Irish whiskey regulations: what makes Irish whiskey so unique?

Whiskey and the island nation of Ireland go back a long way, during monks' migration into Ireland and Scotland in the first millennium AD. This migration led to the inception and wide adoption of what we know today as Irish and Scotch whiskeys.

Whiskey, or whisky, depending on the country and distiller (Irish and American producers prefer ‘ey’, whereas Scottish and Canadian producers opt for the ‘y’ ending), is the Anglicised version of the Gaelic term uisce breatha, meaning ‘water of life’. And indeed, the spirit is Ireland's national drink, grossing an estimated €1 billion in export revenue for Ireland. Whiskey is a type of dark spirit, one that has a rich heritage, and is tightly regulated in different jurisdictions. These regulations are provided for by the Irish Whiskey Association, Drinks Ireland, and are guided by the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980.

These strict regulations are:

Location

The whiskey must be produced and reach maturity in a distillery located within the island of Ireland, consisting of both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Barrel-Aging

It must have been barrel-aged in a wooden cask, such as an oak barrel, with a maximum capacity of 700 litres, for a minimum of three years.

Ingredients

The spirit drink has to be made from cereals and water. The grain used is one factor that determines the type of whiskey made. Cereals used include barley, wheat, rye, and corn. Depending on the alcohol strength, water could comprise 60%, or less, of the total whiskey content in a bottle.

Caramel colouring may be added to the whiskey as a colourant to darken the whiskey. It is derived from sugar and is both flavourless and odourless, thus does not alter the taste and smell of the whiskey.

Distillation Technique

Whiskeys produced in Ireland can either be double or triple distilled.

Alcohol Strength

The whiskey must not exceed an alcohol concentration of 94.8% ABV, and it must have an aroma and flavour of the grains used.

Blending

Blended whiskey can only be made from a combination of two Irish whiskeys from the following variants:

• Irish

• Pot Still

• Malt

• Grain

Additionally, only water and caramel colouring can be added during this process.

The blend must have a minimum alcohol strength composition of 40% ABV.

Bottling / Labelling

Only Pot Still, Malt and Grain Irish Whiskeys can bear the nomenclature 'Single' and only then if they are distilled in a single distillery.