Whiskey_Hound
Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed
July 22, 2020 (edited September 5, 2020)
I bought my bottle within the last year, so according to the site this expression features whiskey aged in barrels used by Eight Degrees Brewing. If you've had this prior to 2019, they were using barrels from a different brewery. Let's get into it.
Nose: Hoppy. Really hoppy. I'm surprised at how strongly that influence comes through. Fruit and citrus. Grapefruit, orange, lemon, apple, pear. Pine and oak notes. I get a bit of vanilla, honey, and toffee in the background. Besides that, it noses more like an IPA than an Irish whiskey. I happen to be a fan of IPAs, so I don't mind that one bit.
Palate: Not quite as hoppy as the nose suggests, but it's still evident. More grapefruit, orange, apple, and pear. Now there's some lime and cucumber, and an even an agave note. Vanilla, caramel, toffee, and honey remind me that I'm drinking a whiskey. Cinnamon and oak. Not as bold as the nose, but it's got depth and the quality is there.
Finish: Fruit: grapefruit, apple, and pear. Very drying. Caramel, vanilla, and oak. It's on the short side, as expected at 40% ABV. It's the only thing holding this one back.
Without considering the finish, this one is an easy 4 stars. Unfortunately, I've got to dock it a bit for the uneventful finish. The nose and the palate are great if you're looking for a change of pace. Even at a reasonable 43% ABV, Jameson would have a truly special product on its hands.
That aside, this a really enjoyable whiskey. I'm a fan of both Irish whiskey and IPA beers. This one definitely appeals to my preference for the latter. There are very few identifiable traditional Irish whiskey notes. Yet, it plays its part extremely well and presents a bold fusion of two of my favorite alcohol categories. Though I would strongly advise Middleton to up the ABV, I can recommend this one as it is.
35.0
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Bottle
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@BDanner took me a while but this was a major success! If you have any other lesser known recipes like this, please shoot them my way! (Any type of whiskey)
Yes. Lots. Cubes, not crushed. I build it in the glass over ice. Fill it with ice. Add whiskey and stir. Top up with ice and add tonic and stir again.
@BDanner Noted. This may sound like a damn question, but do you use ice? If so, how much?
@BDanner good call. I had a bottle of Q the other night and it was cloyingly sweet. Fever Tree is definitely the way to go!
@Whiskey_Hound Fever Tree Tonic. Avoid Q Tonic.
@BDanner If I end up making these, I'll be sure to report back. Maybe I'll give it a go this weekend
@Whiskey_Hound I lifted it from the Jameson website. They simply called it a J&T or something to that effect. I immediately dubbed it the “Irish Spring”. I’m not much of a whiskey cocktail person either (other than the occasional Old Fashioned) but on hot summer days, I’ve been known to enjoy Gin and Tonic. This was an excellent riff on that and is great when social situations have you drinking early and you don’t want to “get sleepy” while everyone else is still awake having fun.
I LOVE a good IPA, APA or anything PA so this sounds interesting. When i lived in Ireland there was just bog std Jamesons with a few age ranges
@BDanner Agreed! I almost feel like I could've scored this higher. At any rate, I'm a fan. And thanks for the info! I'm not a whiskey cocktail fan, I guess simply because I drink enjoy it straight up. Not to say I don't like them, I just haven't given them a chance. But I was recently thinking about experimenting with some mixing for guests. This sounds like a great recipe, so I think I'll start with this one. Really appreciate the tip!
Oops, that should be 2 1/2 parts tonic. I do 2oz Jameson & 5oz tonic in a tall glass.
I really like this one. Definitely my favorite of the two Caskmate editions, even though I despise IPA's. If you mix cocktails at all, this is very good mixed with tonic. 1 part Jameson IPA, 1 1/2 parts tonic, a dash of orange bitters and a squeeze of lemon. Very refreshing.