Over 130 whiskeys were considered for the annual awards
The 2018 Irish Whiskey Awards were hosted on Thursday night at Slane Distillery in Meath, Ireland.
Founded in 2013 by The Celtic Whiskey Shop, The Irish Whiskey Awards celebrates distillers new and old for being the best at their craft.
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Managing Director Ally Alpine said, “The Irish Whiskey Awards has become such an important date in the Irish events calendar and we’re delighted to run it to raise funds for the very deserving charity Mary’s Meals.”
Mary’s Meals feed over one million children every day whilst ensuring they attend school; all proceeds from the awards ceremony will benefit the Kapatomoyo School in Zambia.
Over 20 different award categories were judged in blind tasting sessions by members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society, and Cork Whiskey Society. For the first time. Galway Whiskey Trail and Kilkenny Whiskey Guild participated this year.
Overseas members of the Celtic Whiskey Club also had the opportunity to purchase sample packs without having to travel to Ireland.
Irish Distillers won the Best Irish Whiskey of the Year with the Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength as well as picking up medals for the Barry Crockett Legacy (Best Single Pot Still Whiskey), Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street (Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of €60 or more) and several gold medals.
The Teeling Whiskey Company in Dublin won Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of less than €60 with their Teeling Small Batch and in the single grain category, a gold medal for the Teeling Single Grain.
The Dingle Distillery in Co Kerry was awarded Best New Irish Whiskey for the Dingle Single Malt Batch 3, Best Irish Gin for Dingle Gin and Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Craft Beer for the Dingle Dark Star Ale. For the bar category, it was Dick Mack’s in Dingle that won Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year.
The winners of the 2018 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows:
Overall Winners
- Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year – Dick Mack’s, Dingle
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Categories
- Best Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy
- Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger) – Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Finish
- Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older) – J.J. Corry The Flintloch 16 Year Old
- Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60) – Teeling Small Batch
- Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more) – Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street
- Best Irish Single Cask Whiskey – The Irishman Founder’s Reserve Caribbean Cask Finish
- Best Irish Cask Strength Whiskey – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
- Best Irish Single Grain Whiskey – Kilbeggan Single Grain
- Best New Irish Whiskey – Dingle Single Malt Batch 3
- Best Irish Gin – Dingle Gin
- Best Irish Vodka – Ballykeefe Artisan Irish Vodka
- Best Irish Poitín – Bán Poitín
- Best Irish Liqueur – The Dubliner Irish Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur
- Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer – Dingle Dark Star Ale
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Leinster) – The Dylan Whisky Bar, Kilkenny
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Munster) – Dick Mack’s, Dingle
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Connacht) – Garavan’s, Galway
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Ulster) – The Duke of York, Belfast
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International) – The Dead Rabbit, New York
Did your favorite Irish whiskey take home an award? Let us know in the comments!
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