Last Thursday, 28th May, I took part in a Three Drams Irish Whiskey Night from the comfort of home while following the live YouTube stream featuring distillers, founders and whiskey experts from both Ireland and New York.
Hosted by Barry Chandler, Three Drams is an Irish whiskey subscription service that delivers curated tasting packs alongside live online tasting events. Irish Whiskey Night takes place on the last Thursday of each month, bringing whiskey fans together to taste and learn directly from the people behind the bottles.
Streaming live from the famous Dead Rabbit Bar in New York, the event featured:
- Katherine Condon — Distiller at Midleton Distillery
- Conor Hyde — Owner of Hyde Irish Whiskey
- Gareth Irvine — Founder of Copeland Distillery
- Carol Quinn — Head of Archives at Midleton Distillery and Ireland’s only whiskey archivist
What made the evening particularly enjoyable was hearing the stories behind each whiskey while tasting along in real time.
Dram 1 – Jameson Black Barrel (40% ABV)
The first whiskey of the evening was Jameson Black Barrel. On the nose, I immediately picked up butterscotch and creamy toffee aromas. It smelled rich and inviting without being overpowering.
The taste followed through with vanilla sweetness alongside the same smooth creamy notes. What stood out most to me was just how balanced and easy to drink it was.
Check it out at http://www.jamesonwhiskey.com
Dram 2 – Hyde No. 8 Heritage Cask (43% ABV)
The Hyde No. 8 had a lighter nose compared to the Jameson, with soft vanilla notes coming through first.
On tasting, I noticed biscuit sweetness, creaminess and coffee flavours. Letting it linger brought a little heat towards the finish, which added another layer to the whiskey.
This felt slightly more complex as the flavours developed and was another very enjoyable dram.
Check it out at http://www.IrishMalts.com
Dram 3 – Copeland Distillery 26.2 Peated Single Malt Whiskey (46% ABV)
The most intriguing whiskey of the night was easily the surprise pre-release from Copeland Distillery — a peated single malt that had only recently launched.
The peat was immediately noticeable on the nose and much stronger than the previous drams. Normally I’m not a huge fan of heavily peated whiskey, so I was curious how this one would go.
To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. The taste had an unexpected sweetness that reminded me of cola cube sweets and maple syrup. The sweetness balanced the peat extremely well and made it far more approachable than I expected.
Check it out at http://www.CopelandDistillery.com
Final Thoughts
What I enjoyed most about this event was the combination of tasting whiskey while hearing directly from the people who create it. It made the experience feel far more personal and engaging than simply reading tasting notes from a bottle. The livestream connection to The Dead Rabbit in New York also gave the evening an international feel while still celebrating Irish whiskey and the people behind it. Events like this are a great reminder of how welcoming and varied Irish whiskey can be, whether you’re an experienced whiskey drinker or only beginning to explore different styles.
My Whiskey Night Ratings:
- Jameson Black Barrel — 5/5
- Hyde No. 8 — 4.5/5
- Copeland 26.2 Peated Single Malt— 5/5
