This is a special treat that's normally unavailable in my area of the country. This small batch Caskmates Edition is only available in New York State and is a collaboration between Jameson and Brooklyn, NY micro brewery Kelso Brewing Co. This sample was graciously supplied by a new trading partner and friend from Long Island- @Scott_E It's a standard 40% ABV and is your typical golden yellow in color. After a nice swirl it produces tons of long, slender legs in the Glencairn. There's a nice oily sheen left all the way around the glass that just hangs there until you take that first sip. The nose is very muted- little to no oak, no sweetness and no burn. Hmm, I went ahead and added a drop of water because I really want to see if there's any IPA beer notes to be found. Still not much of anything appears... That first sip is your typical Irish whiskey- butter smooth with a bit of vanilla and a quick hit of heat from the ABV. There's a very slight citrus pop but it washes away too quickly. I would love to say I detected some hops or some bitterness but it's just not there. So that's a bit of a letdown. The finish is quick and non-offending like every other Jameson I've had. I get the impression the beer wasn't left in these ex-Jameson barrels long enough to impart much, if any, flavor and that makes sense when it comes to IPA beer. Those beers are made to be drank as fresh as possible so leaving it in a whiskey barrel ruins the beer and that in turn doesn't give the beer enough time to saturate the barrels before being refilled with whiskey. Part of me thinks that the brewery should've sacrificed a few hundred gallons of beer and left it in the barrels for a really long time to "season" the barrels, but I know that's not good business practice. Oh well... Overall, this is just a marketing gimmick for Jameson and craft beer fans in and around NYC. I'm glad I got to try it, but it really isn't much different than any other run of the mill Jameson. Cheers.