I bought this bottle because I wanted to try an Irish Old Fashion cocktail that called for it. The cocktail was good, but when I tried the whiskey neat it wasn't as desirable.
The nose is fruity and full. I researched the bottle because I was expecting smoky notes, considering it's called Black Barrel. I found out that ex-sherry barrels were used along with ex-bourbon barrels, which made sense because the jammy, cherry, fruity notes that I often get off sherry casks comes through front and centre. I found it very enjoyable.
On the palate, I got some fruity notes from the sherry influence, along with some subtle spice, but not much after that.
However, I didn't enjoy the finish. There was a harsh bitterness that's hard to explain.
Overall, it's not really my thing.
5/10
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@rawalker I like to use the full range of the rating scale when doing reviews. It is so rare to see anyone go below 3, so my review score may seem harsh. But I want to show the contrast between what I feel is the best based on where I’m currently at in my whiskey journey. It will be fun to come back and look at these again one day. I went back to the bottle a couple times before publishing to make sure I wasn’t just having an off night and I came to the same conclusion on multiple nights. I usually score out of 3 for Nose, Palette, and Finish, and then an additional 1 for overall experience/branding. I’ve yet to drink regular Jameson neat, and I would assume this is probably better.
Very interesting experience. Previously I recall thinking this was quite good and a huge step up from regular Jameson.