The first and most obvious distinguishing factor about Irish whiskey is it must be distilled in Ireland. Most commonly, Irish whiskeys are also triple-distilled, a process that removes heavier flavor and aroma notes and heightens the presence of lighter, fruitier ones. Any combination of cereal grains can be used to produce Irish whiskey, unlike other types that have more specific required grain bills. This makes the smoothness of triple-distilling the most defining characteristic of Irish whiskey, rather than a specific ingredient or flavor profile, setting it apart from Scotch.
Jameson is, by far, the world’s best-known and highest-selling Irish whiskey. However, there is plenty of Irish whiskey to try that isn’t Jameson; other notable distilleries and brands producing the spirit include Green Spot, Teeling, Bushmills, Midleton, Redbreast, and Dunville’s.
In many ways, Scotch presents a stricter set of rules and requirements than Irish whiskey. Scotch whisky must be produced and aged in Scotland. Unlike the more varied ingredients of Irish whiskey, single malt Scotch whisky is solely made from malted barley, and all varieties must contain the grain. It’s distilled just two times, with single malts required to use a traditional copper pot still. Afterward, the barrels used to age it must be made of oak. The result is a fuller, heavier flavor. Traditionally, some regions of Scotland have also incorporated peat into the process, burning the plant material to smoke the barley and imbue the rich, immediately recognizable flavor many drinkers associate with Scotch.
Both have a legislative framework with details that determine how each is made: The Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009 and the Irish Whiskey Technical File 2014. Although there is a lot of overlap between the two, there are differences throughout each document.
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One is the way whisky is categorised in each country. Here’s a breakdown:
Scotch whisky: Single Malt, Single Grain, Blended Malt, Blended Grain, and Blended Scotch Whisky
Irish whiskey: Single Malt, Single Pot Still, Single Grain, and Blended Irish Whiskey.
Both countries produce single malt, single grain, and blends. But as you can see in Scotland blended malt and blended grain are distinguished (think Johnnie Walker Green Label for the former, Blended Grain Whisky 30 Year Old for the latter). But Blended Irish Whiskey must be made from two or more different whiskey types (pot still, malt and grain).
The biggest difference between the two is the single pot still category. This is a style of whiskey that is unique to Ireland and is made from both malted and unmalted barley. Redbreast would be a fine example.