Jameson Crested

A (wider) re-release of an extant label (the "Crested Ten"), Jameson Crested's biggest problem is that it doesn't really seem to know where it fits in the already crowded Jame-o line-up: more expensive than the entry level, a couple bucks more than the Caskmates, and pretty close to the same price as the Black Barrel. In the long-run, I think that confusion's going to hurt it, but on its own merits, the whiskey itself is pretty nice. Smell is pot still dough/yeast, big honey, caramelized sugars, vanilla bean, grass and hay, maple syrup, and some slight syrupy red fruits (berries in the distance?). Taste has a bit of heat for 40% ABV, and shows a lot of similarities to the entry level Jameson: honey, bitter citrus, chalky vanilla, leafy, grassy, hay, apple skins, almonds--but again, there's that hint of the sherried fruitiness, if only slightly (raspberries? underripe strawberries?). A bit peppery. Body itself is slight, but not underwhelming (though--as with all Jameson offerings--it's crying out for more proof), with a decent creaminess. Finish is warming honeyed sweetness and just a touch of vanilla. Faint fruit salad in the far, far distance. A nice "I'm not thinking about this too much" whiskey, but I'm ultimately not sure if there's *enough* sherry character here (or added age) to differentiate it from the entry-level Jameson. Why the four-star rating then, you ask? Well, I guess I'm like Jimmy McNulty: never had a Jameson I didn't like.

Very similar to standard Jameson but a little more robust with a hint of dark fruit sweetness from the sherry. Not quite as smooth, and not nearly as caramelized as Black Barrel. $45 in Ontario.