Jameson Irish Whiskey

Few things are as Irish as Jameson whiskey, which is surprising since the brand was established by John Jameson, a Scotsman himself. It was in 1774 that John Jameson arrived in Dublin, Ireland, and a few years later he was appointed distillery manager at one of the distilleries in the region. He would later inherit the distillery, which belonged to one of his relatives by marriage, and a glorious Irish journey would commence.

Over the next few decades, John Jameson perfected the creation of his Irish whiskey, and welcomed his son John Jameson II into the family business. John Jameson had successfully laid the foundations of a gargantuan institution that would go on to shape the very future of Irish whiskey worldwide. At the turn of the 19th century, Jameson became one of the world’s most renowned whiskey brands, producing more whiskey than many Irish distilleries combined.

Founder – John Jameson

Throughout their history, Jameson consistently kept up both their quality and their success, managing to keep the sagging fortunes of Irish whiskey alive. Today, Jameson is known in many parts of the world as the true representation of Irish whiskey, a well-deserved title. Known for its unique smoothness, and ability to adapt with the drinker’s preference whether its’ neat, with a chaser or mixed into a cocktail, Jameson is not only just a classic, but an icon in the world of whiskey. Exceeding sales figures of more than 8 million cases worldwide, the unprecedented success of Jameson has been established upon uncompromising quality, great taste and its marvellous triple-distilled smoothness.

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This is not just the standard expression from Jameson, but also the standard Irish whiskey for the rest of the world. There is not a single whiskey lover throughout the world that does not know the name Jameson, and that’s the truth. The world’s bestselling Irish whiskey also singlehandedly kept alive a dwindling industry, effectively spearheading its revival. Today, Jameson sells a record 8 million cases of their good stuff annually and there is definitely a reason for it – it’s simply that good.

The thing about Jameson is that it’s loved by every type of whiskey lover out there – whether it’s someone that only sips on it neat, of loves to chug a shot; love a good old fashioned whisky and ginger ale, or whip up a nice cocktail. The standard Jameson is a classic blend of pot still and fine grain whiskeys, triple distilled for that Jameson smoothness and matured for 4 years. There are light floral aromas with a delicate balance of sweetness and spice, with a delightful combination of vanilla, sweet sherry and spice with that smoothness we just spoke of. The finish is medium, mellow and as smooth as you could want it to be. There is a reason you will find a bottle of Jameson at every single bar counter, and the reason is – it belongs there.

Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey

The Jameson Black Barrel is one of their richest expressions, with some interesting use of barrels we must say. First things first, it is a blend of a high proportion of pot still whiskeys married with grain whiskeys aged for somewhere between 8-10 years. Jameson have used both ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry barrels to mature the source whiskeys for this blend. Post blending, they have finished this whiskey in heavily charred ex-Bourbon barrels, hence the name.

As you can expect, there is a lot going on here but the Jameson Black Barrel has been crafted brilliantly. You will notice a lot of sweetness along with a generous helping of caramel, butterscotch and vanilla. Very smooth with flavours of roasted nuts, along with sweet and spicy vanilla followed by a long, rich finish.

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Irish Whiskey

What could only be called a divine revelation of forbidden knowledge, Jameson Master Blender Billy Leighton had a brilliant idea. While having drinks with the Brew-master from the Franciscan Well Brewery, Leighton decided to loan out some of their aging barrels to the brewery. The idea was to let the brewery age their stout in these barrels, then bring them back to mature Jameson’s whiskey in those barrels. Sounds like it could work right?

Well it did work, and Jameson had a game-changer on their hands. The Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition was very well-received, and the Caskmates series was born. The signature Jameson goodness and the delicious Stout beer flavours have created something absolutely worth cherishing. This is such a fully flavoured, rich and mouth-watering Jameson with aromas of juicy apples and pears, milk chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. There’s flavours of sweet coffee, roasted coffee bean, butterscotch and creamy vanilla and some of those hops that never left the barrels. Oh what a remarkable new way to enjoy a Jameson!

Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition Irish Whiskey

Close cousin of the Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition as you can see, and finished in barrels used to mature India Pale Ale instead of the Stout barrels. Of course the idea was born with the Stout edition, but we think the people at Jameson thought why stop there. We are glad they didn’t because this is a fantastic Jameson release. Although the fundamentals of both the Caskmates Edition whiskeys remain the same, the results? Couldn’t be more different!

But they’re so good that after an initial controlled release in Ireland, Jameson went ahead with a much larger release in the USA in 2017. The Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition is a no-age-statement whiskey, and is triple-distilled for that smoothness we love so much. It has some remarkable floral aromas with some citrus and oak, and there are hops mixed in with some sweet and spicy character and hints of zesty lemon. Refreshing finish, and very smooth to the very end.

Jameson Crested Irish Whiskey

The Jameson Crested is a no-age-statement blended Irish whiskey that was released in 2016 with an updated look, and a changed name. Earlier released as the Crested Ten, although the name did not denote an age. Anyway, the Crested is another future member of the ‘Jameson Greatest Hits’ portfolio because it is indeed very good.

A high proportion of this blended Irish whiskey has been matured in Sherry barrels, and the influence makes its presence known. The Jameson Crested is a blend of pot-still whiskeys from both malted and unmalted barley, and grain whiskeys. Triple distilled of course as all Jamesons are for that renowned smoothness we love and treasure. On the nose, you get the sweet and spicy Sherry, and as you take a sip, you will notice a very fine amalgamation of fruity spice and some dark chocolate to your surprise. The finish is warming, with some more Sherry for a sweet farewell. Some very good stuff from Jameson this decade.

Jameson 18 Years Irish Whiskey

For the people that are far too familiar with Jameson, this is an expression that is some of their finest work. Some may even refer to it as one of the best Jameson have ever produced, and many would agree. The Jameson 18 Years is a blended whiskey like all Jamesons, and was created by marrying two pot still whiskeys with a single grain whiskey. It undergoes maturation in Oloroso Sherry barrels, and a pretty substantial six-month finishing in Bourbon barrels.

The 18 Years of maturation, grants an almost otherworldly smoothness to a triple-distilled Jameson, and the higher proportion of pot-still whiskeys sure make their presence felt. The Jameson 18 is delicious and quite mellow with lots of caramel and toffee flavours and aromas, some gentle spicy oak and just a hint of nutty goodness. A very long finish bring some more Sherry to the fore, and leaves you with toffee and spicy oak to savour. Excellent premium stuff from Jameson really.

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Irish Whiskey

Another beautiful 18 Year Old release from Jameson, but this time, it’s a cask-strength Jameson blend. The Jameson Bow Street 18, as the name would tell you, has something to do with the birthplace of this great whiskey brand. This Jameson release, a blend of some rare pot still and grain whiskeys has been matured for 18 years in a variety of casks, both first-fill American and Sherry. The whiskey is finished in first-fill American Bourbon barrels, and they spend this time at the Bow Street Distillery for finishing, hence the name.

A cask-strength Jameson is quite rare, and Jameson have gone a step further to say they shall be only bottling it once each year. This one has been bottled at 55.1% ABV, and it really is some of the good stuff from Jameson. There’s that caramel and spice from the first-fill American and Sherry casks, some vanilla toffee and oranges. Very complex, smooth and with a delightful long finish.

Jameson Triple Triple Irish Whiskey

Jameson’s fine grain and pot still whiskeys aged in a combination of three different barrels – ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and a unique new introduction, Malaga wine barrels from Spain.

Created by Master Blender Billy Leighton, the Jameson Triple Triple was released as part of the company’s exclusive Travel Retail portfolio in July 2019. It’s a no-age-statement release that Jameson is confident will pleasantly surprise whiskey lovers. The Triple Triple has managed to achieve a delightful sweet fruity character with the signature Jameson smoothness. There is loads of zesty lemon peel, raisins and plums along with the sweet and spice drawn from the Sherry barrels. Can’t wait until it gets a wider release so that more people can try this wonderful new Jameson.