It's been a loaded week for me. Aside from making sure my three sons weren't bludgeoning one another while being trapped inside during a winter storm, there was a lot to work on when it comes to promoting good alcoholic beverages. On Thursday, I had a great time diving into the subject of Irish whiskey, a seemingly forgotten category that sits in the background behind Scotch and Bourbon.

When you look in greater detail though, you will discover that Irish whiskey sales have grown 20% every year for the last 20 years. Jameson is the iconic brand that the masses tend to associate with Irish whiskey. It's a testament to their marketing and branding, which has paved the way for other brands to grow in the U.S., but at the same time it overshadows some of the boutique and craft producers that have emerged recently. The goal of any of my spirits classes is to adjust your frame of reference. Not all Irish whiskey tastes as Jameson Original does: light, clean, vanilla flavor with a touch of green apple and spice, filtered and bottled at 40% abv.

There is a movement to bottle Irish whiskey unfiltered and at higher strength to show the true character of what was distilled and aged. You will be surprised at what you will find if you just look for it. On Thursday, we sampled six whiskeys, along with Jameson Original to use as our point of reference for the evening. With St. Patrick's Day coming up in one week, here are some whiskeys to grab to celebrate. Just do me one favor...when St. Patrick's Day is over, don't forget about these. The flavors and aromas can be enjoyed all year long.

As always, retail prices are approximate:

The Pogues Blended Irish Whiskey ($36): A blend of 50% malt whiskey aged in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry cask and 50% grain whiskey aged in Bourbon cask, this is a smooth, easy-drinking whiskey with a nice combination of fruitiness, nuttiness, and spice. The name does indeed come from the 1980s/1990s band, which collaborated with West Cork Distillers to produce this whiskey.

Tipperary Watershed Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($60): This farm has grown barley for quite some time, but now Tipperary is in the midst of constructing their own distillery. In the meantime, they created this single malt using six casks from West Cork, which is blended and cut with the local water on Ballindoney Farm. Richly textured, yet lively, ripe tropical fruits, vanilla, and honey butter make this exceptionally satisfying with a long, creamy finish.

Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($55): John Teeling left a lasting impact on the Irish whiskey industry with his innovation and ability to keep small producers alive. His sons, Jack and Stephen started this distillery in 2012, the first new distillery in Dublin in 125 years. Their single malt is aged in various casks, (including Port, White Burgundy, and Madeira), non chill-filtered, bottled at 92 proof. Light in color, it is heavy on flavor with dried apricots, cinnamon spice, and chocolate.

Tullamore DEW Trilogy 15 Year Small Batch Irish Whiskey ($80): The Tullamore DEW brand has been around for a long time and survived many tumultuous periods. The Trilogy refers to three generations of the Williams family and the three casks (Bourbon, Sherry, and rum) used to aged this blended whiskey (made from malted barley, unmalted barley, and corn). The result is a silky-textured whiskey with lots of mango, papaya, and other exotic fruit flavors, along with roasted nuts, honey, and chocolate cream. The finish lingers with what seems like a new flavor each time you sip.

Connemara Original Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($50): This is a rare breed as Irish whiskey is typically not peated, but John Teeling's brand from the Cooley distillery takes a page from Scotland with double distillation and a gentle peat addition (less than half of the average of a peated Scotch whisky). The peat smoke is heathery with a touch of honey, and it complements the baked apple pie and spiced granola flavors very well. Soft and smoky on the finish.

Redbreast 12 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Cask Strength ($80): The current release of the cask strength series comes in at a whopping 116 Proof, so this is packed with plenty of fire and flavor. Once you let the alcohol vapors subside, you are left with dried figs, candied pineapple, spiced cookies, and a lively citrusy lift that makes this whiskey very well-balanced for being bottled at cask strength. The addition of water opens up the entire savory spice rack: paprika, chili powder, coriander, oregano, thyme, and so much more. This is one to sip and savor.