Announcing the Irish Whiskey Awards 2023 winners
Keynote speaker, Patrick Rigney, founder for the The Shed Distillery, presented the awards
The coveted Best Irish Whiskey of the Year prize was awarded to Connacht Irish Whiskey Distillery Exclusive Cask Strength.
The Irish Whiskey Awards evening commenced with a tour of the Jameson Distillery, Bow Street in Dublin and a drinks reception hosted by Irish Distillers. The evening’s keynote speaker was Patrick Rigney, founder for the The Shed Distillery. The awards is now in its 10th year spanning 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.
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.
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’
Drinks Industry Ireland was 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 Dawson Street or online at www.celticwhiskeyshop.com.
