Tastes

Nose: Classic Irish, but a touch darker, deeper, and smidge more complex. Shortbread biscuits, walnuts, banana bread, pears. The sherry presents as a bit more of a robust, tannic red wine - I'm reminded of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cream cheese icing. Raspberry syrup. Palate: Again, classic Irish - shortbread cookies, banana bread with walnuts. Slightly tannic, with the sherry coming across sweeter than on the nose. Green apples, honey. Berries and cream. Mouthfeel is medium light. Finish on this is easygoing - begins with apples, shortbread, nuts, and cream while a sherry undertone sits low in the mix. As things evolve, the cream and nuts fade away while some pear pokes in. Then the apples shift into red territory (instead of green) and eventually you're left with sweet wine and red apples. Finish is medium in length. Other notes: Imagine a continuum of Jameson and Redbreast 12 - this sits in the middle between them in terms of palate. It's not the most complex thing ever, but it offers up just enough to be an interesting addition to your explorations of Irish whiskey. Especially if you can find it on sale.

Nose: Fresh cut grass, honey, barley, bananas. Black pepper. Red bell pepper. Basil, thyme, rosemary, dill. Alcohol helps give this some life. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Vanilla and oak in the background - no doubt due to the combo of age and ex-bourbon cask. Lactic, cream - think yogurt more than sour cream. Bright and floral. Green apples. Palate: Cream cheese frosting - that lactic tang character combined with white sugar. Moderate amount of complexity. Peaches, apricots, strawberries, bananas, green apples, along with that herbaceous grass/thyme/basil thing. Floral. Some tannic character, both in texture and in taste. The proof on this is absolutely apparent and dances across your tongue, putting on an explosive show. As you acclimate and things open up, the floral character and bitterness move towards the finish and the pleasant, sweet, fruity notes punch through more, though with much more sweetness - almost fruit punch territory. Mouthfeel is medium heavy with a good oil content. Finish starts with a burst of white and black pepper, oak, barrel char, tannin, basil, and thyme. As things progress, the prickly alcohol shows up and toasted black peppercorns shows up, along with dill, clove, cardamom, and that slightly sour lactic tang. The mid palate then fades away, while the lower palate begins to, but the oils here are helping things stick around. Not much evolution, though eventually things move to freshly baked bread with just a hint of sourdough starter, dipped in a combo of olive oil just as it starts to go bad and medium-range balsamic vinegar. As things move further, a slightly metallic, almost garlic character joins. The base palate drops off and you have roses, barrel, fennel, and a bitter, metallic tinge. Long finish. Other notes: I used to say that, in general, higher proof whiskies tend to be overall better, objectively. In experiencing this, however, I need to change that sentiment to reflect that, in general, higher proof whiskeys tend to be more interesting, objectively. Don't get me wrong - this is a perfectly acceptable bottle. There's enough going on here, and enough proof, to grab my attention and hold it. And the flavors on display really are quite good. If you read the label, then close your eyes and imagine what this probably tastes like, you're probably spot on. The higher proof delivers exactly what you'd think. I won't likely keep this is stock in my home bar, but I'm not mad I bought it. As an aside - you'll notice I try to avoid talking about price, and I don't factor that in when considering my review and rating. I'm doing my best to disconnect the idea of price from the quality of the spirit. I will make mention in cases where I find something to be of exceptional value (Finlaggan Old Reserve, I'm looking at you). This was incredibly inexpensive for me, considering what it is, but not an exceptional enough value:quality ratio that I find a compelling argument for or against this other than "It's worth a buy".

Nose: Earth, smoke, vegetal brine. Honeyed cereal grains. Buried vanilla. Coffee, leather, rosemary, thyme, anise. Tobacco. Hint of oak. Definitely on the younger end of the spectrum - some aspects of this haven't evolved or developed. Bright and shiny, but not in an unappealing way. Palate: Honey, toasted grains - the barley is getting a chance to be in the spotlight here. Mint, lemon zest. Bitter chocolate and black pepper. Smokey, dry ash. Tobacco, oak, fresh cut grass. Cream. Mouthfeel is medium, with the oil content here making things real interesting and some effervescence that betrays the 80 proof. Finish is medium-long and begins without much evolution - sweet barley, smoke, earth. The deeper notes disappear and plum and strawberry begins to poke through, with the barley morphing into a sweetened granola. Smoke and ash present throughout, and the end coasts into mint, lemon oik, coriander seeds, thyme, and basil. Other notes: I've been searching a while for a daily drinker peated Islay and I've found it. That this was less than $25 out the door (tax included) puts a smile on my face. It by no means isn't without flaw - the rumor mill says this is 6 years old and what's in the glass reflects that, but what IS here is good enough that I'll absolutely be keeping this one stocked in my home bar. I'd also gladly recommend this to anybody looking to dive into the world of peat.

