Jameson The Cooper's Croze

Entry one of the Jameson Whiskey Maker's Series. This one is dedicated to Ger Buckley, the head cooper. An interesting concept. Jameson has always served me as a bar-room bread and butter; even as I've come to outgrow the standard offering, the Black Barrel continues to serve me well. Let's take another step up in price and see if Ireland's most famous brand can deliver the goods. Nose: Shortbread cookie and powdered sugar. Some orange peel, honey, and vanilla (frosting). Fruity notes like apricot, coconut, white/green grape, and gala apple. Initially muted but opens up after about 10 minutes. Palate: Citrusy orange peel, toffee, and malt. Some caramel and vanilla. Big chashew note. Like with the nose, the sherry influence is barely noticeable while the bourbon influence takes the forefront. A bit of date, fig, raisin in the background, but it's really back there. Much more oak driven on the palate as well. Finish: Some red fruit and orange peel. Oak, caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. A little cinnamon spice on the way out. Moderate in length. Stand out here is the mid-palate into finish transition. Very nice. I'm about halfway through the bottle. I expected to score this a tad bit one higher based on previous tastings, but the lack of complexity was a small detractor here. It's very well-balanced and very enjoyable. Classic Irish, good from start to finish. Good, very good even, but not great. I saw this on sale for $60 down from $70. Either way, I think you can do better for your money. I gave it a 3.75, which just beats out the Black Barrel, even factoring in VFM. If you're a serious Jameson or Irish collector, you won't go wrong with this one. Be warned, there are better options at this price point (Knappogue Castle 14, Redbreast 12, Green Spot). Nevertheless, it's a solid effort and a damn good drop from Jameson.

Dead rabbit nyc