Not only are the number of distilleries returning to pre-decline levels, a newer style of Irish whiskey is emerging based – somewhat ironically – on a much older style.

Until the introduction of the Coffey or continuous still, Irish whiskeys were crafted using copper pot stills. The Coffey still, which allowed for spirits to be made continuously and comparatively cheaply, was not exactly welcomed by most Irish distillers, who went as far as to declare that any spirit coming out of the new contraption shouldn’t even be called whiskey.

Nonetheless, the use of the Coffey still eventually became accepted. One of the offshoots was a style of Irish whiskey that was lighter in body, less assertive in flavour, and less complex. The newer breed of distillers are looking for a bit of a return to the original style.

“I was interested in what made Irish whiskey so interesting back in the 1800s,” Walsh says. “Traditional Irish whiskies were a blend of single pot still [a distinctive style of whiskey unique to Ireland that uses both malted and unmalted barley in the mash] and single malt whiskies, without the inclusion of column-distilled grain spirits. In the 1900s, this more assertive style largely disappeared. We wanted to push forward by going back to what Irish whiskey had historically – and originally – been like.”

Experimentation with different wood types for maturation and finishing is also becoming standard practise for both new and established distillers. Katherine Condon, Distiller at Irish Distillers (producer of the Jameson brand, among others) reports that her company’s commitment to wood experimentation and maturation has taken it around the world in search of exciting new varieties.

“One example is the new limited-edition release Method and Madness single pot still Irish whiskey finished in virgin mulberry wood.” A world first for Irish whiskey, this release features spirit finished in white mulberry wood felled from central Hungary. “The wood is harvested and air-dried for two years at the Kádár sawmills in Tokaj before being transferred to a cooperage in Budapest. The relatively high porosity and medium toasting [of the wood] impart elevated flavours of wood spices and enhanced toffee sweetness to the whiskey.”

Walsh reports that finishes in his Writers’ Tears whiskey stable include “Seaweed IPA Cask Finish,” “Marsala Cask Finish,” and “Mizunara Japanese Cask Finish.” He also says that Writers’ Tears has another first for Irish whiskey involving a unique collaboration in Canada on route that is set to be launched this fall in Toronto.

Teeling says his distiller uses over 100 different varieties of casks. Irish law says the casks must be made of wood. It doesn’t stipulate the type. Chestnut? Acacia? Amburana? Knock yourself out. Not surprisingly, a return to the use of native Irish oak is being tried by a few distillers.

“Before the term Emerald Isle became synonymous with Ireland, it was actually called the Wooded Isle because 90 per cent of the island used to be covered in forest,” Donal O’Gallachoir of Glendalough Distillery explains. “However, the once plentiful indigenous Irish Oak was almost completely cleared away. The only places you find it now is on (the grounds of) old manor houses and in the more mountainous areas. The original oak for aging Irish whiskey would have likely been our own, and as we went around the world looking for various finishing casks, it dawned on us to take a look at what would have been used historically.”
As O’Gallachoir notes, Irish oak isn’t easy to come by (largely due, Sweeney quips, to the past British penchant for chopping it all down to build warships), and his distillery goes to some length to ensure sustainable harvesting.

“We harvest the oak trees in a very sustainable way,” O’Gallachoir reveals. “For every one tree felled, seven more are planted. The type of tree we use – Dair Ghalda – is a rare and unique native variety that’s very porous, and fast growing due to the climate in Ireland, and it lends flavours like sticky toffee and black molasses to the matured whiskey; a whiskey that has a character like nothing else out there.”

With the ongoing interest in Irish whiskey has come a corresponding interest in whiskey tourism, as well as a desire to explore the ways whiskey fits into Irish culture, gastronomy and hospitality.

“The majority of Irish people throughout Irish history had a very hard life,” Kennedy reveals, “and a little drop of something to take the edge off was always welcome. Whiskey also fuelled a lot of our literary traditions, poetic traditions, music traditions…and our sense of fun and hospitality. In any case, for a lot of Irish people, whiskey was almost a necessity to get through the hardships of life.”

Kennedy also explains that whiskey was so ingrained into Irish culture and tradition that there was literally nothing that could come between the Irish and their drink. Even at the height of the temperance movement there was a place for whiskey. “Everyone, no matter how influenced by the temperance movement they may have been, recognized that a wee drop of something was a part of Irish hospitality, particularly for special visitors…the Catholic priest, for example. It was still perceived as something special. You might have come in for a cup of tea, but it wouldn’t be long before a bottle of whiskey came out.” She also points out that St. Patrick’s Day happens to fall in the middle of Lent. So even though most people would have stopped drinking for that period, you were effectively allowed to give up Lent on St. Patrick’s Day and indulge in a nip or three.
Whiskey was synonymous with wakes – both of the traditional sort and what was called the American Wake. When a son left for America, that was ultimately the last he’d see of his family. This sort of wake would go on for a few days and those attending would typically have been well lubricated with whiskey.

Of course part of the Irish tradition of hospitality maintains that your guests are fed and not just watered. Gastronomy might not come immediately to mind when you think of Ireland, but Kennedy thinks this is changing as more people discover the island’s bounty.

“I’m really proud of our food culture that isn’t celebrated enough,” Kennedy confesses. “The pairing of local food with our whiskey speaks to our inherent hospitality that dates back to the time when hospitality was written right into law. When a stranger arrived at your door you made sure they were given food and drink. I think this has remained an inherent part of who we are – and why people come to Ireland.”

Kennedy points to the superb raw materials at the heart of Irish cuisine. “We have the best dairy produce in the world; we have a fantastic culture of producing artisanal, family-farm produced food items.” All of which can work with Irish whiskies.

“There are some very natural pairings: chocolate – especially that with nuts and citrus. But this is a bit limited. So, with an eye to Irish history, we are looking at the foods that would have been produced in the past – creamy cheeses where the fat content works with the alcohol component in whiskey.”

Speaking of alcohol, one of the keys to making food and whiskey work together should be dead obvious, but it’s often overlooked. “The legislation states that Irish whiskey can only be bottled above 40 per cent alcohol, but that doesn’t mean that’s the way you should drink it,” Sweeney cautions. “Especially with food pairing; you can dilute it down a bit to allow the flavours to best mingle with the food.”

No matter how dynamic, an industry can’t grow without people to harness and direct that growth. Renewed curiosity in distilling by Ireland’s younger generation will be instrumental in the renaissance of the Irish whiskey industry. As Walsh colourfully puts it: “Youth will, and should, have its fling! Given the many decades that Irish whiskey was in the doldrums, it is both inevitable and essential that there is an influx of younger generations to fill the void and seek out their ‘fortunes’ in a sector that is rebuilding towards the status it held 100 years ago. There is plenty of room for both young and new masters in the Irish whiskey scene. We need the Banksys and Lady Gagas of the new generation to join those of us who are closer to the Damien Hirst and Pink Floyd phases of our careers. With that sort of community we can safely say that the best is yet to come for Irish whiskey!”