OCTOBER 17th 2019: Emerging and established Irish whiskey producers and bars were honoured this evening at the 2019 Irish Whiskey Awards which took place at the Dingle Distillery in Co.Kerry. The evening commenced with a tour of the distillery and drinks reception hosted by the Dingle Distillery co-founders and team. Keynote speaker, Colum Egan, Master Distiller for Bushmills Distillery presented the awards, which are now in their seventh year and span over 20 categories.
Walsh Whiskey won the coveted Best Irish Whiskey of the Year prize for the Irishman 17-Year-Old as well as picking up a gold medal for their newly released Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Japanese Mizunara Oak Finish. Irish Distillers did exceptionally well and won awards for their Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy (Best Irish Single Pot Still), Jameson Black Barrel (Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of €60 or less) Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street (Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of €60 or more), Redbreast 12-Year-Old Cask Strength (Best Irish Cask Strength) and Method & Madness Single Grain Virgin Spanish Oak Finish (Best Irish Single Grain).
In the malt categories, Dunville’s PX Cask 12 Year Old — crafted by the Echlinville Distillery — was awarded Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years & Younger and the Teeling Whiskey Company in Dublin won Best Irish Single Malt 13 Years & Older for the Teeling Brabazon Volume 1. For the bar categories, it was Bowe’s Bar in Dublin that won the top accolade of Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year, after many years of picking up a gold medal for Best Whiskey Bar in Leinster.
Judging of the awards took place in July and August with members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society, Irish Whiskey Society Dingle Chapter, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild & Cork Whiskey Society as well as two new participating societies; Waterford Whiskey Society and Belfast Whiskey Club. Overseas members of the Celtic Whiskey Club also had the opportunity to purchase sample packs without having to travel to Ireland. Whilst members of the trade were responsible for blind judging the white spirits, liqueurs and barrel-aged beer categories. The winners of the 2019 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows:
Overall Winners
- Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – The Irishman 17 Year Old
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year – Bowe’s, Dublin
Categories
- Best Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy
- Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger) – Dunville’s PX Cask 12-Year-Old
- Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older) – Teeling Brabazon Volume 1
- Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60) – Jameson Black Barrel
- Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more) – Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street
- Best Irish Single Cask Whiskey – The Irishman 17 Year Old
- Best Irish Cask Strength Whiskey – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
- Best Irish Single Grain Whiskey – Method & Madness Single Grain Virgin Spanish Oak Finish
- Best New Irish Whiskey – Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
- Best Irish Gin – Beara Ocean Gin
- Best Irish Vodka – Lough Ree Zesty Vodka
- Best Irish Poitín – Mad March Hare Poitín
- Best Irish Liqueur – DV8 Gold Cream Liqueur
- Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer – Dingle Celebration Stout
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Leinster) – Bowe’s, Dublin
- 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
For a full list of awards and gold medal winners, please see below.
Commenting on the awards, organiser Ally Alpine — Managing Director of Celtic Whiskey Shop and organiser of Whiskey Live Dublin — said
“The Irish Whiskey Awards celebrates the excellence and innovation in the Irish Whiskey industry whilst raising funds for our incredible charity partner Mary’s Meals. Tonight’s event will feed 702 pupils every day for a year.”
Business Development Director of the Porterhouse Group and Dingle Distillery, Elliot Hughes said
“We are delighted to be hosting the Irish Whiskey Awards this year. It is always a fantastic event and we are looking forward to showing people what makes Dingle Distillery and Dingle town, so special.”
The events charity partner, Mary’s Meals — www.marysmeals.ie — feed over 1.5 million children everyday whilst ensuring they attend school. Tickets for the awards were priced at €50 and all proceeds from the night will be donated to sponsor the Kapatomoyo School in Zambia. Drinks Industry was the event’s media partner and key sponsors include the Irish Whiskey Association and Tuath Irish Whiskey Glass.
FULL RESULTS
Overall Winners:
-Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – The Irishman 17 Year Old
-Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year – Bowe’s, Dublin
Best Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey
– Winner: Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy
– Gold Medal: Redbreast 15 Year Old
– Gold Medal: Green Spot
Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger)
– Winner: Dunville’s PX Cask 12 Year Old
– Gold Medal: Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Finish
– Gold Medal: Tyrconnell Single Malt
Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older)
– Winner: Teeling Brabazon Volume 1
– Gold Medal: Dublin Liberties Keeper’s Coin
– Gold Medal: Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old
Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60)
– Winner: Jameson Black Barrel
– Gold Medal: Slane Triple Casked Irish Whiskey
– Gold Medal: Tullamore D.E.W 12 Year Old Special Reserve
Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more)
– Winner: Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street
– Gold Medal: J.J. Corry AN FA
– Gold Medal: Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Japanese Mizunara Finish
Best Irish Single Cask Whiskey
– Winner: The Irishman 17 Year Old
– Gold Medal: Sonny Molloys Redbreast 16 Year Old
– Gold Medal: Celtic Cask 27
Best Irish Cask Strength Whiskey
– Winner: Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
– Gold Medal: The Whistler 7 Year Old Cask Strength
– Gold Medal: Writers’ Tears Cask Strength 2019 Release
Best Irish Single Grain Whiskey
– Winner: Method & Madness Single Grain Virgin Spanish Oak Finish
– Gold Medal: Glendalough Triple Barrel
– Gold Medal: Kilbeggan Single Grain
Best New Irish Whiskey
– Winner: Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
– Gold Medal: Dingle Single Malt Batch 4
– Gold Medal: Teeling Single Pot Still Batch 3
Best Irish Gin
– Winner: Beara Ocean Gin
– Gold Medal: Echlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin
– Gold Medal: Dingle Gin
Best Irish Vodka
– Winner: Lough Ree Zesty Vodka
– Gold Medal: Assaranca Vodka
– Gold Medal: Loch Measc Vodka
Best Irish Poitín
– Winner: Mad March Hare Poitín
– Gold Medal: Straw Boys Poitín
– Gold Medal: Bán Poitín
Best Irish Liqueur
– Winner: DV8 Gold Cream Liqueur
– Gold Medal: Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur
– Gold Medal: Coole Swan
Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer
– Winner: Dingle Celebration Stout
– Gold Medal: Crann Beatha Imperial Stout
– Gold Medal: DOT Brew Easy Malt Dipa
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Leinster)
– Winner: Bowe’s, Dublin
– Gold Medal: The Palace Bar, Dublin
– Gold Medal: The Sky & The Ground, Wexford
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Munster)
– Winner: Dick Mack’s, Dingle
– Gold Medal: The Shelbourne Bar, Cork
– Gold Medal: The Folk House, Kinsale
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Connacht)
– Winner: Garavan’s, Galway
– Gold Medal: Sonny Molloy’s, Galway
– Gold Medal: Sean’s Bar, Athlone
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Ulster)
– Winner: The Duke of York, Belfast
– Gold Medal: Bittle’s Bar, Belfast
– Gold Medal: Madden’s, Belfast
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International)
– Winner: The Dead Rabbit, New York
– Gold Medal: Milroy’s of Soho, London
– Gold Medal: The Dillon, Iceland
