This Acclaimed Irish Whiskey Is Now Available in the U.S.

Many critics agree that it’s one of the best whiskeys money can buy.

One of the world’s finest whiskeys is now available in the U.S. — and savvy aficionados would do well to sample this exquisite stuff as soon as possible. 

Midleton Dair Ghaelach is a $270 single pot Irish still whiskey that’s matured in American oak bourbon barrels before being finished off in virgin native Irish oak casks, the first time the storied distillery has done so. Fittingly, Dair Ghaelach means “Irish Oak” in Gaelic, but c’mon, you probably knew that already.

Harvested in Kilkenny, the oak combines with the aged whiskey to produce a ridiculously fragrant, buttery vanilla scent that beckons the nose with every tipple. 

The superbly complex whiskey sends flavor waves of butterscotch, ripe banana, cinnamon and oak cascading down lucky gullets with each sip. It’s a truly unique experience that has earned Dair Ghaelach an impressive array of accolades. 

Both the Whisky Advocate and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible have named it Irish Whiskey of the Year. Murray additionally tapped the oaky wonder as Irish Pot Still Whiskey of the Year, and, most notably, the number three whiskey in the world. 

The influential critic scored the Midleton a 97, just a few decimal points behind Maryland’s excellent Pikesville Straight Rye and the surprise Canadian winner, Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. Though some critics have convincingly argued that Midleton was more deserving of the top prize.

Quibbles about whiskey rankings are best settled in the bar of your choosing, but one thing’s for sure: this whiskey was definitely worth the wait.