Whiskey: Awards and new arrivals

Recently I sat down in front of 13 tiny plastic tasting beakers – the sort you get from merchandisers when they’re doing tastings in the supermarket. These, however, were filled with something a little more interesting than what you might find in SuperValu on a Friday night.

Each contained a sample of one of the winning spirits (or beer in one case) in the Irish Whiskey Awards. Tasting blind, I proved to myself beyond doubt that I have a taste for very expensive whiskey – no surprise there.Beyond that there was a fascinating range of whiskeys and other spirits in the line-up.

At this time of year awards seem to fly like confetti at a wedding. Some seem to give prizes to anything that is entered, others are of greater interest.

The Irish Whiskey Awards is now in its third year, and represents a serious attempt to reward the very best in our expanding whiskey industry. All entries are tasted blind by a panel of seasoned tasters. For the second year in a row, Redbreast 21 scooped the top prize for both the best Single Pot Still Whiskey and overall Whiskey of the Year. The only downside is the price; it sells for around €185 a bottle. Brian Nation, master distiller at Irish Distillers was there to pick up this award, along with several others.

"The interest in whiskey has grown massively," he told me. "Whiskey lovers now want to meet us, the people who make it, which was not always the case before. Consumption is growing too; every time we build a new still, the pressure grows to expand again." He is looking forward to working in the new micro-distillery in Midleton. If Redbreast 21 is beyond your budget, the Tullamore Dew 12-year-old Special Reserve won the trophy for best whiskey at €60 or less. This is a worthy winner, performing very well as a match for chocolate in a tasting at Electric Picnic earlier this year. The awards also include the best whiskey bars in Ireland. This is a great way to try out a range of whiskeys without having to buy a full bottle. The overall winner was Dick Mack's in Dingle. For full results, see irishwhiskeyawards.com.

Meanwhile Noffla, the Irish off-licence association, announced the results of its annual Gold Star Awards for wines. These are tasted blind by several panels of experienced wine drinkers. I thought this year contained a few real gems, including an old of favourite of mine, the unoaked Danie de Wet Chardonnay sur lie. I would also highly recommend the d'Arenberg d'Arry's Original and the Suavia Soave which both won awards in the under €20 category, as well as another old favourite, the El Coto Rioja Crianza 2011, a winner in the Old World Red under €15 category. For full results, see Noffla.ie/gold_star_awards.

As we are on the subject of whiskey, TCD graduate student Fionnán O'Connor has just released A Glass Apart, a brilliant book on Irish pot still whiskey. This uniquely Irish method of production, currently enjoying a revival, was once widely produced in towns and cities around Ireland. O'Connor, who possesses an amazing depth of knowledge, lightly worn, covers every aspect of the history and production of pot still whiskey. He provides comprehensive tasting notes on every pot still whiskey available and profiles the personalities behind our national drink, including distillers, coopers, blenders, and maturation experts. The photography, by Swedish whiskey-lover Ole Grunnér, is exceptional too. This is a must for the whiskey aficionado in your life this Christmas.

Another new release is the Powers Three Swallow. The iconic three swallows embossed on the bottle originally referred to the quality of the whiskey (as in three-star brandy) and not the number of sips required to drink a glass! Ignore what you read on this subject on the internet.

[ jwilson@irishtimes.com ]