Friday Night Flights & Bites 3/28 & 4/4, Starting at 2pm

Irish Single Malt: A Foundational Style

At Saints & Scholars, we don’t just pour whiskey—we tell its story. And this week, our Friday Night Flights series invites you on a journey through the foundational style of Irish single malt. Whether you’re new to whiskey or a seasoned sipper, this flight is crafted to educate, delight, and surprise.

Why Single Malt?

Before blends, grains, or pot still variations, there was single malt—the earliest style of Irish whiskey. Made from 100% malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills, single malt offers a clear, focused expression of the grain, the distillation process, and the cask. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was one of Ireland’s leading exports—highly regarded for its elegance and purity. Today, it remains a foundational style in Irish whiskey’s revival.

The word “single” means the whiskey comes from a single distillery—not a single barrel—highlighting the distillery’s unique methods and consistent character. By law, all Irish single malts must be made from 100% malted barley, distilled in pot stills, and matured in wooden casks for at least three years.

Irish single malts are typically triple-distilled and unpeated, which gives them a smoother, lighter-bodied character with refined complexity. However, some distillers choose double distillation to bring out deeper grain notes or emphasize the cask’s impact.

While most Irish single malts today are unpeated, that hasn’t always been the case. In earlier centuries, especially in rural areas with abundant peat bogs, malted barley was often dried over peat fires, giving the whiskey a smoky flavor. As coal and other fuels became more common, the peated style faded, and a smoother profile became Ireland’s hallmark. Today, rare peated whiskeys—like Connemara—offer a modern glimpse into that lost tradition.

The relative delicacy of Irish single malt allows the cask’s influence—whether bourbon, sherry, or wine—to shine through in the final flavor.

Many of Ireland’s new distilleries lead with single malt as their flagship expression. It’s a style rooted in history but wide open to innovation. Classic, yet quietly complex.

A Note on Sourcing:
Not all Irish whiskey is distilled on-site—and that’s okay. Many newer brands source spirit from established distilleries while they build their own operations. They may age, finish, or bottle the whiskey under their own label. This practice has played a vital role in the revival of Irish whiskey over the past decades, allowing single malt to return to center stage.

A Brief History

In the 1800s, Irish whiskey was the most popular spirit in the world. But over time, trade wars, Prohibition in the U.S., political turmoil, and industry consolidation nearly brought it to extinction. By the mid-20th century, only a few distilleries remained—and single malt had become a rarity. Its return in recent decades is thanks to both historic producers and a new generation of distillers determined to restore its legacy.

What to Expect When Tasting

Irish single malts often showcase:

• Bright orchard fruits (apple, pear)

• Honey and soft malt

• Vanilla and subtle oak spice

Each whiskey reflects its distillery’s choices in aging, cask selection, and style. For the best experience, sip slowly, let the whiskey rest on your palate, and pay attention to the finish.

In this flight, we showcase three distinct single malts that represent three eras of Irish whiskey—from the world’s oldest licensed distillery to today’s modern and independent pioneers.

Bushmills 10 Year – The Original

Distillery: Old Bushmills, County Antrim
ABV: 40%
Cask: Bourbon & Sherry
Distilled on-site

Bushmills is the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, with a legacy dating back to 1608. The 10 Year is a benchmark for Irish single malt—light, smooth, and fruit-forward, with notes of honey, vanilla, and ripe pear. It’s the perfect starting point.

The Dubliner 10 Year – The New Dublin Voice

Distillery: Blended by The Dubliner, sourced from Great Northern Distillery
ABV: 42%
Cask: Ex-Bourbon
Sourced spirit

Dubliner 10 represents the new wave of Irish whiskey. Though sourced from a modern powerhouse (Great Northern), it’s independently bottled and finished. Expect soft vanilla, toasted oak, and a warm, bourbon-kissed finish.

Knappogue Castle 12 Year – The Purist’s Pick

Distillery: Knappogue Castle (sourced from Bushmills, matured & bottled independently)
ABV: 43%
Cask: Ex-Bourbon
Sourced spirit

Knappogue Castle began as a preservation project in the 1960s, when an American family began sourcing and bottling fine Irish single malts to preserve a disappearing tradition. Today, it’s still family-owned and focused exclusively on single malt. This 12-year expression is crisp, clean, and refined, with bright malt and citrus notes and a beautifully structured oak finish.

Bonus Pours: Explore the Edges

✨Want to go deeper? Add one of the following to your flight to experience how single malt evolves through innovation, terroir, or smoke:

• Teeling Single Malt – Finished in five different wine casks. Rich red fruit, florals, and spice. A bold modern expression from the historic Dublin Liberties.
  Distilled on-site at Teeling Distillery, Dublin.

• Dingle Single Malt – Small-batch, non-chill filtered, and distilled in County Kerry. Layered and full-bodied with stone fruit, malt, and spice.
  Distilled on-site at Dingle Distillery.

• Connemara Peated – Ireland’s smoky outlier. A rare peated single malt with soft smoke, honeyed malt, and a touch of earth.
  Distilled at Cooley Distillery (part of Kilbeggan/Beam Suntory).

Taste the Story

This flight isn’t just about flavor—it’s about understanding where Irish whiskey has been, where it is, and where it’s going next. From the legacy of Bushmills to the modern expressions of Knappogue and Dubliner, this flight is your introduction to the foundation of Irish single malt.

Follow along in the coming weeks as we explore other core styles—like Single Pot Still, Single Grain, and Blended Irish whiskey—in future Friday Night Flights.

Details

Available Friday 3/28 and 4/4 starting at 2pm.
Join us for this special tasting and experience the heart of Irish single malt—past, present, and future.

Special Price: $10 during Friday Night Flights (regularly $15 for flight alone)

Flight Includes: Three 0.5 oz pours – Bushmills 10 Year, Dubliner 10 Year, and Knappogue Castle 12 Year

Add-On: Enhance your flight with one bonus pour:
– Teeling or Connemara Peated: +$5
– Dingle Single Malt: +$10

Paired Bites: Werther’s caramel corn, Smokehouse almonds, and Kerrygold sharp Irish cheddar

Each selected to complement the whiskey’s profile. The caramel corn gently saturates the palate, softening sweetness and allowing deeper notes like malt and oak to shine. The almonds highlight the whiskey’s toasty, nutty undertones, while the sharp Irish cheddar draws out and contrasts the fruity, honeyed elements in the whiskey.