Best Irish Whiskeys Under $100

By Richard Thomas

St. Patrick’s Day 2026 brings a very mixed picture with it for American drinkers looking for a nice, but not too expensive bottle of whiskey to bring to a shamrock green gathering. Irish whiskey exports fell by 5% in 2025, and with Ireland’s tiny population, the whiskey industry there is arguably the most export dependent of the five traditional whiskey-making nations (America, Canada, Ireland, Japan and Scotland).

According to the kind of whiskey bros who lurk in forums and call their unfinished basement a speakeasy, such a slump will surely mean lower prices, but (no surprise here) that will never happen in actual fact. Almost all the fall in exports came from the United States and were due to the trade war Donald Trump started with Europe, and since tariffs raise prices, the net result means sticker shock, not sticker relief. For example, in researching this article I found the price of a bottle of Bushmills 16 Year Old rose sharply between 2024 and early 2026, which is why it isn’t on this list.

But that said, there are several very worthy Irish whiskeys on shelves near you to be had for less than $100.

Bushmills 12 Year Old ($60)
This expression is a little distinguished, sitting as it does one step up from the entry level rung in Bushmills’ single malt ladder (that bottom run is the 10 year old). Don’t let anyone scoffing at “Protestant whiskey” throw you off from this bottle. Finished in Marsala casks (fortified wine from Sicily), it is noted for its rich stone fruits-driven flavor profile.

Drumshanbo Single Pot Still ($65)
Named for the town it comes from, this is made by the Shed Distillery, and is an example of the comeback of single pot still whiskey. For decades, the only distillery in Ireland making it was New Midleton (see below). But with the revival of the style and the Irish distillery building boom of the previous decade, now there are a variety of pot still whiskeys. Shed’s is made using malted barley, unmalted barley (the two mash requirements) and oats.

Green Spot ($70)
Green Spot is the entry level expression of “The Spots,” a collection of single pot still whiskeys made by New Midleton (the distillery behind Jameson), but originated by Dublin wine merchants Mitchell & Sons. It’s said to be between seven and ten years old, and drawn from stocks aged in first- and second-fill bourbon barrels and ex-Sherry casks. Along with Redbreast (coming later), Green Spot was one of the expressions that led to the single pot still whiskey revival in Ireland, bringing back a signature Irish style. The difference is Redbreast is identified with Sherry cask aging, whereas the Spots are not leaning so far into Spanish oak and Sherry wine flavors. So, more of the native flavor of the robustly spicy pot still whiskey sings out.

JJ Corry The Gael ($80)
JJ Corry is a brand from Chapel Gate Whiskey Company in County Clare. It’s a blended whiskey, but as one should expect for a blend coming from a small, independent negociant, it has a high proportion of malt whiskey in the blend: 60% malt, 40% grain. The result is a richer blend, but one that still offers a rather lighter bodied drinking experience than would be the case compared to a full-on Irish single malt. I often think taking this track brings out more of the fruitiness inherent to good Irish blends, and that is certainly the case here.

Redbreast 12 ($70)
Single pot still whiskey was revived by two expressions drawn from similar stocks, but with different emphasis. “The Spots” lean more on ex-bourbon casks, including second fill casks that are very nearly just breathable containers offering very little wood influence, while the Sherry casks come from a variety of Sherry types. Redbreast leans more on its Sherry wood, and that wood is entirely Oloroso Sherry. Of the two, Redbreast is more popular, since the Oloroso raisin and nuts flavors bring the spicy pot still whiskey into firmer balance.

Writer’s Tears Double Oak ($65)
If having a bottle on the table with the name “Writer’s Tears” isn’t enough of a selling point for you, this blended whiskey takes a different and higher quality tack than the usual pattern. Instead of blending pot still and grain whiskey or malt and grain whiskey, it blends malt and pot still. The double oak part refers to the aging stock, in this case the typical ex-bourbon barrels, but also ex-cognac casks. So, it brings the fruit, the toffee, the vanilla, the spice and a tannic quality as well.

Honorable Mention: Collecting Waterfords
Waterford Distillery, with its single malt production process centered on younger, carefully matured whiskeys that pushed an estate-grown, malted barley flavor profile, went bankrupt in November 2024. The company’s stocks of whiskey, one of its most valuable assets, have sat undisturbed ever since. Although their fate has yet to be determined, I have grave doubts that whoever comes into possession of them will utilize them in the same way Waterford would have.

So, I heartily recommend picking up a bottle of Waterford if you can find one. These are often available for under $75, as prices have fallen since the bankruptcy. Snagging one of these is snagging a reliably good Irish single malt, a collectable, and a conversation piece for a future bottle share timed around St. Patrick’s Day.