What is comparable to jameson irish whiskey

With St. Patrick's Day coming, I thought this would be a great time to look at a few good value brands of Irish whiskey. These bottles have character but won't set you back more than $25.

Irish whiskey is one of the fastest-growing liquor categories in the United States right now, especially among younger people who are looking to develop a taste for whiskies. It's easy to see why: Irish whiskey is smooth and sweet, but still tastes like a rich brown spirit. It's a good transitional drink for people who are beginning to explore the world beyond vodka-sodas and tequila shots.

And Irish whiskey is currently at a turning point. New distilleries are opening, and existing distilleries are creating new products and exporting to our shores classics (such as Green Spot) that have previously never been available here.

When I wrote about this category years ago, there were four distilleries in operation. Now, ten distilleries are either operating or under construction, but two of the ten aren't open yet, and three have whiskey stocks still in-barrel, not sufficiently aged for sale.

That leaves the major players as the best sources of Irish whiskey, either value or premium. If this list looks skewed toward the majors, that's just the way it has to be right now. Check back in a few years, and things might change.

These whiskeys are blends; you can buy unblended Irish whiskeys (Redbreast is a great example), but they're too expensive for a piece on what to buy on a tight budget. Expect prices on single-malt and pot-still Irish whiskeys to run $35 and up.

Note: I'm sticking with the convention that American and Irish drams generally are spelled whiskey and Canadian and Scottish ones are whisky, even though I think using different words for the same family of products is unnecessary and cumbersome.

Also Note: Liquor.com did a great roundup recently of several common myths about Irish whiskey, including the lingering misconception that Jameson is Catholic and Bushmills is Protestant. I'm not re-treading that ground, so if you're interested, hop over to Liquor.com.

Still perhaps the first Irish whiskey that most people try. It's clean, floral, mildly sweet, and easy to sip, with just a touch of woody flavors from the barrel. Jameson remains a classic example of the style. It's a simple whiskey that's easy to enjoy.

Bushmills is just a touch more complex than Jameson, while also being just a hint smoother. It tastes of grain and honey, flowers and a hint of barley. Woody flavors are a little more subtle here than in the Jameson. If you have a few more bucks to spend, the Bushmills Black Bush is a nice splurge, with a little more malted barley in the blend, and a little less grain whiskey. If not, the original Bushmills won't steer you wrong, though.

2 Gingers was introduced in Minnesota a couple of years ago, and is now available nationwide. The brand seems to be aiming for the entry-level market dominated by Jameson and Bushmills. I don't like it quite as well as either of the more classic Irishes, but for the price it's a good buy.

Named for a battle that went down a millennium ago, Clontarf 1014 is another entry-level Irish whiskey, designed to be smooth, drinkable, and approachable. Unlike some of the other whiskeys in this price range, Clontarf is filtered through charcoal, to smooth out the rough edges. Clontarf smells mildly of oak and malt, and it tastes somewhat toffee-like and malty.

Powers is another easy drinker, with a bit more chocolate and vanilla notes than the other whiskeys on this list, and a slightly heavier mouthfeel. I find Powers to be a bit more one-note than the other whiskeys on this list, though it's still good for the price. However, I know people who vastly prefer it to Bushmills or Jameson, so your opinion might vary.

Tullamore Dew starts with an aroma of biscuit and fruit. As you sip, you taste toffee, caramel, a bit of citrus, and a hint of barrel wood. Of all these, I think Tullamore might be my favorite to sip just with a little ice, as opposed to mixing with other ingredients.

Of course, if you can spend a little more, there are some excellent mid-level and premium Irish whiskeys on the market now. Redbreast, a pure pot-still whiskey, is always rich and delicious. Green Spot deserves its reputation. Connemara is a peated single-malt, delicious in a Scotchy sort of way, but keeping the easy drinkability you associate with Irish whiskey. Greenore is a lovely, light grain whiskey that's very nice to sip on.

What are your favorite Irish whiskeys, budget or otherwise?

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Final Verdict

For a world-class whiskey that's worth every penny, we recommend the renowned Redbreast 15 Year Irish Whiskey (view at Drizly). Another great option is the top-rated, award-winning, and relatively affordable The Irishman Single Malt (view at Drizly).

