Whiskey geeks will already know this, but Irish whiskey is enjoying a bit of a moment. Rightly so, because the best of them can hold their own against your favourite bourbons and scotches. No longer the stuff reserved for drowning your sorrows or for lacing your coffee, top-tier Irish whiskey is creating it’s own buzz.

Green Spot Irish Whiskey
Green Spot Irish Whiskey
Redbreast 12-year-old Cast Strength

The Single Pot Still, the only style that’s exclusive to the Green Isle, is created in more or less made the same way as it was over one hundred years ago: a mix of malted and unmalted barley distilled together three times in vast, old school copper stills. It’s labour intensive, but the result is rich and sweet with a spicy kick – and to add to the cult appeal, for years procuring a decent Irish whiskey usually involved a trip to the Isle itself. Now though, some of Ireland’s finest are easier to obtain. Two of the Midleton Distillery’s most celebrated Single Pot Still Whiskeys are worth paying particular attention to, and here’s why.

REDBREAST 12 YEAR OLD CASK STRENGTH

The award winning and iconic Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength is bottled in its natural, full flavoured state – unfiltered, no water and straight from the cask. A rich complexity of spices and fruit, this whiskey was named Best Irish Whiskey at Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Awards.

GREEN SPOT IRISH WHISKEY

The highly regarded and well decorated Green Spot was originally created for Mitchell & Sons in the early 20th Century. Today, made at the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, alongside Redbreast and many others, Green Spot is made only in small quantities, so get a bottle of this rare treat whenever you can. Green Spot is made from a selection of Pot Still whiskies aged in new bourbon and refill bourbon casks, and sherry casks, for between seven and ten years. Fresh and aromatic, with a full spicy body, it’s the perfect introduction to Single Pot Still Whiskey.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, £69.99, is available from specialist retailers and Green Spot, £40.99, is available in Waitrose. www.jamesonwhiskey.com and www.singlepotstill.com.