Jameson Irish Whiskey, February 2016, by Matt Murphy
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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.
- Name: Jameson Caskmates
- 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.
- Name: Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel (12 Years)
- 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.
- Name: Jameson 12-Year Old Special Reserve
- 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.
- Name: Jameson Gold Reserve (7 Years)
- 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.
- Name: Jameson 18-Year Old Limited Reserve