Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition

Nose: Top of glass is fruity transitioning to bright woody notes, similar to a newer rickhouse with lots of ventilation. Bit floral at the bottom. Overall very diverse and clear nose. Big fan on the introduction. Notes: Fresh and crisp, great balance of baking spice on back end. Allspice? Finish: delightful tip of tongue. Soothing warmth on backend. Summary: highly recommended for brighter but complex breaking. Offers a lot at a low proof. Highly impressed.

Generally, I use a glen cairn glass for my tastings. I think most of us do, right? If we have them available? They let you swirl the whiskey, open up the aromas, really indulge and investigate and get to the bottom of what a particular pour is all about. Only, have you ever noticed how some whiskies taste better out of a shot glass? I suppose it's often the case that the less complex whiskies are the ones that taste better out of a shot glass, but I wouldn't necessarily say that the Jameson Caskmates Stout is a bad whiskey. It's certainly better than your standard Jameson blended. The Stout finish gives it a little something extra, a little pizzaz, and does a whisky have to be insanely complex to be enjoyable? I don't think so. I bought both the IPA and the Stout Jameson two years back, and I think I preferred the IPA back then. This year, pre-St. Patty's, I picked up the Stout again. I think my preference for the IPA was simply that the finish was a bit more obvious. I didn't have to work as hard to get the IPA notes out of the IPA than I do to get the Stout notes out of the Stout. But that was then, and this is...well, this is now. And I didn't pick up the IPA. I should note that the only reason I picked this up was that it was $7 off. This is a whiskey that, while it tastes better in a shot glass, is also a whiskey that I would say isn't worth it at the SRP of 36.99, but at $29.99 it's good enough to give you pause and indulge from time to time. I believe someone I follow here just tasted Jameson Black Barrel and said that Black Barrel took the place of their favorite Jameson over the Stout. I can see that. Jameson has its ducks in a row when it comes to the pricing of their lineup, and with Black Barrel only a few dollars more than this, Black Barrel is likely what I'm going to reach for unless, as I've said, this is $7 off, like it was this month. So the whiskey itself...? There are certain whiskies where they place the tasting notes on the label. I can appreciate this to some extent. Obviously distilleries are going to paint in broad strokes and advertise what everyone is likely to taste rather than go into the sommelier nuance that reviewers might. And on the label here, loud and clear and accurate, it states: rich coffee, smooth chocolate, butterscotch. This isn't going to rock your work, it's not earth shattering. But if you enjoy coffee, chocolate, and butterscotch layered on top of the traditional grain, green apple, and vanilla of your standard Jameson along with your standard Jameson alcohol bite at the end, this one is for you.