Nose: Take that classic Jameson buttery lemon tart and crank up the citrus, as well as the dairy funk. Brittle grain character shining through with some malt backbone. This presents much more lively than the 80 proof labeling would lead you to expect. Floral (think roses) and grassy. Novel, but the hops are sitting on top of everything and are wavering between being appealing and unappealing. Palate: None of the unappealing qualities from the nose. Classic Jamo buttery lemon tart with more vanilla. Mint, thyme, and basil. Cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, allspice. The hops are combining with the barrel to provide a sort of faux barrel bitter/bite thing that I'm not hating. The addition of more bitterness is mostly just helping amp up the classic Jamo flavor profile. Mouthfeel is medium-light, though oily and hangs around. Finish is medium-short and starts with coffee, vanilla, sugar, and - surprise - bitter, herbal character. Vanilla and sugar hang out while mint and cream pop into play - slightly minty whipped cream comes to mind. Things slowly fade off until you're left with classic Jameson. Other notes: The nose on this is what kills it for me. It's 95% good, but there's this sour-in-a-bad-way interaction between the hops and the buttery citrus thing that's just unappealing enough to make me pause. Funny, too, because with beer I'm all about big, bold, heavily hopped IPAs, Imperial Stouts, etc. The hops seem to "mask" the metallic character you normally get from Jameson. This has just enough variation from your baseline Jamo for this to be worth a buy just for the novelty of it, but not something I'd actively seek out for myself in the future.

Nose: Much more lively than you would think, considering this is only 80 proof. Cocoa, leather. Dusty books. Slightly floral - probably from the hops. Classic Jamo punching through with buttery shortbread, citrus, and herbal notes, but overall more filled out. Even getting some darker base notes for everything else to stand on. Palate: Milk chocolate. Cultured butter. Orange blossom, honeysuckle, vanilla. A little tannin and oak coming through. Mint, orange zest, sweet basil. Again, presenting as if it were a higher proof while still incredibly easy to drink. Mouthfeel is medium-light. Finish is medium-short, leading off with bitter chocolate, orange, mint, and fresh cut grass. The high and low palate melt away with hints of toasted marshmallow, nutmeg, and graham crackers showing through. Eventually you're left with a bitter milk chocolate character. Other notes: Though maybe not as focused as I would've hoped, this shows what a few months of a seasoned barrel can do. Well executed.

Nose: Buttery shortbread. Sweet orange - zest and flesh. Flour. Cream, apricots, persimmons, bananas. White and brown sugar, vanilla. Sweet basil. Oak - just a hint of char. Somewhat understated. Palate: Develops on what the nose brings to the table. Vanilla, sugar, strawberry, apricot, cream. Orange and persimmon. Oak is more assertive, I'm getting a reasonable barrel character here, complete with some tannin, barrel bitter, and barrel bite. Mouthfeel is medium-light. Finish is medium-short and starts with a pop, the mid-palate opens up to reveal some bright, metallic character. As things slowly come back down, the oak and fruit play off each other until everything settles down into a vanilla whipped cream with peanuts and blueberries. Other notes: I eyed the proof of this while opening the bottle and almost immediately said "I'm going to wish this was higher proof" - I was spot on. There are some really interesting things happening here. Still very Jameson in character, the added oak influence really helps bring something more assertive and bold, while remaining very easy to drink - this feels a little more cohesive and developed, which is likely a function of the fact that I tend to lean towards bourbon.

