We all know and love it. Even if you've never had it (hard to believe) you know what it is. You at least know someone that doesn't just "like" it. They love it. And if you're the one weirdo in the room unfamiliar, I'll learn ya somethin' about it. Jameson, as the full name implies, is an "Irish" Whiskey. That word doesn't just tell you where it's from either, because it's also a classifier. To be an "Irish" whiskey, there are some rules, just like with what can be called something like "Bourbon" or "Kentucky Straight. Those rules are as follows;
The Whiskey must be distilled on the island of Ireland. Must have a distilled alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% Maturation must occur on the island of Ireland, and must be done in wooden casks no greater than 185 US gallons Final Product must have at least 40% Alc/Volume May legally be spelled and sold as "Whisky" as well as "Whiskey" Must include malted barley, but it is ok to add other unmalted cereal grains. The above rule leads to further classifications and variations of Irish Whiskey; 1. Malt 2. Pot Still 3. Grain 4. Blended Jameson is Blended, so I'll go over that here, the others and many more in my all encompassing and forthcoming post "Whiskey Words." Blended means a mixture of any two or more styles of malt, pot still, and grain whiskeys. Irish Whiskey, in a way, starts with King James I, more in his granting a license to distill in 1608 to one Sir Thomas Phillips. By the way, this license is held to be the oldest license to distill in the world, which is exactly what Old Bushmills Distillery claims. That's kinda cool. Old Bushmills, much like many Irish and Scottish whisk(e)ys have a ton of history. A decent number of these places have been distilling spirits since before we (The US) were even a recognized country. That's nuts. Their website, which I will link below as usual, is a really cool read about their story, and the several articles that are historically relative you can pull up with a Google search of Jameson, Old Bushmills Distillery, or any of their products will have a plethora of historic details and crazy facts if you're interested. Whisk(e)y is really a huge deal over there and historically if you weren't aware. As far as tasting goes, Jameson is a classic. It's typically said if you enjoy bourbon (which i absolutely do) you'll enjoy Irish Whiskey (which again, oh yeah.) and you really can't go wrong with starting at Jameson if you decide to test your mettle with Irish Whiskey. It's a well rounded nose and mouth for anyone to start, and has a good amount of anything you need to go further in to the other sub categories of Irish and Scotch. Being a blended, and there being contention from snobs about that, as with anything, you might catch some crap if Jameson is the only thing Irish or Scotch you end up liking, but I really doubt that'll happen. Liking just Jameson I mean, you're gonna catch crap no matter what you enjoy (thanks internet). The aromas are hot and spicy, with hints of earthy chutney and mowed lawn, a little bit of jam and marmalade, with a nice hint of fudge. On the taste, there's a really nice creamy vanilla (hello bourbon), with an actual chutney hint at the end of some more easily definable fruits and corn. I'm never mad to have Jameson, and to be honest, I'm just a little afraid of how quickly my friends and I, when we have the rare large get-togethers, can go through a fifth or two of it. It's too damn good, and mostly everybody likes it. Even if it's not straight, tell the friends that can't hang (now I'm snobbiing out) to mix is with a little water or some ginger ale. Good Stuff, man. Jameson Irish Whiskey Bourbon and Sherry Barrel Aged 4-7 years, and triple distilled The Jameson Distillery Midleton 40% Alc/Vol https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com Please Drink Responsibly. image credit: www.Liquor.com
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