Irish Whiskey Awards 2023

November 29th 2023: Emerging and established Irish whiskey producers and patrons were honoured at the 2023 Irish Whiskey Awards which took place at the Jameson Bow Street Distillery in Co. Dublin. The evening commenced with a tour of the distillery and a drinks reception hosted by Irish Distillers at the Jameson Distillery, Bow Street in Dublin.

Keynote speaker, Patrick Rigney, Founder of The Shed Distillery, presented the awards, which are now in their 10th year and span 20 categories across Irish whiskeys and spirits.

Judging of this year’s awards took place earlier this August where organisers, Celtic Whiskey of Celtic Whiskey Shop Dawson Street, hosted several blind tastings in Dublin’s Flowing Tide pub on Abbey Street and have been coordinating other tastings throughout Ireland with members of the Irish Whiskey Society — Dublin and Dingle, Cork Whiskey Society, Waterford Whiskey Society, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, Ennis Whiskey Club, 1875 Whiskey Club, Carlow Whiskey Society, Belfast Whiskey Club and the Aviator’s Whiskey Society.

The coveted Best Irish Whiskey of the Year prize was awarded to Connacht Irish Whiskey Distillery Exclusive Cask Strength.

The winners of the 2023 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows:

Overall Winner- Irish Whiskey of the Year 2023

Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – Connacht Distillery Exclusive Cask Strength

Categories

Whiskey Liqueur

Winner: The Dubliner Honey
Gold: The Whistler Honey Liqueur
Gold: Tullamore DEW Honey

Cream Liqueur

Winner: St Patrick’s Cappucino Irish Cream
Gold: Two Stacks Double Irish Cream Liqueur
Gold: Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur

Poitin

Winner: Straw Boys Poitín
Gold: Micil Heritage Poitín
Gold: Bán Cask Aged Poitín

Vodka

Winner: Lough Ree 99 Vanilla Vodka
Gold: Míl Vodka
Gold: Istil Vanilla Vodka

Gin

Winner: Garnish Island Gin
Gold: Micil Gin
Gold: Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin

Best Other Irish Spirit

Winner: Stillgarden Café O’Maro
Gold: Stillgarden Berrissimo
Gold: Rebel City Distillery Series – Absinthe

Single Pot Still 11 and Under

Winner: Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask
Gold: Jameson Single Pot Still
Gold: Powers Three Swallows

Single Pot Still 12 Year and Over

Winner: Red Spot 15 Year Old
Gold: Yellow Spot 12 Year Old
Gold: Redbreast 15 Year Old

Single Malt 11 Years and Younger

Winner: Jack Ryan Whiskey 5 Year Old Oloroso Finish Cask Strength
Gold: Dunville's 10 Year Old Pedro Ximenez Cask
Gold: The Irishman Legacy

Single Malt 12 – 15 Year Old

Winner: Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old
Gold: Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old
Gold: The Irishman 12 Year Old

Single Malt 16 Years & Older

Winner: The Irishman 17 Year Old
Gold: Dunville's 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Cask
Gold: McConnell’s Irish Whisky 20 Year Old Port Finish Single Cask

Blended No Age Statement

Winner: Writers' Tears Double Oak
Gold: Jameson Crested
Gold: Powers Gold Label

Blended Age Statement

Winner: McConnell’s Irish Whisky Sherry Cask (5 years)
Gold: The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey
Gold: Clan Colla 13 Year Old

Blended Limited Release

Winner: Writers' Tears Japanese Cask Finish
Gold: Dunville's 1808 "Casked in Bond" Dick Mack's Honey & Hemp IPA Cask, Cask No. 1451
Gold: Writer's Tears Inniskillin Ice Wine

Peated Irish Whiskey

Winner: Micil Single Cask Release with Garavan's Bar
Gold: Killowen Barántúil Single Cask KD202
Gold: Celtic Cask 47 Daichead a Seacht 2016 Peated Oloroso

Single Cask 11 Years & Younger

Winner: Celtic Cask 44 Daichead a Ceathair 2014 PX Cask Finish
Gold: Dunville's PX 11 Year Old Single Malt Cask Strength
Gold: Dunville's 11 Year Old Palo Cortado Cask Strength

Single Cask 12 Years & Older

Winner: Dunville's 22 Year Old Palo Cortado Cask No. 1204
Gold: Dunville's 20 Year Old Oloroso Cask Strength Cask No. 990 56.2% ABV
Gold: Dunville's 21 Year Old PX Sherry Cask Finish - James J. Fox Single Cask

Cask Strength

Winner: Connacht Distillery Exclusive Cask Strength
Gold: Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
Gold: Dunville's 20 Year Old PX Cask Strength, Cask 1644, 55% ABV

Single Grain

Winner: The Bridge - Galey Bay
Gold: The Bridge - Inny Bay
Gold: Method and Madness Single Grain

New Irish Whiskey

Winner: Pearse Genesis Irish Whiskey
Gold: Fercullen Single Malt
Gold: Fercullen Estate Series 'The Gates'

Commenting on the awards, organiser Ally Alpine — Managing Director of Celtic Whiskey Shop and organiser of Whiskey Live Dublin — said “We are very excited to be able to co-host this year’s awards at Jameson Bow Street Distillery. The IWA’s are always a fantastic night celebrating the excellence and innovation in the Irish Whiskey and Spirits industry, all whilst raising funds for our incredible charity partner Mary’s Meals. There are more than 64 million primary school-age children out of school around the world. In order to survive, they have to work or beg. Even if they do make it into the classroom, hunger affects their ability to learn. The money raised through the Irish Whiskey Awards each year ensures that 629 children are fed for a whole school year at the Kapatamoyo school in Zambia”.

The events charity partner, Mary’s Meals — www.marysmeals.ie — feed two million children everyday whilst ensuring they attend school. Tickets for the awards were priced at €60 and all proceeds from the night will be donated to sponsor the Kapatomoyo School in Zambia.

Drinks Industry Ireland were the event’s media partner as they have been for many years and key sponsors include the Irish Whiskey Association, Label Tech Tuath Irish Whiskey Glass.

The majority of the award-winning whiskeys named above are available for purchase from Celtic Whiskey Shop on 27-28 Dawson Street or online at www.celticwhiskeyshop.com.

This article originally appeared here.