|
Whiskey in Ireland
Different kinds of whiskey
How Whiskey is made
Possibilities for visiting in Ireland
Stores
Other links
Visits in Ireland
  
History of whiskey making
In the 6th Century AD, Irish
monks journeyed to the Middle East and it is thought that it was there they observed
how the alembic was used to distil perfume. On returning to Ireland the invented
their own version - the 'Pot Still'. This they used to create a new spirit known as 'Uisce
Beatha' - 'The Water of Life'
BARLEY - MALTED AND UNMALTED
Irish Whiskey is made either from
malted barley or from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley and other cereals. In
Ireland the malt is dried in closed Kilns unlike in Scotland, where malt is dried over
open peat fires. This, the malting process used for Irish Whiskey not only avoids a
smokey taste but also ensures a smooth and natural flavour.
MILLING
Precise amounts of barley and other
cereals are ground and them mixed with pure water in a large vessel called a 'mash run'.
PUREST WATER
From the underground springs, in
bubbling streams and fast-flowing rivers Ireland is blessed with an abundance of
clear, pure water.
FERMENTATION
The starches in the mash are
converted in to a sugary liquid 'wort'. This is separated from the residual grains
and pumped into the 'wash backs' where yeast converts the sugars in the wort to low
strength alcohol or 'wash'
THREE SEQUENTIAL
DISTILLATIONS
The art of distillation enables the
creation of new whiskey for 'wash'. This is the heart of the process with the wash
being heated in large copper pot stills of traditional design. In Ireland whiskey is
obtained only after three separate distillations, each sequence resulting in a
further process of purification.
At the first stage a distillate
named 'low wines' is obtained. This full flavoured product called 'feints' requires
one further distillation which is carried out in a spirit still. This, through a repeated
sequence of distillations, a final spirit of light and delicate character is obtained. It
is this new whiskey which, after maturation, will become Irish Whiskey.
MATURING IN OAK CASKS
The maturing whiskey is stored for
years in vast, dark, aromatic warehouses, Here it rests in fine oak casks, some of which
have been used previously for sherry. While the whiskey matures, there is a complex
interaction between the whiskey, natural wood extracts, and the air which 'breathes'
through the wood of the cask, giving a superb, mellow bouquet to the whiskey.
Different kinds of whiskey
Andrew A.Watt & Co.
Coleraine Distillery
Comber Distilleries Co.
The Cork Distilleries Co.
Fitzgerald & Co.
John Jameson & Son
John Locke & Co.
John Power & Son
The Midleton Distillery Co.
Mitchell & Son
The "Old Bushmills" Distillery Company
The Tullamore Dew Company
Zie voor nadere informatie hierover deze
link
Other links
http://ireland.iol.ie/wmeathtc/lockes/
for an overview of Ireland
http://www.techpress.com/whiskey/
for different whiskeys (among others Irish)
Stores
Liquor
By Wire
The whiskey store
| 
