Irish Whiskey Awards 2019 Award Winners
OCTOBER 17th 2019: Emerging and established Irish whiskey producers and bars were honoured last week at the 2019 Irish Whiskey Awards which took place at the Dingle Distillery in Co.Kerry. The evening commenced with a tour of the distillery and drinks reception hosted by the Dingle Distillery co-founders and team.
Keynote speaker, Colum Egan, Master Distiller for Bushmills Distillery presented the awards, which are now in their seventh year and span over 20 categories.
Walsh Whiskey won the coveted Best Irish Whiskey of the Year prize for the Irishman 17 Year Old as well as picking up a gold medal for their newly released Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Japanese Mizunara Oak Finish. Irish Distillers did exceptionally well and won awards for their Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy (Best Irish Single Pot Still), Jameson Black Barrel (Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of €60 or less) Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street (Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of €60 of more), Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength (Best Irish Cask Strength) and Method & Madness Single Grain Virgin Spanish Oak Finish (Best Irish Single Grain). In the malt categories, Dunville’s PX Cask 12 Year Old — crafted by the Echlinville Distillery — were awarded Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years & Younger and the Teeling Whiskey Company in Dublin won Best Irish Single Malt 13 Years & Older for the Teeling Brabazon Volume 1. For the bar categories, it was Bowe’s Bar in Dublin that won the top accolade of Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year, after many years of picking up a gold medal for Best Whiskey Bar in Leinster.
Judging of the awards took place in July and August with members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society, Irish Whiskey Society Dingle Chapter, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild & Cork Whiskey Society as well as two new participating societies; Waterford Whiskey Society and Belfast Whiskey Club. Overseas members of the Celtic Whiskey Club also had the opportunity to purchase sample packs without having to travel to Ireland. Whilst members of the trade were responsible for blind judging the white spirits, liqueurs and barrel-aged beer categories. The winners of the 2019 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows:
Overall Winners
Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – The Irishman 17 Year Old
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year – Bowe’s, Dublin
Categories
Best Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy
Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger) – Dunville’s PX Cask 12 Year Old
Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older) – Teeling Brabazon Volume 1
Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60) – Jameson Black Barrel
Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more) – Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street
Best Irish Single Cask Whiskey – The Irishman 17 Year Old
Best Irish Cask Strength Whiskey – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
Best Irish Single Grain Whiskey – Method & Madness Single Grain Virgin Spanish Oak Finish
Best New Irish Whiskey – Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
Best Irish Gin – Beara Ocean Gin
Best Irish Vodka – Lough Ree Zesty Vodka
Best Irish Poitín – Mad March Hare Poitín
Best Irish Liqueur – DV8 Gold Cream Liqueur
Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer – Dingle Celebration Stout
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Leinster) – Bowe’s, Dublin
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Munster) – Dick Mack’s, Dingle
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Connacht) – Garavan’s, Galway
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Ulster) – The Duke of York, Belfast
Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International) – The Dead Rabbit, New York
For a full list of awards and gold medal winners, please see below.
Commenting on the awards, organiser Ally Alpine — Managing Director of Celtic Whiskey Shop and organiser of Whiskey Live Dublin — said “The Irish Whiskey Awards celebrates the excellence and innovation in the Irish Whiskey industry whilst raising funds for our incredible charity partner Mary’s Meals. Tonight’s event will feed 702 pupils every day for a year.”
Business Development Director of the Porterhouse Group and Dingle Distillery, Elliot Hughes said “We are delighted to be hosting the Irish Whiskey Awards this year. It is always a fantastic event and we are looking forward to showing people what makes Dingle Distillery and Dingle town, so special.”
The events charity partner, Mary’s Meals — www.marysmeals.ie — feed over 1.5 million children everyday whilst ensuring they attend school. Tickets for the awards were priced at €50 and all proceeds from the night will be donated to sponsor the Kapatomoyo School in Zambia.
Drinks Industry was the event’s media partner and key sponsors include the Irish Whiskey Association and Tuath Irish Whiskey Glass.
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