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St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, so I did some research on some wonderful Irish whiskeys that we carry. Ireland occupies a founding place in whiskey history; it’s thanks to Irish monks making ‘Water of Life’ that whiskey as we know it exists. Irish whiskey is now enjoying a revival after a long decline that saw many distilleries close over the years for a variety of reasons.

Green Spot: Green Spot was first produced by a Dublin wine merchant called Mitchell & Son back in the 1800s. Mitchell & Son purchased single pot still whiskey from the Jameson Bow Street distillery and sold it as their own. They marked the barrels with a spot of paint and the colors of the paint were used as indicators of maturation period. The old Green Spot was at least a 10-Year-Old whiskey,” Muldoon explains. “However, from the 1970s onwards (ever since the whiskey has been distilled at the Middleton Distillery) it has generally been around seven to nine years old. These days the whiskey has been matured in a combination of new bourbon refill barrels and around 10 percent of it is whiskey that has been aged in Oloroso sherry butts. It’s a great introductory single pot still whiskey: very light and floral on the palate with notes of green apples and pears.

Jameson: We’re all familiar with Jameson, but this one is a real head-turner. With floral notes and smooth taste, this triple-distilled whiskey is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Paddy: This delightful whiskey was named after a gregarious sales representative for Cork Distilleries Company called Paddy Flaherty. This is a light, pure, and well-balanced whiskey. For the amateur whiskey drinker, Paddy Irish Whiskey is probably the best to start off with.

Powers Gold Label: Powers Gold Label is a classic Irish whiskey. At one time it was the best selling whiskey in Ireland—and there are still parts of the country where it is more popular than Jameson,” Muldoon says. “It is made from a blend of pot still and grain whiskeys that have been aged in ex-bourbon barrels for five to six years. It has a lovely rounded character—and it’s light and zesty on the palate with fruit and honey notes.”

Bushmills: With a 409 year history Bushmills whiskey; is Ireland’s oldest whiskey. A nice Irish Whiskey blend with a light golden color. It’s got some corn grain and vanilla on the nose which gives way to a pear, apple, and vanilla taste. This whiskey is very soft and easy and fairly drinkable.