Winners of Irish Whiskey Awards announced
Lora Hemy, master distiller at Roe & Co Distillery in Dublin, presented the overall Whiskey of the Year award to Dunvilles Palo Cortado 21 Year Old
Emerging and established Irish whiskey producers and patrons were honoured at the 2024 Irish Whiskey Awards which took place at the Hinch Distillery in Co. Down. The evening commenced with a tour of the distillery and a drinks reception hosted by the Hinch Distillery team.
Keynote speaker, Lora Hemy, master distiller at Roe & Co Distillery in Dublin, presented the awards, which are now in their 11th year and span 23 categories across Irish whiskeys and spirits. Judging of this year’s awards took place earlier this July and August where organisers, Celtic Whiskey of Celtic Whiskey Shop Dawson Street, hosted several blind tastings in Dublin’s Doyle’s Corner, 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, Louth Whiskey Society, Skerries Whiskey Society and the Aviator’s Whiskey Society. The Irish craft spirits and liqueurs were blind tasted by a panel of mixologists and bartenders in September, hosted by Bar 1661 in Dublin.
The coveted Best Irish Whiskey of the Year prize was awarded to Dunvilles Palo Cortado 21 Year Old. This whiskey also picked up the Irish Whiskey of the Year prize in the 2022 Irish Whiskey Awards hosted in Pearse Lyons Distillery.
The winners of the 2024 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows:
Overall Winner- Irish Whiskey of the Year 2024
Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – Dunvilles Palo Cortado 21 Year Old
Categories
Whiskey Liqueur
Winner Tullamore DEW Honey
Gold The Whistler Honey
Cream Liqueur
Winner The Whistler Irish Cream Liqueur
Gold Two Stacks Double Irish Cream
Gold Coole Swan
Poitín
Winner Micil Heritage Poitin
Gold Mad March Poitin
Gold Boann “New Born” New Make Spirit
Flavoured Vodka
Winner Whippy Vodka
Gold iStil 38 Vanilla Vodka
Gold iStil 38 Pink Vodka
Vodka
Winner Dingle Vodka
Gold Weavers Vodka
Gold iStil 38 Irish Vodka
Gin
Winner Method & Madness Gin
Gold Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin
Gold Weavers Gin
Other Spirits
Winner Killowen Gloria Coffee Liqueur
Gold Stillgarden Buí 43
Gold Stillgarden Glas 55
Single Malt 11 Years and Under (Under €60)
Winner Egan’s Fortitude
Gold The Busker Small Batch Single Malt
Gold Egan’s Endeavour
Single Malt 11 years and younger (Over €60)
Winner Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Single Malt
Gold Keeper’s Heart 10 Year Old
Gold Two Stacks x Bankers Bar 7 Year Old Single Malt PX Sherry Finish
Single Malt 12 to 15 years
Winner Dunville’s 12 Year Old Stories & Sips
Gold Irishman 12 Year Old
Gold Dunville’s 12 Year Old Batch 2 Palace Bar
Single Malt 16 Years and Over
Winner Dunville’s Palo Cortado 21 year old
Gold The Irishman 17 Year Old Single Malt
Gold McConnell’s Old Cromac Collection 20 YO Distillery Exclusive
Single Pot Still 11 Years and Younger
Winner Redbreast PX Iberian Series
Gold Method and Madness French Chestnut
Gold Redbreast Lustau Edition
Single Pot Still 12 Years and Over
Winner Midleton Very Rare Barry Crockett Legacy
Gold Redbreast 21 Year Old
Gold Gold Spot 13
Blend Non Age Statement (Under €50)
Winner Dunville’s Three Crowns Sherry
Gold The Busker Triple Cask
Gold Jameson Original
Blend Non Age Statement (over €50)
Winner Shortcross Distiller’s Duo
Gold Jameson Black Barrel
Gold Teeling Alentejo Wine Cask
Blended Whiskey Age Statement
Winner McConnell’s Sherry Cask
Gold Hinch 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Batch 1
Gold Jameson 18 Year Old
Blend Limited Edition
Winner Hinch 5 Year Old Madeira Cask
Gold Micil Inverin Virgin Oak Single Cask
Gold The Whistler Doppelbock Rye Cask Finish Limited Edition
Single Cask 11 Years and Younger
Winner Dunville’s 11 year old Waterford Whiskey Society Exclusive
Gold The Busker Single Cask 13929 Single Malt
Gold The Busker Single Cask 16626 Single Pot Still
Single Cask 12 Years and Older
Winner Dunville’s 23 year Old Single Cask 1205 PC
Gold JJ Corry The Bonder’s Select
Gold Celtic Cask Caoga a Trí (53) 2001 Anime Negra
Single Grain
Winner The Bridge Whiskey – Portlick
Gold Roe & Co Flor 14 Year Old Single Grain
Gold Glendalough Double Barrel
New Irish
Winner Fercullen Single Malt
Gold Boann Single Pot Still Madeira Cask
Peated Whiskey
Winner Micil Inverin – The Skeff Bar- Oloroso Cask
Gold Shortcross 5 year old peated
Gold The Chancer Irish Whiskey Bonding Company
Cask Strength
Winner Dunville’s 22 Year Old 1643 PX
Gold Redbreast 27 Year Old
Gold Blue Spot
Overall
Dunvilles Palo Cortado 21 Year Old
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 Hinch 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 approximately 700 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 €70 and all proceeds from the night will be donated to sponsor the Kapatomoyo School in Zambia. Key sponsors of this year’s event include the Irish Whiskey Association and 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.
