February 2016: Jameson Irish Whiskey

by Matt Murphy

Jameson is an Irish whiskey that is not traditionally very expensive, but offers a relatively wide range of price points that we sampled all under one brand.

• Cocktail:
  • Name: Jameson and Ginger
  • Ingredients: 50ml of Jameson Irish Whiskey, Quality bottled ginger ale, Large wedge of lime
  • Recipe: Fill a high ball glass with ice

Pour in a shot of Jameson. Top up the glass (approximately 3 parts) with a quality bottled ginger ale. Stir briefly to mix. Take a large wedge of lime, give it a squeeze and drop it into the glass.

• Bottle 1:
  • Name: Jameson Caskmates 
  • Distillery: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
  • Proof: 80
  • Price: $33
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Nose: Crisp orchard fruits like green apples and pears, mild pot still spices.
    • Palate: Subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans, Marzipan and charred oak.
    • Finish: Long and sweet with Milk Chocolate and Butterscotch.

• Bottle 2:
  • Name: Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel (12 Years) 
  • Distillery: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
  • Proof: 80
  • Price: $41
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Nose: Butterscotch and creamy, toffee fudge from the grain whiskey, peppery notes from the pot still whiskey, and ripe succulent fruits like nectarines, apricot and ripe apples from the sherry casks.
    • Palate: The grain whiskey in specially flame charred bourbon barrels delivers more concentrated spice, nutty notes and vanilla sweetness, while the pot still whiskey in sherry casks adds sherry fruit flavors.
    • Finish: Smooth and mellow with an intense and rich finish.

• Bottle 3:
  • Name: Jameson 12-Year Old Special Reserve  
  • Distillery: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
  • Proof: 80
  • Price: $57
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Nose: Intense spicy notes from the mature pot still whiskey, creating an assertively full-bodied aroma.
    • Palate: Significant sherry richness leading to nutty flavor with mild woody undertones from the years spent in the cask.
    • Finish: Warm and long-lasting.

• Bottle 4:
  • Name: Jameson Gold Reserve (7 Years) 
  • Distillery: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
  • Proof: 80
  • Price: $68
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Nose: The vanilla toasted oak aroma comes from the Virginia oak. barrels and the fruity notes from the sherry casks.
    • Palate: Layers of succulent fruits from the sherry butts interlaced with vanilla from the virgin oak, balanced with the pot still spice to deliver a silky mouth-feel.
    • Finish: It’s mellow, with complexity delivered through pot still spices, balanced with a pleasant peppery finish.

• Bottle 5:
  • Name: Jameson 18-Year Old Limited Reserve  
  • Distillery: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
  • Proof: 80
  • Price: $98
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Nose: Aromatic oils with a touch of wood and spicy toffee.
    • Palate:  Mellow and smooth, a mouthful of complex flavor – fudge, toffee, spice, hints of wood and leather, vanilla and a gentle sherry nuttiness.
    • Finish: A long, lingering finish carries the theme of the wood, spice and toffee right through to the end.