2022 Irish Whisky Awards Announces The Best Irish Whiskies

This year, the Irish whisky Awards (IWA) celebrated its ninth anniversary. Ally Alpine, an Irish whisky entrepreneur, founded the awards in 2013, and they have since become the leading awards in the Irish whisky business. Consumer and industry participants alike appreciate the extent and excellence of the evaluation process.

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard's Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin hosted the awards ceremony. Gerard Garland, Brand Engagement and Advocacy Team Manager, presented the awards.

The Irish whisky industry has grown significantly over the last three decades, and the Irish whisky Awards honour the greatest aspects of the industry. The industry now boasts over 40 distilleries, up from just two in 1985 and just four in 2013.

Despite the impressive growth in the number of distilleries, the number is less than half of the 88 Irish whisky distilleries at their 19th-century peak.

The winners of the Irish Whisky Awards 2022 were declared. Several hundred ballots were collected over the summer for this year's awards. Celtic whisky Shop, Dublin's most prominent whisky retailer, held blind tastings at Stephen's Green's Three-Storey Bar in Dublin. The company also coordinated tastings throughout Ireland with members of the Celtic whisky Club, Irish whisky Society — Dublin and Dingle, Cork whisky Society, Waterford whisky Society, Kilkenny whisky Guild, Ennis whisky Club, 1875 whisky Club, Carlow whisky Society, and Belfast whisky Club. Industry professionals are also judged in large numbers.

Irish Spirits and White Spirits whisky Liqueurs were back in this year's competition. A panel of local bar staff, mixologists, and industry experts who tasted and scored Irish Gins, Poitins, Irish Vodkas, Irish Creams, and other Irish spirits blindly scored these entries. All the results have been audited and verified by Serghios Florides, Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Irish whisky Magazine, and William Lavelle from the Irish whisky Association.

William Lavelle presented the Irish whisky of the Year award to the Echlinville Distillery for Dunville’s 21 YO Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish (Cask 1197).

Kircubbin, outside of Belfast, is the headquarters of Echlinville. The Dunville whiskys are named for one of Northern Ireland’s ancient whisky producers.

Lavelle took the opportunity to emphasise the remarkable development of the Irish whisky business, saying:

The Irish whisky category has grown to become one of the most significant nights in our industry’s calendar, and this year the Irish whisky awards exemplified the category’s quality and breadth. Notwithstanding the fact that the innovation pipeline continues to produce exciting new expressions, we see more and more age-statement Irish whiskys, especially single pot stills and single malts, demonstrating the character of Irish whisky's quality.

The winners of the 2022 Irish Whisky Awards are as follows:

Overall Winner - Irish whisky of the Year 2022

Dunville’s 21 YO Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Cask No. 1197 was voted the Best Irish whisky of the Year.

Winners By Categories

Whisky Liqueur

Winner: Muldoon whisky Liqueur Gold: The Whistler Irish Honey whisky Gold: St Patrick’s Orange whisky Liqueur

Cream Liqueur

• Winner: St Patrick’s Irish Cream Liqueur
• Gold: Merrys White Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur
• Gold: Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur

Poitin

• Winner: Boann ‘New Born’ New Make Spirit
• Gold: Micil Heritage Poitín
• Gold: Bán Poitín

Vodka

• Winner: Zesty Citrus Vodka
• Gold: Istil 38 Pot Still Vanilla Vodka
• Gold: Istil 38 Pot Still Vodka

Gin

• Winner: Silks Irish Dry Gin
• Gold: Sling Shot Gin
• Gold: Method & Madness Gin

Best Other Irish Spirit

• Winner: Aqua Vitae
• Gold: 1848 Apple Brandy

Single Pot Still 11 Years and Under

• Winner: Two Stacks Polorais II- Red Ice Wine Finish
• Gold: Writers’ Tears Single Pot Still
• Gold: Old Comber Single Pot Still

Single Pot Still 12 Years and Over

• Winner: Redbreast 15 YO
• Gold: Powers John's Lane 12 YO
• Gold: Redbreast 12 YO

Single Malt 11 Years and Younger

• Winner: Dunville’s 10 YO PX
• Gold: Croithlí, Coillín Darach Oak Series - Quercus Robur
• Gold: Shortcross Peated Single Malt

Single Malt 12 – 15 Year Old

• Winner: Jack Ryan Finisher's Touch 12 YO
• Gold: Pearse Lyons 'Founder's Choice' 12 YO
• Gold: The Irishman 12 YO

Single Malt 16 Years & Older

• Winner: Dunville's 20 YO Oloroso Sherry Cask
• Gold: Fercullen 21 YO
• Gold: Clan Colla 20 YO PX Finish 46%

Blended No Age Statement

• Winner: Micil Inverin Small Batch
• Gold: Foxes Bow
• Gold: Michael Collins ‘The Prediction’

Blended Age Statement

• Winner: Jameson 18 YO
• Gold: McConnell’s 5 YO
• Gold: Pearse Lyons 'The Original' 5 YO

Blended Limited Release

• Winner: Teeling Small Batch Collaboration – Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple
• Gold: Jameson Black Barrel Proof
• Gold: Fercullen Estate Series ‘The Italian Gardens’

Single Cask 11 Years & Younger

• Winner: Teeling Single Pot Still Chestnut PX Cask No. 29842
• Gold: The Whistler P.X. I Love You 9 YO
• Gold: Green Spot Greek Wine Cask

Single Cask 12 Years & Older

• Winner: Dunville’s 21 YO Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Cask No. 1197
• Gold: Powers 15 YO Single Cask No. 10099
• Gold: Dunville’s 20 YO Temple Bar PX Sherry Cask No. 1651

Cask Strength

• Winner: Redbreast 27 YO Single Pot Still
• Gold: Shortcross Rye & Malt Cask Strength
• Gold: St. Patrick’s Cask Strength

Single Grain

• Winner: Celtic Cask Daichead a Dó (42) 2009 Anima Negra Cask
• Gold: The Bridge Single Grain- Killunure Release
• Gold: Egan’s Vintage Grain

New Irish whisky

• Winner: Pearse Lyons Genesis Release
• Gold: The Busker Single Pot Still

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