🥃 Blended Irish Whiskey
A blend of at least two kinds of Irish whiskey (pot still, malt or grain), each matured for 3 years or more on the island of Ireland.
Blended Irish Whiskey (also Irish Blended Whiskey) is a blend of two or more kinds of Irish whiskey: pot still, malt and grain. Each component is distilled and matured for at least three years in wooden casks on the island of Ireland, and the finished whiskey is bottled at 40% ABV or more.
That is how the technical file of the Irish Whiskey geographical indication (2014) defines it. The name “Blended” also fits any Irish whiskey mixed with one of the three kinds. Only water and plain caramel colouring E150a may be added, which the blender uses to even out the colour of different batches. Whiskey may not leave Ireland in wooden casks, but it may be bottled abroad after transport in inert containers.
According to the technical file, a blender usually takes one or two lighter grain whiskeys from column stills and adds one or more malt or pot still whiskeys from pot stills. The choice is made by whiskey type, distillery, finishing cask and age; the blender makes trial mixes and tests them on consumers. The file ranks master blenders alongside master distillers.
Historically, blending evened out supplies from the island’s many distilleries, and lighter grain whiskey made it possible to create brands for a wider range of drinkers. The continuous still was patented in 1830 by Aeneas Coffey, a former Inspector General of Excise in Ireland, yet Irish distillers long stayed loyal to pot stills. In 2013 more than 6.2 million 9-litre cases of Irish whiskey were exported.
Why it matters to you. The word “Blended” on a label describes the composition, not lower quality or a younger age. An age statement, where given, is the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle, as a single number of years. “Single” cannot appear on a blend. Part of the colour may come from caramel E150a. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Legal basis | Irish Whiskey geographical indication (EU, since 12.06.1989); technical file of 2014, point 4.2.4; Irish Whiskey Act 1980 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | a blend of at least two kinds of Irish whiskey: pot still, malt, grain |
| Distillation method | components from pot stills and column stills, below 94.8% ABV |
| Minimum maturation | 3 years or more in wooden casks of up to 700 l on the island of Ireland |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV or more |
| EU category | 2 “Whisky/Whiskey” |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Blended Irish Whiskey → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Yeast
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry, 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky, 🥃 Irish Single Malt Whiskey, 🥃 Irish Grain Whiskey
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🍷 Prohibition in the United States, 🌍 Western Europe
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Irish Whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- In other topics
- 🍷 Blend
Frequently asked questions
Which whiskeys are mixed in an Irish blend?
At least two of the three kinds (pot still, malt and grain), or any Irish whiskey with one of them. Every component must be made on the island of Ireland under the rules of its own kind.
Is it true that blended whiskey is worse than single malt?
No. The technical file treats blending as a craft of its own: the blender combines whiskeys of different types, distilleries, casks and ages for a consistent flavour. The word “Blended” describes the composition, not the quality.
What does the age on a blend’s label mean?
The age of the youngest whiskey in the blend, as a single number of years. The year of distillation may be stated only if the same field of vision also shows the year of bottling, the maturation period or the age.
May sugar or flavourings be added to an Irish blend?
No. Only water and plain caramel colouring E150a are allowed. The technical file stresses that caramel only evens out the colour and is neither a flavouring nor a sweetener.
How does an Irish blend differ from a Scotch blend?
Blended Scotch Whisky is a mix of single malt and single grain Scotches matured only in oak casks. An Irish blend may also contain pot still whiskey, and its casks need only be wooden, for example oak.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Sherry — Protected wine from the Jerez de la Frontera area of Andalusia, aged in oak casks in the solera system; 14 to 22 % alcohol.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
Similar
🥃 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey · 🥃 Irish Single Malt Whiskey · 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky · 🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky · 🥃 American single malt whisky · 🥃 Irish Grain Whiskey
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Technical File: Irish Whiskey / Uisce Beatha Eireannach / Irish Whisky, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Oct 2014 (copy on GOV.UK)
- Irish Whiskey Act, 1980 (No. 33 of 1980), s. 1, Irish Statute Book
- eAmbrosia: Irish Whiskey / Uisce Beatha Eireannach / Irish Whisky, EUGI00000015399 (GI, registered, EU protection 12.06.1989)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)