An Irish Whiskey Made In An 18th Century Pot Still? Yes Please!

Photo courtesy of Kilbeggan

A part of me — my more curmudgeonly side — hates writing about Irish whiskey in advance of St. Patrick’s Day. But hey, good whiskey is good whiskey no matter what time of year it is. And Kilbeggan’s new Single Pot Still expression is terrific. Is it the oats in the mashbill? Is it the 250-plus year old pot still (one of the oldest operational pot stills in the world)? I’d say yes and yes.

One interesting tidbit I didn’t get to mention in my writeup at Alcohol Professor is that the style of Irish whiskey we know today — a blend of malted and unmalted barley — dates back to the late 18th century, when the British imposed a tax on malted barley, in order to make more money from the burgeoning Irish whiskey market. “The only thing the Irish hated more than the British back then was having to pay them taxes,” Kilbeggan brand ambassador Michael Egan said. Hence, the unmalted barley in the mashbill. What a delicious way to avoid taxes.