2 New Irish Whiskeys to Try this Holiday Season

Irish whiskey as a category has been growing steadily over the past few years — the export of it is expected to double by 2020 — and, recently, two new single malts have made it to our shores that we think you might want to check out.

First up is The Sexton, which comes packaged in a pretty nifty hexagonal black bottle. It is created on the Northern Coast of Ireland (County Antrim, according to the bottle, also where Bushmills is made). Made with 100-percent malted barley and triple distilled in copper pots, The Sexton is then aged for four years in sherry butts (though the bottles themselves don’t carry an age statement).

The name of the brand comes from a derivation of the Latin word sacristanus, which means “custodian of sacred objects” and was used to describe the last person to tend to dead body before it was laid to rest. Seeing as whiskey is literally the water of life, it seems an appropriate name.

The whiskey itself has a fruit-forward nose that mixes with hints of nuttiness and chocolate. Honey and malt flavors come next, with a light body that present oak notes on the finish. Coming in at 40 percent ABV, The Sexton retails for around $27.

Next, Jameson is back with a new release: Caskmates IPA Edition.

The second release in their Caskmates line (the first being a stout and Jameson collaboration), Caskmates IPA is made in the same way as its predecessor. First, barrels from the Midleton distillery are sent to a local brewery to be filled with craft IPA. Once the beer has done its job and given the barrels the citrusy, crisp flavors that IPA drinkers love, the barrels are sent back to Jameson where they are filled with, well, Jameson.

What results is a Jameson that we know and enjoy with the added bonus of having a hoppy finish.  You’ll get citrus and herbal, hoppy notes on the nose, which carry through the palate and into the finish, leaving you with a crisp, clean, slightly fruity flavor on the end. Tasty on its own, Jameson Caskmates IPA really excels when paired with an IPA (who doesn’t like a beer and a shot together?).

Jameson Casksmates IPA Edition is also 40 percent ABV and retails for around $30.

If you want to learn more about Irish whiskey, you can check out the Irish Whiskey Society or find a new bottle or three to pick up in our 2017 whiskey guide.

Feature by Genevieve Poblano/The Manual.