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Redbreast 21 Named Irish Whiskey of the Year
October 16, 2015 – For the second consecutive year, Redbreast 21 has taken top honors as the “Irish Whiskey of the Year” in the Irish Whiskey Awards presented last night at a ceremony in Dublin. The whiskey from Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard’s Midleton Distillery also won the trophy for Single Pot Still Whiskies in blind judging conducted by members of the Celtic Whiskey Club and the Irish Whiskey Society over Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy and Powers Signature Release.
Tullamore Dew Phoenix won the trophy for Irish Cask Strength Whiskey, beating out Midleton Dair Ghaelach and Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. In the category for Irish Blended Whiskies priced at €60 ($68 USD) or more, Midleton Very Rare 2015 Edition won the trophy over gold medal winners Jameson Gold Reserve and Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve. For blends priced below €60, Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old won the trophy over gold medal winners Writers’ Tears Copper Pot and Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel.
Knappogue Castle’s 2000 Vintage Mongered Mugneret Burgundy Cask Batch #2 took the trophy for Irish Single Malts 13 years and older, with gold medals going to Glendalough 13 Year Old and The Palace Bar’s Three Generations Batch 14 Years Old. Connemara Single Malt won the trophy for single malts 12 years and younger over Teeling Single Malt and Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old. Teeling’s An Púcän was the trophy winner for Irish Single Cask whiskies, with gold medals going to the Celtic Cask Trí Déag and Dó Dhéag whiskies. In the category for single grain Irish whiskies, Kilbeggan Single Grain won the trophy, with gold medals to Teeling Single Grain and Glendalough Single Grain.
Mrs. Doyle’s Irish Cream won the trophy for Irish Liqueurs, Thin Gin the trophy for Irish Gins, and Dingle Vodka the trophy for Irish Vodkas. Teeling Whiskey’s Poitin won the trophy for Poitins, while O’Hara’s Barrel Aged Stout from the Carlow Brewing Company was named Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Stout.
For the second consecutive year, Dick Mack’s in Dingle was named the Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year, along with winning the Munster regional trophy. The Dingle Whiskey Bar in Dublin was the Leinster region trophy winner, while Caravan’s Bar in Galway won in the Connaught region, and Belfast’s The Duke of York won in the Ulster region. The international trophy went to Whiskey and Alement in Melbourne, Australia.
A complete list of winners can be found at the competition’s web site.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include additional trophy winners.
Links: Irish Whiskey Awards
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