BOTTOM LINE
Jameson is a well known Irish Whiskey that is well liked for its gentle sweetness. Many that shy away from drinking whiskey neat or on the rocks will find that Jameson’s light honey taste appeals to them and make a great Irish Coffee.
I had to look into the Whiskey v. Whisky spelling. It was pointed out to me that the ’’e’’ is used mostly with American and Irish Whiskeys while the ’’e’’ is left out from Scotch. Jameson spells this Whiskey, so I’ll go by that.
THE HISTORY
John Jameson, a Scot (god bless ‘em), moved to Dublin in the 1770s and soon acquired a local distillery. He went on to found one of the first legal distilleries in Ireland in 1780. He continued to acquire more and more distilleries throughout Ireland and once claimed to have well over a million gallons of whiskey aging under the streets of Dublin.
John Jameson & Son merged with rivals John Power & Son and Cork Distillers Company. The Irish Distillers Group was later acquired in 1989 by Pernod Ricard against other companies (Gilbey’s and Guinness). Ricard also owns the Bushmills Distillery.
THE POUR
Jameson, aged for at least 3 years in Ireland, pours a gold in color. This whiskey is triple distilled so it is very pure and clear.
THE NOSE
Jameson blends traditional pot still whiskey with grain whiskey, so you will note malty and woody aromas from your glass. Jameson’s nose is misleading to its taste as the alcohol will temporarily burn your sense if you get to anxious. I first thought Jameson was going to taste like American whiskey because of the smell.
THE TASTE
Much to my surprise, and my relief, Jameson turned out to be a very smooth and sweet drink. Jameson is not sugary by any means, however, there is always a light taste of honey or caramel. There is no “dark” attributes to the taste of this whiskey as it will consistently present a gentle fruity sweetness from glass to glass.
THE AFTERTASTE
A honey-like, warm sensation will linger with you shortly after your sip your whiskey. Jameson will not quickly overcome your senses with its 40%ABV, but your will warm with each additional sip. There is nothing overpowering about this whiskey and it is simply a smooth drink from first to last sip.
OVERALL
Jameson is readily available in the US and I have never had too much difficulty located a bottle or two. Jameson has been creating excellent whiskies for over two centuries and, hopefully, it will never stop. Regular Jameson will make your wallet about $20 lighter, which is not bad at all considering that’s the going rate for Jack Daniels and the like.
There are more varieties of Jameson from longer aged to single malts. I will most likely have to go to the UK to find their best offerings.
Jameson is a good whiskey to sip neat of over the rocks. I once committed a severe sin and added Coke to my Jameson. I was young and I found it too sweet. A beginner in the whiskey department will most likely find Jameson growing on them.
Because of the price of this Irish import and the overall quality, I have to rank this whiskey a 5-star