Re: Why isn't Irish whiskey as good as Scotch?


Terry wrote:
> On 26 Aug 2005 08:34:04 -0700, hauntedriver@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> >I'm sure I read somewhere that the Irish started distilling the 'water
> >of life' before their Scots counterparts, so why is Scotch -
> >particularly the single malt variety - so much better than the original?
>
> It's a myth:
>
> "Several factors led to the poor status of Irish whiskey in the
> American market. In the 1870s Irish whiskey was second only to rum in
> the world market following the destruction of French brandy production
> by blight. But soon unauthorized blending of Irish whiskey with other
> spirits by shady American merchants became common. During Prohibition
> bootleggers often labeled homemade whiskey "Irish" to help it sell.
> The bad taste it left in the mouth soured many customer's memories,
> and hurt sales both before and after the 20's. The upheavals that led
> to Irish independence hurt production and distribution; the British
> Commonwealth leveled an embargo on Irish goods. Finally, Americans
> began what I consider to be a distasteful love affair with Scotch when
> our G.I.s were stationed in Britain during the Second World War. "
>
> http://www.mindspring.com/~mccarthys/whiskey/irish.htm
>
>
> Belief: Irish whiskey isn't as good as Scotch whisky.
>
> Reality: Just like Scotch whiskies, some Irish whiskeys are
> outstanding while others are not.
>
> When I told a Scotch whisky distillery manager that I was going to
> Ireland, his reply was (tongue-in-cheek), "I didn't know they made
> whisky in Ireland." The truth is that Scotland, Ireland, the United
> States, and Canada make some great whiskies, and they also make some
> not-so-great whiskies.
>
> Unfortunately, I encounter many single malt scotch drinkers who don't
> drink Irish whiskey and aren't willing to even try it. Given that the
> flavor gap between Irish and Scotch whisky is narrowing, combined with
> the recent release of outstanding, high-quality Irish whiskeys, if you
> adopt such a myopic view you will miss out.
>
> To prove this point, I often slip in a good Irish whiskey during my
> single malt scotch tastings events; you would be surprised by the
> overwhelming favorable response.
>
> http://www.maltadvocate.com/html/ir_irish.html

Thanks Terry, and interesting and useful post. I tried sticking with
Jamesons for a year or two in my twenties but found the allure of
scotch variety too compelling, even though some of the single malt
prices are prohibitive. Now in my thirties I only drink malts, usually
something with a smoky tang like Talisker or Laphraoig. I recently
bought a Gold Medal Winner, the 18yo Talisker, but still prefer the
younger version, which is a fair bit less.

In food I tend to opt for the organic or locally produced option, so
with whisky I'm thinking about the chill filtering issue. I don't like
water in my drinks, so the cloudiness issue isn't a problem for me. In
principle I therefore oppose the removal of certain parts of the drink,
but only if the taste has been compromised. But not being dedicated
enough to spend time buying in dozens of different bottles to conduct a
tasting comparison (or rather brave enough - the missus would have a
thing or two to say about such an unscientific experiment), I haven't
had the opportunity of deciding which of the two methods is best e.g.
chill-filtering or natural.

I'd always assumed Van Morrison referred to home made whisky in 'It
Stoned Me'. If he did, I'd like a glass of that myself.

TTFN,

CB

.

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