BOPI 01IG/2022 DEMANDE D’ENREGISTREMENT D’INDICATIONS GEOGRAPHIQUES 16 century, the "Irish Whiskey / lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " industry began ta decline as a result of increased excise and the closure of the US market due to prohibition, compounded by the industry's eschewing of new technology. ln addition the conflicts of World War I and the Irish Easter Rising and civil war exacerbated the decline and the number of distilleries dropped dramatically. Beginning in the 1980s the Irish Whiskey sector has been undergoing a global resurgence with increasing experts and ongoing investment taking place in the expansion and development of distilleries. The unique nature of "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " was recognised internationally in, for example, the EU/US1994 Spirits Agreement: "The USA agrees to restrict, within its regulatory framework (27 CFR 5.22 or on equivalent successor regulation), the use of the product designations... "Irish Whiskey"/ "lrish Whisky"...to distilled spirits/spirit drink products of the Member States of the EC [Ireland and UK], produced in compliance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89 and with the laws of the Member States (Ire/and and UK) in which those products originate." The popularity, reknown and global reputation of "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " is reflected in the high numbers of visitors from abroad, some 600,000 each year, who visit the five "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " visiter centres in lreland. (Source: Irish Whiskey Association). A visit to a whiskey distillery consistently features in the top twenty most visited attractions in lreland (Source: Failte lreland). ln 2013 more than 6.2 million 9 litre cases were exported to over 100 countries reflecting the ongoing double digit growth in experts of "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " (Source: Bord Bia Export Performance & Prospects 2013/14/Central Statistics Office) and it has been the fastest growing premium spirit category over the previous five years (Source: IWSR 2012). Production process "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " is a distinctive whiskey which uses numerous different grain formulae, based on a distillate of a mash made from malted barley and unmalted cereals, it utilises differing production processes and is produced in a temperate climate. Each step of the distilling process plays a vital role in establishing the Irish character of the whiskey: Cereals Barley imparts a distinctive character to "Irish Whiskey / lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " while further significant factors are the process of mashing/fermentation, the style of distillation and maturation and the skill employed to optimise traditional techniques. Stills The size of still used in the production process helps impact a distinctive flavour and aroma profile to the "Irish Whiskey / lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach ". Different companies use various size stills to create their own unique set of whiskeys. Maturation The moderate Irish climate influences the rate of maturation and enables the development of particular flavour attributes. This even maturation creates a smooth tasting and mellow product, which varies in colour from pale gold to dark amber. This colour development depends upon the type of maturation casks chosen. Natural Factors Natural factors have a significant effect on the quality and characteristics of "Irish Whiskey / Uisce Beatha Eireannach / lrish Whisky". This applies whether the distillate is "Pot Still Irish Whiskey / lrish Pot Still Whiskey", "Grain Irish Whiskey / lrish Grain Whiskey" or "Malt Irish Whiskey / lrish Malt Whiskey". Water The naturally occurring mineral composition (hard or soft water) of the local water supply to the distillery will impart a particular flavour to the grain during the mashing process. Water quality and quantity play an important role in the character of "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach ". Climate lreland is affected by the mild and damp Gulf Stream. Climate plays an important part in the maturation process. The mild and warm weather enables the spirit to evenly extract wood derived compounds and colour from the cask. The Gulf Stream currents helps keep Irish winters milder and Irish summers cooler which mean "Irish Whiskey / lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach " avoid temperature extremes during maturation. Human Factors: lndividual experience and expertise is essential in the production of "Irish Whiskey / lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach''. The following key personnel in every distillery help to impart the key individual characteristics of "Irish Whiskey / lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach ": Maltster Like ail stages of the distilling process, malting barley requires the skill of an expert. ln this case the Maltster is the person who insures that the barley is properly malted. The length of time it takes to moisten the barley so as to begin germination and the knowledge needed to know when to stop the process is a skill acquired over time. The majority of "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach" is produced using unpeated malted barley. However, some peated malted barley is used in the industry. Distiller The distillers manage the whole whiskey production process. This is where science and art complement each other. The traditional touch of the master distiller is needed to produce the perfect "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach". The entire distilling process must be directed with instinctive skill and judgment. A major turning point in the history of "Irish Whiskey/ lrish Whisky / Uisce Beatha Eireannach'' came in 1830 when Aeneas Coffey, a former Inspecter
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