Friday Night Flights & Bites 4/25 & 5/2, Starting at 2pm
Irish Single Grain: The Quiet Trailblazer
At Saints & Scholars, we love to champion the unsung heroes of Irish whiskey—and Single Grain might just be the most misunderstood of them all. This week and next, our Friday Night Flights series continues with a flight dedicated to Single Grain Irish whiskey: light in body, smooth in texture, but full of unexpected character.
While Single Malt and Single Pot Still whiskeys have long enjoyed the spotlight, Single Grain is finally getting its due. And this flight is here to show you why.
What is a Single Grain?
Single Grain whiskey is made at a single distillery from a mash bill that includes grains other than malted barley—such as corn, wheat, or rye—and is typically distilled in column stills rather than traditional pot stills. This continuous distillation method produces a lighter, more refined spirit that is often used as the backbone in blended whiskeys.
But don’t let the word "light" fool you. Thanks to creative cask finishes and independent producers willing to push boundaries, Single Grain whiskey has evolved from background player to headliner.
The Column Still: A Revolutionary Invention
The story of Single Grain begins with a still. In 1830, Irish excise officer Aeneas Coffey patented the Coffey still, a continuous column still that could distill spirit faster and more efficiently than copper pot stills. It produced a smoother, more neutral spirit—a perfect blank canvas.
But Irish distillers weren’t convinced. They clung to the boldness of pot stills. Meanwhile, Scottish blenders embraced the Coffey still, using grain spirit to soften their blends. It would take more than a century—and a new generation of Irish distillers—to realize what Single Grain could truly be.
What to Expect When Tasting
Single Grain whiskeys are generally smoother, lighter, and more oak-forward than their pot-distilled cousins. Because they rely more heavily on the cask for flavor, the type of wood and length of aging play a huge role.
Typical notes include:
Vanilla, toffee, and honey
Sweet grain and creamy texture
Orchard fruits or red berries (especially with wine casks)
Hints of spice from bourbon or virgin oak finishes
They’re sometimes compared to bourbon for their sweetness and drinkability—but Single Grain has its own rhythm: softer, quieter, and deeply rewarding.
It’s worth noting:
Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak barrels, giving it a bolder, oakier profile.
Irish single grains often have a softer, more refined finish and more variation in cask experimentation (e.g., wine casks, sherry, virgin oak).
Featured Whiskeys in Our Flight
Two Stacks Double Barrel – The Indie Grain
Legacy: A newcomer with big ideas. Balanced, blended, and barrel-savvy.
Distillery: Sourced and blended by Two Stacks
ABV: 43%
Cask: Bourbon & Oloroso Sherry
Tasting Notes: Honeyed grain, baked pear, almond, soft raisin, citrus peel
Founded in 2020, Two Stacks is a young brand shaking up Irish whiskey with a return to blending and transparency. Their Double Barrel expression proves that grain whiskey can be rich, balanced, and elegant—all at once.
Method & Madness – Virgin Spanish Oak
Legacy: Experimental and wood-forward. A bold grain whiskey that shows off the power of oak.
Distillery: Midleton
ABV: 46%
Cask: Finished in Virgin Spanish Oak
Tasting Notes: Clove, nutmeg, toasted wood, sweet cereal, zesty citrus
Born out of the micro-distillery at Midleton, Method & Madness is where apprentices and master distillers collaborate to create outside-the-box whiskeys. This one is a spice bomb—with dry tannin, cereal sweetness, and a finish that keeps evolving.
Teeling Single Grain – The Cabernet Finish
Legacy: One of the first Irish single grains to go bold with wine cask maturation. A modern benchmark.
Distillery: Teeling, Dublin
ABV: 46%
Cask: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Red berries, vanilla cream, floral spice, toasted oak
Teeling was the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years when it opened in 2015. Their Single Grain is full of innovation—100% matured in Californian red wine barrels, resulting in a rich, fruit-forward profile that defies expectations.
Add-On Pour: Powers Irish Rye (+$4)
Legacy: The first 100% Irish rye whiskey in decades—spicy, expressive, and full of promise.
Distillery: Midleton
ABV: 43.2%
Mash Bill: 100% Irish-grown rye
Cask: Bourbon
Tasting Notes: White pepper, orchard fruit, toasted grain, subtle anise
A Note on Irish Rye:
Powers Irish Rye is not technically classified as a “Single Grain” whiskey under Irish law—but it’s made in a similar way: distilled in a column still at a single distillery using a non-malted grain (in this case, 100% Irish-grown rye).
Since Ireland doesn’t yet have an official “Irish Rye” category, this pour lives in its own lane. It’s a spicy, modern twist on grain whiskey—and a glimpse at where the category may be headed next.
Paired Bites
Two Stacks – Biscoff cookie
Method & Madness – Manchego cheese
Teeling – Dark chocolate–covered almonds
Suggested Enjoyment
We recommend starting with Two Stacks, moving into the spice-forward Method & Madness, and finishing with Teeling’s rich and fruit-laden Cabernet-cask expression. This progression moves from balanced and approachable to bold and expressive.
Let the casks guide your experience—sherry, virgin oak, wine. Notice how sweetness, spice, and grain notes unfold differently in each pour. Use the paired bites to highlight contrasts in texture and flavor.
Taste the Story
This flight celebrates the rise of Single Grain whiskey—from overlooked blending filler to elegant, expressive spirit. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the quietest voices have the most to say.
Available Friday 4/25 and 5/2 starting at 2pm
Special Price: $10 for the flight (reg. $15)
Includes: Three 0.5 oz pours of Teeling, Method & Madness, and Two Stacks
Add-On Pour: Powers Irish Rye +$4