Whiskey, 40%, €45A very individual nose of lanolin and mint; the palate has an attractive oiliness, some pears, a light honeyed note and a fruity finish. It has a nice freshness throughout and a distinctive and very enjoyable character all of its own.

Redbreast Single Pot Still 12 year-old Whiskey, 40%, €45Much richer than the two above, with plenty of coffee, vanilla and spice on the nose and palate. It has a fruitiness allied to a sweet, honeyed, oaky texture. Aged in a mix of sherry and bourbon casks, but it is the sherry that comes through. Full of flavour and nicely rounded.

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, 45%, €165This has a delicate nose, with floral notes and some caramel and spice. The palate is rich, rounded and spicy, with vanilla and cumin and a light peppery touch, with some orange peel in the background. The finish is light and very smooth.

BEER OF THE WEEK

Brekle's Brown Ale, 6%, €5-€5.50 for a 650ml bottleThis all-malt single hop beer is made by the Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, famous for Anchor Steam. It went down a treat on a wet Wednesday evening; full-bodied but subtle, with lots of rich malty flavours, but light enough to whet the appetite for more. Stockists: Drinkstore.ie. Manor Street, Dublin 7; Redmond's, Ranelagh; McHugh's, Kilbarrack and Malahide Road; Abbot's Ale House, Cork; Martin's, Fairview

Deutz Champagne dinner

The Irish Times, in conjunction with Champagne company Deutz, will host a dinner on December 8th in the Constitution Room of the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. Champagne Deutz, one of the founding members of the Association des Grand Marques, was established in 1838. Fabrice Rosset, chairman and chief executive, will be present to guide diners through four of their Champagnes, including their top cuvée Amour de Deutz and the 1998 William Deutz served from magnum, as well as St Joseph Les Challeys from Delas, the Rhône producer owned by Deutz. Shelbourne executive chef Garry Hughes has created a four-course menu to match each of the cuvées. The cost of the dinner is €75 per person. Places are extremely limited for this dinner and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. You can register interest in a place at irishtimes.com/winetasting (please limit bookings to no more than two people).