Tag Archives: Whisky beer

Jameson Quartet

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It has been a while since we’ve had an evening of Jameson here in Mumbai! And fitting that this time it would be with the Bombay Malt & Cigar lads, given the previous rounds were with the Whisky Ladies in 2018 and before that our original tasting group in 2015!

What did we try?

  • Jameson Distillery Edition 40%
  • Jameson Crested 40%
  • Jameson Black Barrel 40%
  • Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition 40%

No stranger to some of these expressions, it was still fun to revisit with the lads over a sociable evening of merry malts and cigars.

We kicked things off with the Distillery edition….

Jameson Distillery 40%

  • Nose – Started off with a gentle sweet citrus, then creamy vanilla, opening into a floral bouquet, heavy on the tuberose, over time the perfume was joined by caramel
  • Palate – Smooth, mildly malty, and woody, with a bit of coca-cola
  • Finish – A hint of spice

Overall we found this expression an amiable start to our evening. Our whisky host wondered if there was much difference between this expression and the standard Jameson blend. Not having the original on hand to compare, clearly, it was part of the distillery edition and was part of the Jameson stable.

What do the folks at Jameson have to say about their Distillery Edition?

Our Distillery Edition has been bottled exclusively for our home here in Midleton, Co. Cork, and now you can order it for your home or for that of your friend. It is a whiskey of exceptional depth, balancing pot still warmth with sherry wood to reveal notes of ripe fruit and fig with subtle vanilla and charred oak characteristics.

In this case, it was purchased in Cork, along with the other 3 bottles for under GBP 200…

We then moved on to the Crested, which none of us had tried (except our host at the Jameson visitor centre!).

Jameson Crested 40%

  • Nose – Orange peel, slightly roasted, creamy vanilla, sweet spices, particularly ginger, some prune and dates competing with honey, and above all – Cadbury Orange Chocolate!
  • Palate – Very smooth, fruity, warming into spice
  • Finish – Here is where there was a spiced edge – quite peppery

Though we enjoy good orange chocolate, this one didn’t stand out. It was also a wee bit unbalanced. Still smooth on the palate and easy to drink, but with a bit of a ‘spike’ that didn’t have sufficient character to pull through.

And what more do we know about the Jameson Crested?

Previously known as Crested Ten, the name was changed as it was a wee bit confusing – given it isn’t aged for 10 years. With its new look, it remains a blend with older aged Jameson with a “high measure” of pot-still whiskey, a “fair proportion” of which has been aged in sherry casks.

We then moved on to the Black Barrel – described as an effort to take tired old barrels and charr some new life!

Jameson Black Barrel 40%

  • Nose – Started with vanilla spice, charring does come through, fleshy fruit like custard apple, a bit of fudge
  • Palate – Was there slight smoke from the charring? Overall quite fruity with a dash of salt…. smooth as silk on the palate, more of that creamy vanilla
  • Finish – There with a hint of toasted nuts

Overall this one was a clear favourite… the most interesting of the quartet.

Like most Jameson, this is a blend of Single Malt and Grain. Whilst there is no age statement, they “flip” the typical age spiel to say it could be upto 16 years (and obviously over 3 years else it wouldn’t be whiskey!)

And what do the folks at Jameson have to say about their Black Barrel expression?

Double charring the wood fires up the barrels and gives them new life. Untold richness and complexity awaits in every drop of Jameson Black Barrel. It’s perfect on its own or on the rocks, but it’s also commonly known as the best whiskey for an Old Fashioned. Don’t trust us? Taste it. So, care to meet our beloved Black Barrel whiskey?

We closed with the Stout – aka finished in an ex-stout beer cask. We had a bit of a debate with this one… had we sampled blind, would anyone even discern a stout influence? Hmm…

Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition 40%

  • Nose – Subtle, shy, yeasty, some dry cereals, then gently revealed a little chocolate, some cream
  • Palate – Malty, yeasty bread, some caramel, a hint of chocolate
  • Finish – Coffee liqueur (at least this is what I found, most of the lads disagreed!)

This wasn’t my first time trying the Stout Edition. The Whisky Ladies had an evening with a Jameson Ambassador years ago…. If you are curious, you can read more about our experience here.

And the Jameson Stout official tasting notes?

