How Thwarting the Taxman Invented Ireland's Signature Whiskey

Single pot still whiskey is a uniquely Irish style of whiskey making, and the story behind it is typically Irish. As the name indicates, this whiskey is made in a pot still, but so is the malt whiskey from which the style is derived. Like so much else in the history of any former British possession, single pot still whiskey came into being from that most patriotic desire to thwart the grasping will of the Crown.

Even in the 18th century, Ireland was known to have a thriving distillation industry. The problem for the British exchequer was how to collect taxes on all that spirited business. Irish distillers were already taxed by the volume of their stills and on the amount of spirit produced, but the latter was hard to measure with so many working distilleries, even on a small island like Ireland. So, in 1785 the British slapped a new tax, the Malt Tax, going directly after the source grain almost all the booze in Ireland was made out of.

Irish history between 1798 and 1804 was marked by repeated uprisings, but none of these were sparked by steep taxes on making liquor. Instead, the Irish responded by trying to outwit the revenuers. If malted barley was taxed, then they would simply use less of it, and thus single pot still whiskey came into being. The style continued to be made in pot stills, as with the precursor malt whiskey, but now with a mix of malted and unmalted barley. At times, other untaxed grains (most often rye) were used. The result was whiskey with a creamy mouthfeel, robust body, and spicy flavor.

Pot still whiskey became the engine that drove Irish dominance of the world whiskey market. By 1835, around the time Scotch and bourbon production was becoming recognizable by modern standards, Ireland was home to 93 licensed distilleries, and most of the whiskey and other spirits made were exported. Irish pot still whiskey was the most popular style of whiskey in the world. Far from stifling Irish whiskey, British taxes (and the work-arounds devised to avoid them) drove Irish distilling to ascendancy.

Ironically, it was an Irish invention that undermined their own supremacy in the world’s whiskey trade. Irishman Aeneas Coffey perfected the design for the continuous column still, patented his work, and his name is interchangeable with the column still even to this day. Coffey’s still was more efficient to operate than a pot still, but this didn’t mean the Irish industry was keen to adopt it.

This is sometimes portrayed as the Irish whiskey business being hidebound and set in their ways (certainly that was the  way it was told at the Irish Whiskey Museum when I went there, shortly after they opened their doors). But that doesn’t sound like the whole truth. Column stills tend to produce lighter bodied whiskey, which defeats much of the point of the pot still style, and the pot still style is what Irish whiskey’s identity was built on.

But across the Irish Sea lay a distilling industry still just recently legalized, and the Scots adopted Coffey’s new technology to great effect. They used the column still to make grain whisky, which they combined with their existing malt whisky to create blended whisky. Those more approachable, cheaper to make blended whiskies gave rise to a peer competitor for the Irish whiskey industry.

Taken from Whiskey Stories: The True Spirit Behind the Labels by Richard Thomas

Whether you are a seasoned whiskey enthusiast or new to the world of malts and blends, this book offers a comprehensive and captivating overview of the drink that has become a symbol of sophistication and celebration around the world. Whiskey expert Richard Thomas offers an enthralling expedition into the heart of whiskey's heritage, unfolding the rich tapestry of intrigue, innovation, and tradition that defines this storied spirit. From its ancient origins to its position today as a globally celebrated elixir, this book is a tribute to the distillers, dreamers, and dram lovers who have all played their part in shaping whiskey's legacy.