What Is Irish, Whiskey?
Earlier this year, Malt Advocate Editor John Hansell posed an interesting question in his blog. He asked, “What is Irish whiskey, really?”, noting that most of the characteristics used to distinguish Irish whiskey from Scotch whisky are not very distinctive. These include triple- vs. double-distillation, non-peated vs. peated, and the use of a pot still vs. a column or Coffey still.
There also is the “whiskey” vs. “whisky” spelling difference, which tends to get people pretty torqued. The New York Times was barraged by offended uiscephiles after using “whiskey” in a December 2008 column about Speyside single malts. The newspaper subsequently changed its style guide. See, spelling counts. But let's not lose our senses of humour/humor...
Underlying John’s question are some pesky facts that don't support those distinctions, or at least not at all consistenty. First, many Irish whiskeys – including all of Cooley’s products – are double-distilled, and a number of Scotch whiskys are triple-distilled. Similarly, some Irish whiskeys are peated and some Scotches are not. And many Irish whiskeys contain at least some column still whiskey. About the only true defining qualities of Irish whiskey are that it be distilled in Ireland, matured in wooden barrels in Ireland and be at least 40 percent alcohol by volume.
Four dozen well-informed whiskey drinkers commented on his blog, including many members of the Irish Whiskey Society. One of the most interesting suggestions was to establish labeling standards for Irish whiskey so that terms such as “pure pot still” have clear meaning. "Pot still" in particular has some marketing cachet, leading to odd labeling such as "pot still blend." The labels take nothing away from -- or add anything to -- the whiskeys themselves. But knowing what went into the making of a particular bottling would be enormously useful and helpful. It would also educate drinkers and help elevate the discussion above the tossing about of vague or misapplied terms. In a slightly different context, "single malt" and "blend" often are blithely used to imply the quality of the contents, or even the sophistication of the drinker, without regard to whether or not the whisk(e)y is any good.
As good and substantial as the blog entry and comments were, I felt something was missing. And I think that it has more to do with the “Irish” than the “whiskey.”
Erin Go Wha...?!
Perhaps even more than Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey carries powerful connections to national and cultural identity. It's more than distilled spirits; it's history and heritage in a bottle. That's due in part to the Irish diaspora and the many millions of people worldwide of Irish descent. Within Ireland, there's national pride in the product. It's considered quintessentially Irish even among non-drinkers. There is a consistent flexibility and adaptability in Irish character born from centuries of history, from the warring tribes of Brian Boru's day to the Anglo-Norman invasion and assimilation, the Cromwellian campaign, the Penal Times, the death and mass emigration of the Famine, the Home Rule attempts, the Easter Rising, the Treaty, civil war and independence and beyond. Sorry for the one-sentence, 1,000-year history lesson, but it helps make a point: throughout all of that, the culture not only survived, it remained vibrant and transplanted itself around the planet because of its ability to adapt to changing and challenging conditions. In the U.S. for example, the Irish took over a political system that tried its best to keep them out. The Irish whiskey industry itself survived near extinction not long ago and is now one of the fastest growing segments of the spirits business.
True Or False? Yes.
Irish culture also is notable for its paradoxes. For example, the Irish are known for being easygoing. Jameson used that notion in some advertising recently. But that casualness disguises passion and intensity. An English-Indian business colleague once told me that "you seem Irish because you're very easygoing, but it's a lot of work." Whether that was accurate or not it defined "Irish" for him.
The Irish are widely seen as some of the friendliest people in the world, and yet they can be hard to get to know. I once saw the term "unknowable intimates" when describing Irish friends. And the paradoxes continue, as Maureen Dezell writes in her book Irish America:
"The Irish are wits and optimists who struggle with loneliness and depression, fighters of fanatic heart who assume much of life is predestiined. Known for their extraordinary loyalty to to family, friends, and community, they can also be relied on to completely cut off relationships. The Irish value conformity and respectability but tend to have a high tolerance for eccentricity and subversion."
I generalize, for sure. And in a culture of paradox, the opposite of everything above also is true (tricky, eh?). But the point is this: is it a surprise at all that John's question came up, or that it's difficult to pin down a clear definition of Irish whiskey? That, I think, is the "Irish" part of his question, and as much a part of the answer as the "whiskey." And we won't even get close to the far-ranging of question of "what is Irish" asked in a country that has changed so much in the past 30 years.
So, What Is Irish Whiskey?
Even accounting for foreign ownership of two of the three major Irish whiskey distilleries -- or at least financial reporting to the European continent -- the very resilient adaptability in Irish culture is the driving force in Irish whiskey today.
I don't have a count, but the number of new Irish whiskeys in the past few years is amazing. Cooley in particular have been tremendously energetic and innovative in creating and marketing new whiskeys. The company also has revived the long-shuttered Kilbeggan distillery. The Porterhouse Brewing Company late last year announced plans for a new distillery in DIngle, Co. Kerry. And just last month, WIlliam Grant & Sons, the Scottish distiller (Glenfiddich, Balvenie and others), acquired the venerable Tullamore Dew brand from C&C International and is widely believed to have plans to open a new distillery, possibly in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
I dare not venture a proper definition of Irish whiskey. I leave that to people smarter than myself (and you should have little trouble finding them...). But informally, I'd say that Irish whiskey is one of the most traditional, innovative, reliable, surprising, under-appreciated, fastest-growing, accessible and hard-to-find spirits in the world today.
That's all good news to me, for there is much there to explore and share.
Sláinte!
Good post as usual, particularly the mention of the wild contradictions of the typical Irish personality (e.g. hair-trigger temper but a soft spot for cute animals). As for the definition of Irish whiskey, my usual description is the mellow smoothness that most of it has. Scotch has the earthy peat, Bourbon has sweet/sharp duality, and Irish has the smoothness. It's never difficult for me to tell the difference.
I haven't read John Hansell's post, but I'll venture an uncharitable guess that he's exhibiting a deliberate obtuseness about Irish whiskey that I've seen from some other Scotch devotees. Because uisce beatha doesn't have the smack-you-in-the-face character of peat, and is thus harder to pin down, whiskey writers blow it off. Maybe because most Irish whiskey is easy to drink, the Scotch and Bourbon crowd dismiss it for not being "challenging." There's a philosophical undercurrent in much of the beverage literature I read that regards Irish whiskey as the JV whiskey. Like it's a phase you go through before you grow up and start drinking Scotch. Oh well, like most things Irish, the campaign for whiskey respect is an uphill battle waged by fierce devotees who are too stubborn for their own good.
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Thanks, Patrick. I think that John asked a pretty reasonable question. And he does devote a fair amount of attention to Irish whiskey, though the sheer number of Scotch offerings out there tend to dominate coverage. And I agree that there is that "JV" undercurrent out there. I think that's based in large part on a lack of info or exposure, or at least not enough to overcome earlier preconceptions. I'm too much a fan of good, quality drink to encourage anyone to stick to a crowd, per se. There are so many good whisk(e)ys available today. And Irish has so much going on right now it's worth a lot of attention.
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As a novice in the realm of Irish Whiskey, I may not be able to comment on the differences poured into my glass, however I'm a willing participant. That being said I do have an opinion on what Irish Whiskey means to me. After reading all I can get my mitts on about "the water of life" it seems to me that Irish Whiskey is no less a microcosm of Ireland itself. Consider this: its roots are firmly planted in the island(poteen), it was taxed to near extinction, exploited by those from foreign shores, and dispersed to every corner of the world. And lastly, if given half a chance, just like Ireland, Irish Whiskey will warm your heart like nothing else.
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Bit late into this so will not dwell on it but I must admit I really enjoyed it. John Hansell as well as Jim Murray are probably 2 of the more ardent followers of Irish Whiskey and they have my respect for that. As you say it is a very hard question to answer but what I try to do is get people to get past Islay and then compare Irish to Scotch. It is infurating to hear negative comments on Irish Whiskey as when you dig deaper you find most scotch drinkers who knock Irish Whiskey have a very limited exposure to the sector and is tantamount to me knocking Scotch because I think J&B & Johnny Walker Red label is crap. But what is Irish whiskey ... currently a whiskey sector with out identity outside of Jameson but hopefully this is slowly changing.
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