  • Nose – An initial aroma of freshly cut hay is complemented by a crisp orchard fruit character – green apples and pears, with a twist of lime zest. Mild pot still spices appear, deepening from green tea to hazelnut and milk chocolate.
  • Taste – The initial sweet mouth coating typical of the Irish pot still inclusion is quickly complemented by the subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans from the beer cask finish.
  • Finish – Long and sweet with milk chocolate and butterscotch.

An interesting experience to revisit and discover variations on a Jameson blended theme… No matter what, you should find affordable amiable drams, happy to keep you company whilst you spin a yarn or two! Particularly if transformed into an Old Fashioned….

And if this isn’t enough Jameson for you, read on:

You can also find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

Whisky Ladies Irish Celebration – Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition 40%

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Whisk(e)y and beer – separate beverages yet found as companions and occasionally as hybrid experiments.

In this case, the story goes…

Like all the best conversations, the one between Jameson’s Head of Whiskey Science and the Head Brewer of a local craft beer brewery, started at the bar. A swapping of whiskey and beer barrels soon after, resulted in Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition – triple-distilled, blended Irish Whiskey that has been patiently finished in Irish craft beer-seasoned barrels.

And what did we find?

Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition 40%

  • Colour – Dark gold
  • Nose – Chocolate, butterscotch and flowers, very yheasty, dry cereals and a bit dusty, coconut, one even found Kahlua coffee liqueur, some hazelnut, cream
  • Palate – Very sweet, caramel, bitter orange and hay – some found it had a ‘hops’ influence, others didn’t discover any discernible stout element beyond the chocolate
  • Finish – Limited yet pleasant

Jameson’s brand ambassador Ciaran Hanlon shared that as Jameson is a mix of malted and approximately 10% unmalted barley, with the unmalted barley adding a creaminess and pepper spice. The thing was, though we could find the cream we didn’t find much spice – at least in this whiskey.

He went on to share that unlike some blended whiskies, Jameson is a single distiller blend and attributed the triple distill approach to producing a smoother style.

While there is no age statement, Ciaran noted typically Jameson has whiskies from 4-7 years, matured in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and for this special expression, ex-stout barrels.

In this case, the whiskey barrels first go to the craft brewery Fransisco Well to give a little extra whisky “ooomph!” to the stout beer, then the same casks come back to Jameson to work their wonders for six months on the whisky.

There was a bit of a divide on this one – some enjoyed the chocolaty goodness, others prefer their Jameson “straight” without a twist.

Talk turned to many ladies sharing Jameson was their “gateway” dram into wider whisky explorations. It also is one most found can depend on in a bar to be at a reasonable price point for a reliably good sociable dram. And what’s not to like about that?

And the official tasting notes?

  • Nose – An initial aroma of freshly cut hay is complemented by a crisp orchard fruit character – green apples and pears, with a twist of lime zest. Mild pot still spices appear, deepening from green tea to hazelnut and milk chocolate.
  • Taste – The initial sweet mouth coating typical of the Irish pot still inclusion is quickly complemented by the subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans from the beer cask finish.
  • Finish – Long and sweet with milk chocolate and butterscotch.

After the Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition, we switched gears to pure Irish pot still drams:

Our Irish experience was courtesy of Pernod Ricard, tasted from a bottle opened in Aug 2018. For those curious to explore, Jameson Caskmate Stout Edition is available in India.

You can also find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

European Explorations – Gouden Carolus Single Malt 46%

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During our evening of European Explorations, a complete bonus whisky from Belgium was added.

Het Anker makes a well known dark Belgium beer – Gouden Carolus.  They have branched out into distilling whisky… using the mash of the Golden Carolus Tripel beer which is aged in 1st fill bourbon casks then ‘Anker’ casks.

So what did we think of it?

Gouden Carolus Single Malt 3 years 46%

  • Nose – Deep fried veggies, savoury and oily, caramel sweet, vanilla, flower pod, ripe fruit, after some time we found marshmallows roasted over a campfire
  • Palate – Flat and spice, top is bitter, some salt, a bit sour like amla
  • Finish – Salty finish like saline, frat beer
  • Water – Sour and salt

So… beer to whisky… and while our tasting notes sound a bit odd, it somehow works. It was certainly a far sight better than the only other Belgium whisky I’ve tried – the Belgium Owl.

Here is what they have to say on the label:

  • Rich and balanced with fruit, vanilla, creme brule 

This whisky was a gift to our host.

My European Explorations with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents included:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on: