Love on the Rocks

On the eve of St. Patrick's Day, we found ourselves in Killarney, and after a day of sightseeing, we decided to spend the night enjoying some Irish whiskey. Just minutes from our hotel was a bar that offered an "Irish Whiskey Experience." They offered a few different classes to choose from, but our reservation was made at the last minute, so we got the Distiller's Apprentice class, an introduction to Irish whiskey.

Being from Windsor, Ontario, we are no strangers to whisky (see how Canadians drop the e in whisky?) Canadian Club and Crown Royal are produced here. The difference is we tend to mix our whisky. As I mentioned in a previous post, my drink of choice is a "riot" (rye whisky + diet Pepsi). When we told our guide Allan about this, he cringed and told us we were doing it wrong.

With his vast knowledge, Allan explained that Irish whiskey was to be savoured on its own—with no mix, not even ice. After starting with a sensory perception quiz where we sniffed different ingredients that go into whiskey, we watched a film on Irish whiskey and how it's made.

Then came the sampling. We compared 4 classic styles, and under the guidance of Allan, we learned how to appreciate the whiskey. Being ideal apprentices, we were able to identify the citrus, spice, and oak flavour in each glass. My favourite was Redbreast, a single pot still whiskey, dubbed the "Irish Nectar."

The class lasted an hour, and after sampling the 4 whiskeys, we were feeling comfortably numb. After chatting with a lovely couple from Put-in-Bay, Ohio, we made our way to a local pub for some fish and chips.

As much as I enjoyed the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, this experience was equally worthwhile. There was a plethora of whiskey available, the staff was both friendly and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere couldn't be beat.

~MT