St Patrick's Day is the one day of the year when everyone drinks Irish whiskey. But if your experience of it starts and ends with a shot of Jameson, you're missing out on one of the most exciting whiskey scenes in the world. From single pot still legends to tiny craft distilleries, here are 8 bottles that show what Irish whiskey can really do - all available now from UK retailers. Explore our full St Patrick's Day Whiskey guide for more recommendations.
Writers' Tears Cask Strength - 2023 Release
£127 · 54.8% ABV · 70cl
The annual cask strength release from Walsh Whiskey is always worth tracking down. This 2023 edition is a vatting of single pot still and single malt at a punchy 54.8% - no chill filtration, no colouring. It's one of the best-value ways into serious Irish whiskey, and each year's batch is slightly different. Once it's gone, it's gone.
Gold Spot 13 Year Old - Generations Edition
£124 · 46% ABV · 70cl
The Spot family - Green Spot, Yellow, Red, Blue - is Irish whiskey royalty. Gold Spot is the newest addition, a 13-year-old single pot still finished in a combination of bourbon, sherry, and wine casks. It fills the gap between Green and Red nicely, and at £124 it's a more approachable entry into the aged Spot range.
Green Spot 2013 - 10 Year Old Bourbon Cask (TWE Exclusive)
£180 · 56.6% ABV · 70cl
A single cask Green Spot exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, bottled at full cask strength from a single bourbon barrel. At 56.6%, this is a completely different animal from the standard Green Spot - bigger, bolder, and with nowhere to hide. Exclusives like this tend to sell through quickly.
Waterford Biodynamic Cuvée Luna 2024
£199.95 · 50% ABV · 70cl
Waterford is doing something nobody else in Irish whiskey is doing: farming-led, terroir-driven single malt. The Biodynamic Luna is made from barley grown under biodynamic principles on a single farm, then distilled and bottled without chill filtration at 50%. Whether you buy the terroir argument or not, the whiskey itself is excellent - complex, textural, and unlike anything else from Ireland.
Teeling 21 Year Old Rising Reserve No.3 - Ruby Port Finish
£212 · 46% ABV · 70cl
Teeling has been one of the most exciting stories in Irish whiskey - the first new distillery in Dublin in over a century. This 21-year-old, finished in ruby port casks, is the third instalment of their Rising Reserve series. At this age and quality, it competes with anything Midleton produces at twice the price.
Dingle Samhain - Muscatel Cask Finish
£149.95 · 50.5% ABV · 70cl
Dingle is a small craft distillery on the Kerry coast, and their Wheel of Time series names each release after a Celtic festival. Samhain - the harvest festival that inspired Halloween - gets a muscatel cask finish at 50.5%. It's an unusual and characterful Irish single malt from a distillery that deserves more attention outside Ireland.
Redbreast Iberian Series - Tawny Port Edition
£149.95 · 46% ABV · 70cl
Redbreast is the benchmark for single pot still Irish whiskey, and their Iberian Series explores different Iberian wine cask finishes. This tawny port edition adds dried fruit and nuttiness to the classic Redbreast spice. It sits between the standard 12 and the 15 in terms of complexity, and the port influence is well-judged rather than overpowering.
Midleton Very Rare 2024 Vintage Release
£203 · 40% ABV · 70cl
The annual Midleton Very Rare release is as close to a guaranteed sell-out as Irish whiskey gets. The 2024 vintage is a blend of single pot still and grain whiskeys selected by master distiller Kevin O'Gorman. At £203 it's not cheap, but older vintages regularly trade for multiples of their original price. If you're going to drink one prestigious Irish whiskey this St Patrick's Day, this is it.
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Prices shown are at time of writing and may vary. Use our price comparison to check availability across multiple UK retailers.