“When it comes to flavor, a lot of people believe that Irish whiskey is light, approachable, and easy drinking,” says Irish whiskey expert Matt Conner, the Boston-based brand ambassador for Teeling Whiskey. “The truth is that the category has seen incredible growth and a ton of complex; flavorful whiskeys are redefining what it means to ‘taste like Irish whiskey.’”

Irish whiskeys can offer a variety of age statements, cask maturations, mashbills, and yeast strains. “These innovations and the ability to use a variety of wood in our aging process really sets Irish Whiskey apart from Scotch and other world whiskeys,” says Conner. Note what the labels hint to in the spirit. It will define how the spirit tastes, whether it’s light and breezy or more austere and rich.

“Irish whiskey isn’t all blended whiskeys; there are single malts, single grains, single pot still (a traditional Irish Whiskey style incorporating malted and unmalted barley that can only be made in Ireland), and even peated single malts,” says Conner. “My advice: Be adventurous. Never be afraid to try new styles.”

Single malt is made similarly to a single malt Scotch (made of 100 percent malted barley from one distillery and aged for at least three years). Single-grain whiskeys are made with one singular grain or cereal. Single-pot still whiskey is made at one distillery from a mix mash of unmalted and malted barley that is distilled via a pot still.

Together with style, consider the age. Time spent in wood will give whiskey a whole new portfolio of flavors that don’t happen from distillation. The more time the whiskey ages, the more impact the wood will have.

What cocktails are you planning to make? Pick an Irish whiskey accordingly. “The character and style of the whiskey always impacts my cocktail direction,” says Conner. “A blended whiskey, for example, is amazing in anything from a whiskey sour to a Port Light cocktail (a Port Light cocktail is classically made with bourbon, passionfruit syrup, grenadine, and lemon juice). I would recommend an Irish single malt whiskey in an old-fashioned, and if we’re talking about single grain, known as a lighter style of spirit, that would make an absolutely amazing highball.”

Irish whiskey is a style of whiskey that must be made in Ireland and meet certain criteria that are defined by law. It is customarily triple distilled in copper pot stills and bottled at 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 80 proof) or slightly higher. The majority of Irish whiskey is blended, and other styles include single malt, single pot, and single grain.

Barley is commonly used to produce a classic style of Irish whiskey. Many distilleries use unmalted barley, some incorporate a portion of malted barley or other cereal grains, and single malt Irish whiskey is made entirely of malted barley. Grain Irish whiskey has a lighter flavor and is distilled from other cereal grains, such as corn or wheat, using column stills. It’s also often used when blending Irish whiskey after aging. Single grain Irish whiskey uses just one type of grain.

Irish whiskey is known as one of the smoothest whiskeys available. These easy-drinking whiskeys are characterized as having a lot of flavor but with a lighter profile than bourbon and the complete lack of smoky peat found in scotch. Fruit and vanilla notes are very common, and the aging imparts a pleasant oak and caramel background to the whiskey. Essentially, Irish whiskey tastes like a classic whiskey, which is why it’s so well-loved.

Irish law dictates that all Irish whiskey must be aged for at least three years. Some distilleries barrel age their whiskeys beyond the minimum, so you’ll see Irish whiskey aged for a decade or two (luxury expressions can be aged for 40 or 50 years). In blended whiskey, an age statement indicates the youngest whiskey within that blend. Ireland also has its version of moonshine called potcheen (or poitín or poteen), which is unaged but technically can’t have “Irish whiskey” on the label.

Its smoothness and well-rounded whiskey flavor make Irish whiskey an excellent candidate for cocktails. It is famously paired with coffee in the Irish coffee and shines in simple soda highballs. Manhattan-style cocktails are a fantastic use for Irish whiskey, and it’s a great style choice for nearly any classic whiskey cocktail. While many people associate whiskey with cold-weather drinking, when mixed with fresh ingredients, Irish whiskey can create some bright and refreshing summer-worthy cocktails, too.

Colleen Graham is a beverage writer with over a decade of experience writing about cocktails and bartending. The author of two books, she has visited numerous whiskey distilleries and learned a great deal about the industry from the talented individuals who produce it.

Kate Dingwall, who updated this roundup, is a sommelier and spirits writer. She has been writing about the bar and spirits world for more than five years and has her BarSmarts and WSET certification.