EAT + DRINK At their Dublin distillery, brothers Jack and Stephen Teeling create whiskey with a signature ABV of 46 percent.
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Teeling, established his operation in 1782. Their range begins with Small Batch ($38) and includes Single Grain ($49), Single Malt ($58), and Single Cask ($73). Using old stocks purchased from Cooley (previously run by the Teelings), they also release a 21 Year Single Malt ($250) and a 24 Year Single Malt/Single Cask ($630). (teelingwhiskey.com) Redbreast: Located in County Cork, Redbreast is the best-selling single-pot still Irish whiskey in the world. Redbreast produces 12 Year ($65), 12 Year Cask Strength ($85), 15 Year ($100), 21 Year ($300), and 27 Year ($540), as well as the Lustau Edition ($70) finished in sherry casks. Regular customers are encouraged to join The Birdhouse, a loyalty program that gives access to special bottlings. (redbreastwhiskey.com) Knappogue Castle: Mark Edwin Andrews purchased the historic Knappogue Castle in County Clare in 1966. He assembled a collection of rare single-malt Irish whiskey that he bottled as the legendary Knappogue Castle 1951 ($1,500 now, if you can find it). His son, Mark Edwin Andrews III, brought the brand to the U.S. The current range includes three single malts: 12 Year ($45), 14 Year ($60), and 16 Year ($92). (knappoguewhiskey.com) Glendalough: Hidden in the Wicklow Mountains about an hour south of Dublin, Glendalough was one of Ireland’s first craft distilleries. Five friends with a love of heritage spirits founded the brand and now
A handful of top-quality distillers are reintroducing the world to Irish whiskey By Mark Spivak Spirits have exploded in quality over the past three or four decades and attained an aura of connoisseurship, something previously reserved for wine. However, despite being affordable and easy to drink, Irish whiskey traditionally lagged far behind, dominated by massmarket brands. The situation is rapidly changing. Irish whiskey is the fastest-growing spirit in the world today, and the best examples are on par with the finest single-malt Scotch, premium tequila, or single-barrel bourbon. New distilleries are launching and releasing exciting expressions that combine extended aging with experimental barrel treatment. Here, we highlight some lesser-known brands worth investigating. Teeling: In 2015, the Teeling family opened the first new Dublin distillery in more than 125 years—very close to where their ancestor, Walter 112 ORLANDO ILLUSTRATED
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