![]() ![]() Nose: Smooth, wood citrus, barley malt, vanilla milk, creamy, peach stones a little bit of alcohol nip. It is a very standard, young whisky which is my first Irish experience. ![]() This, along with Johnny Walker Red Label is one of the worlds most well known whiskies. In fact, let's try another one in a moment. ![]() Mind you, I've always loved Jameson's other expressions. For some reason, Jim Murray is insane about this, scoring it a 95. Still, good to have around the house so you can pour some for your uncle without having to give him the good stuff. The finish is a little furry with some savoury herbs, cinnamon and pastry - but it seems a little off - perhaps a few sulphured casks? Anyway, this is pretty much how I remember Jameson from the last time - pleasant and very drinkable but there's always something a little off-putting that keeps me from drinking it regularly (but I could). Straightforward and not terribly complex but very pleasant. ![]() Water somehow crisps things up even more. Definite pot-still crispness, rich barley, hint of sherry and more buttered toast (not burnt this time). On the palate it is very thin - but tasty. Lots of cereal notes (more so with water), and lightly fruity, but there is a metallic undercurrent I don't particularly like. With time, you get the faint hint of kippers (?) You definitely get the pot still and the sherry casks, but they are very light. This noses very young, with canned pears, buttered burnt toast, green apple skins and Wheetabix. Sometimes very tasteless, other times too sulphured, I never seem to know if I'm going to like it or not. I've had it at various times over the years and I have found it strangely inconsistent, especially given how loyal Jameson drinkers are. Even though the label says "Bow Street Distillery, Dublin", it's actually distilled at Midleton in County Cork, the same distillery that produces Paddy, Powers, Redbreast, Green Spot and, of course, Midleton Very Rare. It's a blend of 50:50 pot still (a mash of malted and unmalted barley) and grain. Easily the best selling Irish whiskey in the world, the standard Jameson must be in every single bar in the world (that and Jack Daniel's). I realized today that somehow I have never gotten around to reviewing that ol' standard Jameson (I've done the 18yo and the 2009 Rarest Vintage Reserve). Clean lines, crisp, big fruit, hints of dry sherry, no trace of sulphur. Taste is more of that tinned pineapple, tinned pear, light sherry, pure clean lines of that pot still character, steely, minerals, giving way to some slight herbal and spice notes.įinish is fairly short, but the fruit pineapple lingers with hints of sherry, fading into a subtle spice and herbal tingle on the tongue. The pineapple with the subtle sherry is delightful. Not multi-dimensional but I could sit sniffing this for some time. When I breathe in from the open bottle there's also unmistakable musty, cocoa dust, chocolatey, but not getting it in the glass. Lots of that clean crisp pot still character. Big fruity, huge whiff of tinned pineapple, tinned pear fruit, big dry sherry, flinty minerals. Jamesons standard bottling is often this, for me. Likewise, you can get some budget whiskys, which will give you as much pleasure as higher end product. Like beer and wine tasting, one of the great things about whisky is that you can get a whisky with great heritage and an intimidating age statement, that just ain't that great. Probably because you don’t taste all that much and what is there is pleasant enough. If I was at a bar and had to pick between this, and a plain Jack Daniels or Jim Beam, I would pick Jameson every time. Strength of flavour is lacking but that is to be expected from something triple distilled and 40%. This is better than I remember Jameson being. Overall: Either this was a good batch or glassware is making a positive difference. Not offensive in any way because there isn’t much there.įinish: Floral, honey maybe? It was in a hurry I guess. Cucumber, melon, grass, lemon if you search hard enough. Very clean and crisp almost like a clear liquor. Palate: Gentle palate, not a whole lot going on. I’ve had plenty of Jameson in my day but never from a proper glass until now. It’s amazing what proper glassware can do for a whiskey. Nose: Pleasant nose of cucumber, vanilla, lemon, and fruit hard candies. Sample is from a bottle that is 80% full and opened about a week. I figured I would get back to some basics after having sampled some excellent whiskies recently to kind of “reset.” Whenever I think of Irish whiskey, Jameson immediately comes to mind. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |