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Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 101

The Daily Shot! August 1, 2018

Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 101

Curious as to what type of whiskey tickles the Irish fancy? It’s Power’s Gold Label. A Single Pot Still Whiskey; the best-seller in Ireland.

One of the 5 types of Irish Whiskey, Single Pot Still traces its roots back to the first distillers in Ireland. It holds claim to the original Irish Whiskey.

Well, what makes Single Pot Still unique?

It’s the only Irish Whiskey made from malted and unmalted barley, and distilled in a single pot still. The “Single” refers to being produced at one distillery.

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History lesson…

If you made whiskey a few hundred years ago, the pot still was your best and only spirit friend. Malted barley was the common grain of the land and naturally became the base of Irish whiskey. All was well until the Crown started taxing malt in the late 1700’s. Rather than pay the tax on malt, the distillers started using unmalted grain in the whiskey. Boom! Side-step taxes and a new taste of whiskey! The practice of unmalted grain has been around ever since.

The Single Pot Still has taken a backseat in production over the past 100 years as more drinkers have preferred the smooth, blended whiskies. As demand withered for traditional pot still whiskies, many including Powers, would convert to a blended whiskey in hopes of surviving. By the 1980’s the only Single Pot labels available were Redbreast and Green Spot. This number has steadily increased over the past few years as the demand for Irish Whiskey grows. Powers Gold Label would return to its roots and is now a Single Pot Whiskey. As the best seller, clearly a smart choice.

Bar Cheat Sheet - 5 Single Pot Still Whiskies to know: Powers Gold Label, Redbreast, Green Spot, Midleton, Dingle

Boom! Another Daily Shot of Knowledge!