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Premium Irish Whiskey Tasting Hosted by Local Dublin Expert
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From €60 per person
Whether you’re a whiskey lover or just whiskey-curious, this two-hour tasting with local expert Derek is a proper introduction to what Irish whiskey can do. Derek has a knack for meeting guests where they are - beginners and aficionados both come away with a new appreciation.
You’ll work through six premium Irish whiskies, each chosen for its distinct style or story: Powers Three Swallow, Glendalough Double Barrel, Slane Triple Cask, Bushmills 10 Year, Kilbeggan, and Jameson Black Barrel. A whiskey cocktail kicks things off. Each pour is there because of its age, rarity, or style - there’s no filler in this lineup.
You’re settled into a traditional Dublin pub for the whole session, which means you can take your time with each glass, ask Derek anything, and hear a bit about the pub culture he’s just as passionate about as the whiskey itself.
The tasting takes place at The Swan Bar - exact location details are confirmed ahead of the session. The venue is wheelchair accessible with nearby public transport. Service animals are welcome. Infants must sit on an adult’s lap. Conducted in English. Maximum group size is 60 people.
Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky are genuinely different things. The most obvious distinction is the spelling, but the real differences are in distillation method and style. Irish whiskey is typically triple-distilled, which gives it a smoother, lighter character than most Scotch. Derek will walk you through this during the session, but going in with that basic understanding helps you appreciate why these six expressions taste the way they do.
Each whiskey in the lineup tells a different story. Bushmills 10 Year is from one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world, operating in County Antrim since 1608. Glendalough Double Barrel is a craft distillery doing interesting things with cask finishing. Slane Triple Cask uses three types of barrel - virgin American oak, seasoned Tennessee whiskey barrels, and Oloroso sherry casks. If you want to know more about any of them before you go, it’s worth a quick look - but Derek will cover all of it on the night.
The Swan Bar has been a Dublin institution for generations. Traditional Dublin pubs aren’t always easy to find in the city centre these days, so when a session like this lands in a genuine one rather than a tourist-facing reproduction, it matters. The Swan Bar is the kind of pub where locals actually drink, which is the right setting for learning about Irish culture through its whiskey.
Eat before you go. Six whiskey samples plus a cocktail is a respectable amount of alcohol, even spread over two hours. A solid meal beforehand makes the experience more enjoyable and means you can actually focus on what you’re tasting rather than how the room is starting to tilt. There are good food options within a short walk of The Swan Bar.
79 guests rated this 4.9 stars. That’s a consistent record across a wide range of visitors - couples, solo travellers, groups. It’s the kind of rating that comes from someone who genuinely knows their subject and knows how to share it. Derek is the real reason this works as well as it does.