Friday Night Flights & Bites 5/9 & 5/16, Starting at 2pm

Blended Irish Whiskey: The Style That Saved a Legacy

This week at Saints & Scholars, our Friday Night Flights & Bites series continues with a tasting dedicated to the most widely enjoyed—and most underestimated—style in Irish whiskey: the blend.

While Single Malts and Single Pot Stills often steal the spotlight, it’s blended whiskey that has quietly sustained Irish whiskey’s global legacy. Accessible, versatile, and often complex in its own right, blended whiskey represents not only a majority of Irish whiskey sales today—but also a story of resilience and reinvention.

What is a Blended Irish Whiskey?

Blended whiskey is made by combining two or more styles of whiskey—usually grain, pot still, and/or malt—from a single distillery or multiple sources. The grain component is typically distilled in a column still, while the malt and pot still components are distilled in copper pot stills. The result is a whiskey that balances lightness and structure, making it approachable yet full of character.

Irish blends are typically triple-distilled and matured in bourbon or sherry casks, though modern blenders often experiment with virgin oak, wine finishes, and other cask styles.

This flight features three iconic blends that helped define the category, with optional add-on pours that show how far blending has come.

Featured Whiskeys in the Flight

Jameson Original – The Global Standard

More than the world’s best-selling Irish whiskey—it’s the flagship that helped lead Irish whiskey’s global revival. First distilled at Bow Street in Dublin and now produced at Midleton, Jameson played a pivotal role in putting Irish whiskey back on the map. A blend of pot still and grain whiskey, triple-distilled and aged in bourbon and sherry casks, it remains the standard for smoothness, balance, and drinkability.

• ABV: 40%

• Cask: Bourbon & Sherry

• Nose: A light floral fragrance, peppered with spicy wood and sweet notes.

• Taste: The perfect balance of spicy, nutty, and vanilla notes with hints of sweet sherry and exceptional smoothness.

• Finish: Smooth with a touch of spice and lingering fruit

Tullamore D.E.W. – The Triple Blend

Named after Daniel E. Williams, the stable boy turned distillery manager who helped shape Irish whiskey’s legacy, Tullamore D.E.W. is known for its triple-distilled blend of all three classic Irish styles: grain (sweet flavors), malt (fruit flavors), and pot still (spice flavors). Production returned to its hometown of Tullamore in 2014 after decades away.

• ABV: 40%

• Cask: Bourbon & Sherry

• Nose: Apple, citrus, and light spice

• Taste: Creamy with sweet grain, green apple, and gentle spice

• Finish: Clean and dry with soft oak and a touch of malt

Powers Gold Label – The Bold Blend

First produced in 1791 at the legendary John’s Lane Distillery in Dublin, Powers was the first Irish whiskey to be bottled at the distillery—setting a benchmark for quality and consistency. Known for its high pot still content and signature spice, Gold Label delivers a bold, structured blend that’s long been a favorite of bartenders and traditionalists alike. The original gold standard.

• ABV: 43.2%

• Cask: Bourbon (mostly)

• Nose: Cinnamon, clove oil and white pepper in balance with russet apples and ripe pears, on a back-ground of charred oak.

• Taste: Cinnamon, green peppers and a touch of nutmeg combined with orchard fruits, vanilla and toasted oak. All laid upon a crisp barley core.

• Finish: Long Pot Still oils and spices slowly fade to rich barley, toasted wood and a wonderfully complex honey flavor.

Add-On Pours (Optional)

Writers' Tears Copper Pot – A blend of pot still and malt with no grain. Elegant, honeyed, and fruit-forward.

Bushmills Black Bush – High malt content aged in sherry casks. Rich, nutty, and silky smooth.

Jameson Black Barrel – A fuller-bodied take on Jameson, finished in double-charred bourbon barrels for depth and spice.

Slane Triple Casked – A modern blend aged in virgin oak, seasoned whiskey, and Oloroso sherry casks. Bold, spicy, and layered.

Suggested Enjoyment

Taste in any order—or follow the suggested path from smoothest to boldest. Use the small bites to play with contrast and balance—sweetness softens spice, while creamy textures draw out oaky notes.

Paired Bites

• Jameson – Sea salt crisps: crisp, clean, and just salty enough to highlight Jameson's soft spice and orchard fruit.

• Tullamore D.E.W. – Pistachios: creamy and lightly savory, these bring out the whiskey’s grain sweetness and soft citrus.

• Powers Gold Label – Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar or Tillamook Aged White Cheddar: bold and sharp, these stand up to the pot still spice and toasted grain finish.

Available Friday 5/9 and 5/16

Special Price: $10 for flight
Includes: Three 0.5 oz pours + curated bites
Add-On Pours: $3–6 each