Nose: Buttery, shortbread cookies. Thyme, rosemary, lemon zest. Green bell peppers and fresh cut, wet grass. Pears, green apples. Slightly sour dairy note - like a good cream cheese. Bananas and artificial strawberries - like with bubblegum. Palate: Lemon tart with berries and whipped cream, extra buttery crust. Rosemary, basil, thyme. Slightly metallic, likely from the grain alcohol in the mix. The faintest suggestion of barrel bitter and tannin, but you really need to search for it. Mouthfeel is thin, though not as watery thin as I remember. No alcohol punch, this stuff is VERY friendly. Finish is shorter and begins with the straightforward character, and as things evolve it basically goes top-down: the citrus disappears, then the berries and bananas, then the herbs, eventually leaving you with cultured butter. No real lower palate to speak of. Other notes: For the Irish category, I've only ever had Redbreast 12 and Green Spot in my house, as well as a few glasses in the wild of the nicer stuff (Midleton Very Rare, for example). I've decided to finally dive in and do a proper at-home intentional tasting of some of what is on offer under the Jameson label to see what the other end of this category is all about. I'm glad my assumptions about this stuff was so wrong. Is this whiskey flawed? For sure. Is it still incredibly easy - maybe even enjoyable - to drink? Absolutely. And while I may not necessarily always have a bottle of this on hand from here on out, I'm disappointed in myself for selling it short for so long. It's simple, straightforward, and actually pretty good - very much a drinking whiskey and less of a sipping whiskey, if you catch my drift. Not bad.

Nose: Bananas and vanilla. Honey. Toasted grains. Floral soap. Oak. Stone fruits. Oranges and cream. Strawberries, raspberries. White chocolate. Palate: Bananas, vanilla, oak, brown sugar. Peaches, strawberries, blueberries. Whipped cream. Pepper. Thyme, basil - bit more of the rye spice poking through. Dill. Some barrel bitter and tannin. Mouthfeel is medium-light. Finish showcases brown sugar, vanilla, oak, and char. Flowers and flour. The ethanol helps carry things and bring some brighter characteristics, swells up, and then starts to fade away providing a subtle effervescence. The bottom and mid palate almost completely disappear and the flavor tends towards slightly bitter blueberries, peaches, and cream. That oak hangs on through that whole thread, with the barrel bitter hanging out pretty much the whole time. Other notes: Classic bourbon, leaning into sweet fruits. This is a BevMo pick - 4th floor in warehouse L. Decently balanced overall, the ethanol pokes its head out a little more than I'd like, though that does bring some life to an otherwise very mid-palate heavy party. There's not much low-end to build on here. Definitely an easy sipper that executes against the standard bourbon profile very well.

Nose: Not much punch, but some depth going on. Luxardo cherries, citrus oil. Roses. Vanilla, brown sugar, oak. Dusty corn. Honey. Fig newtons. Palate: Straightforward and bright - dusty corn, brown sugar, vanilla. Cream. Orange blossoms. Charred oak. Mint. Slightly grassy and herbaceous - hay. Mouthfeel is lighter. Finish starts off with Nilla wafers, bananas, and peanuts with some bright ethanol riding along. Evolves and ends simply with the bright and shiny ethanol character slowly disappearing. Some strawberry shows up at the tail end. Other notes: Not bad overall. Not something I'd feel compelled to keep around, but the flavor profile is pretty solid all around. Not doing anything out of left field or unusual, though I'd be curious to see this aged a little longer and bottled at closer to 90 or 95 proof - there are some Eagle Rare vibes that are buried in there. Add in some unique finishing options... But really, good buy overall.

Nose: Black and green tea. Smoke, wet earth, cloves, lemon oil. Flour, salt - Play-Doh comes to mind. Sweet floral notes. Leather, cocoa, dusty books. Apples, ginger, Palate: Black tea, smoke, tannin, oak, brown sugar, vanilla, strawberries. Mildly sweet. Super buried ash notes. Char. Moss. Slight brine. Coffee grinds. Finish begins with a pause - no pop of flavors here, likely due to the lower proof. Mouthfeel is moderate. Things slowly ramp up to reveal earth, vanilla, oak, smoke, mild peat, and Hershey's milk chocolate. The earth, vanilla, and smoke hang out while orange oil and pine oil notes show up in the background. Things slowly fade away. Medium-long finish, though not a ton of evolution throughout. Other notes: Under the weather today, so my senses of smell and taste aren't at the top of their game. That being said, I like this. It might be a little less intense and bold compared to my usual leanings (Ardbeg has ruined me for peated Scotch), there's still a subtle complexity going on here that isn't disinteresting. Excited to see what I'm missing when I'm back in action 100%.