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St Patrick\u2019s Day is just around the corner and we know just the thing to put you in the spirit. It may surprise you to know that Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. Towards the end of the 19th century, the \u2018golden age\u2019 saw it flourish worldwide. Just a century later, however \u2013 due to world, civil and independence wars; the US Prohibition; and a trade war with Great Britain \u2013 the popularity of the tipple plummeted to a staggeringly low one per cent of what it once was.<\/p>\n
Were it not for a secret meeting between century-old rivals within the Jameson, Powers and Murphy families, Irish whiskey as we know it may have ceased to exist. Thankfully, that meeting took place, and, putting their differences aside, a deal was struck. This turning point for a country with so much liquid heritage paved the way for change, and Ireland began to rekindle its love with the dram. Fast-forward to today and the commitment to investment and innovation when it comes to the liquid gold of Ireland has never been so strong.<\/p>\n
With new distilleries and projects blooming, it\u2019s such an exciting time for Irish whiskey. The signature light and smooth expressions are better than they\u2019ve ever been, but there\u2019s also a flourishing variety, with delicious wine finishes and even a little peat to play with. These bottles \u2013 whether exceptionally made purist blends or masterstroke finishes \u2013 represent the best of this new golden age.<\/p>\n
How we tested <\/p>\n
A selection of the best Irish whiskeys that we taste tested (Adrian Smith)All Irish whiskeys were tasted and tested in two distinct scenarios to determine their ranking. Firstly, we wanted to get an idea of how they performed when drunk neat. Each whiskey was tasted in pure form, then with a few drops of water and finally with a large cube of ice. This allowed us to get an idea of how they evolved, so we could rate their aroma, concentration and depth of flavour.<\/p>\n
Our second test was to taste each whiskey with a simple mixer and in the most famous whiskey cocktail: an old fashioned. Each whiskey was tasted and tested blind, so as not to allow packaging or any other external factors to affect the decision.<\/p>\n
The best Irish whiskeys for 2025 are: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping expertsSign up for our free IndyBest emailSign up for our free IndyBest email I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our\u00a0privacy policy St Patrick\u2019s Day is just around the corner and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n