2018 Irish Whiskey Awards winners announced

It was a huge night for Pernod Ricard at the 2018 Irish Whiskey Awards, with Irish Distillers taking out the Best Irish Whiskey of the Year for Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength.

Irish Distillers also picked up medals for the Barry Crockett Legacy (Best Single Pot Still Whiskey), Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street (Best Irish Blended Whiskey RRP of €60 or more) and several gold medals.

It's been a huge month for the distillery, with its Redbreast Aged 12 Year Cask Strength also named ‘Irish Whiskey of the year’ and ‘Irish Pot Still of the Year’ on Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2019.

The awards were hosted last Thursday night at Slane Distillery in Meath, Ireland. Twenty different award categories were judged in blind tasting sessions by members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society, and Cork Whiskey Society. For the first time. Galway Whiskey Trail and Kilkenny Whiskey Guild participated this year.

The winners of the 2018 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows:

Overall Winners

Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength

Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year – Dick Mack’s, Dingle

Categories

Best Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy

Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger) – Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Finish

Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older) – J.J. Corry The Flintloch 16 Year Old

Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60) – Teeling Small Batch

Best Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more) – Jameson 18 Year Old Bow Street

Best Irish Single Cask Whiskey – The Irishman Founder’s Reserve Caribbean Cask Finish

Best Irish Cask Strength Whiskey – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength

Best Irish Single Grain Whiskey – Kilbeggan Single Grain

Best New Irish Whiskey – Dingle Single Malt Batch 3

Best Irish Gin – Dingle Gin

Best Irish Vodka – Ballykeefe Artisan Irish Vodka

Best Irish Poitín – Bán Poitín

Best Irish Liqueur – The Dubliner Irish Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur

Best Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer – Dingle Dark Star Ale

Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Leinster) – The Dylan Whisky Bar, Kilkenny

Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Munster) – Dick Mack’s, Dingle

Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Connacht) – Garavan’s, Galway

Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Ulster) – The Duke of York, Belfast

Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International) – The Dead Rabbit, New York

The Irish Whiskey Awards were founded by The Celtic Whiskey Shop, which runs the function to raise funds for the charity Mary’s Meals. Mary's Meals feeds more than one million children everyday while ensuring they attend school.