Review - Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition Irish Whiskey

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Rating 3 Glasses

• Distillery: Midleton Distillery
  • Years Aged: NAS
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $34.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Background:

• Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition is the second iteration in the Caskmates series. They have teamed up again with Franciscan Well Brewery to offer another unique beer cask finished whiskey. The brewery has taken the barrels originally used in maturing Jameson whiskey and filled them with IPA (Irish Pale Ale). Once the beer has been sufficiently finished off it is removed from the barrels and they are sent back to the distillery to be filled with Jameson once again. 
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Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: The color of Jameson, fast thin legs like speedy gonzales.
• Nose: Floral aroma of standing in a hop field, citrus & grapefruit. Like the nose of a good 100 IBU IPA.
• Taste: Little bit of spice, floral & grapefruit continues from the nose, lightly sweet but not overpowering.
• Finish: Bitter hoppiness, citrus rind & leather.
• Conclusion: We’re split. Some said it’s better than the Caskmates Stout Edition and some said that we are crazy but one things for sure, the blend with the flavors and the aromas are spot on. You’ll have to grab a bottle for yourself and try pairing it with your favorite IPA (Irish or India). For something different from the traditional Irish pallet we would definitely buy it again and offer that it would be a great whiskey to bring out at dinner.

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Review - Knappogue Castle 12 Single Malt Irish Whiskey

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Rating 2.5 Glasses

• Distillery: More than likely Old Bushmills
  • Years Aged: 12
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $34.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Background:

• From the Knappogue Whiskey Website -
• "In 1966, Mark Edwin Andrews purchased Knappogue Castle, a 15th century castle in Ireland, which was then in ruins. He and his wife, a prominent architect, then embarked on an ambitious program of restoration, in an effort to return the structure to its original state of glory and grandeur. It was around this time that Andrews began buying casks of fine pot still whiskey from top distilleries in the country. The casks were further aged and bottled under what is now the Knappogue Castle label. His last bottling, a 1951 vintage aged 36 years, is revered by connoisseurs as the oldest and rarest commercially available Irish whiskey on the market. Many years later, his son, Mark Andrews III, would bring Knappogue 1951 and his father's legacy to the United States and other international markets."
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Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Dried straw, thin and quick legs.
• Nose: Cherry with a minor hit of alcohol, spice & vanilla. 
• Taste: Underlying sweetness, fruit & grass notes. Cherry flavor follows from the nose and clean mouth feel.
• Finish: Medium & clean not oily. Decent spice.
• Conclusion: It's an Irish for sure but kinda run-o-the-mill if you ask us. We weren't able to discern many unique flavors or characteristics to set it apart from other similarly aged Irish selections. Yes, it's clean, smooth, refined and has all of the great things you would expect from an aged selection out of Ireland maybe 5-10 years ago, but with all of the good competition recently attacking this price point it really seems hard to justify the purchase. We would prefer other options in the $20-49 dollar range and as such had to knock it on the glass rating but you won't be breaking the bank if you decide to pick one up for you or a friend to try.

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Review - Hell-Cat Maggie Irish Whiskey

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Rating 2.5 Glasses

• Distillery: Cooley Distillery
  • Years Aged: NAS
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $21.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Background:

• This whiskey is named after Hell-Cat Maggie (fl. 1840–1845). This was the pseudonym of an American criminal and early member of the Dead Rabbits. She was a well-known personality in Manhattan's Five Points district and a noted fighter, her teeth reportedly filed into points and who wore long claw-like brass fingernails,[1] who fought alongside the Dead Rabbits and other Five Pointers against rival nativist gangs from the Bowery, most especially the Bowery Boys, during the early 1840s. Although there is little information on her life, she is one of the earliest female criminals of the "Gangs of New York" era and has been compared to later women criminals such as Gallus Mag and Battle Annie, the latter leading the female auxiliary of the Gopher Gang during the 1870s.[2][3] - Wikipedia

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Golden hay, thin.
• Nose: Sweet-ish (like the chef), light citrus and alcohol
• Taste: Perfect medicine for a cold like a Honey lemon Ricola. Smooth with hints of rubbing alcohol.
• Finish: Slight bitterness, fades quickly.
• Conclusion: This whiskey is aptly named as it has all the aspects of a traditional Irish Whiskey but rougher around the edges. For the price its OK and would definitely make for a good mixer. Just because of the backstory this would be a good conversation starter if brought to the party.

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Review - Jameson Irish Whiskey

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Rating 4 Glasses

• Distillery: John Jameson & Son Ltd
  • Years Aged: NAS
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $29.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Honey with thin legs
• Nose: Apples & alcohol
• Taste: Low heat but smooth with  vanilla & citrus
  • Finish: I forgot already
• Conclusion: Jameson is at the top of the Irish whiskey world by capturing 80% of all sales globally. In the United States the annual figures alone are staggering with #1 being of course Jameson w/ over 2 Million cases sold, followed by #2 - Bushmills (185K Cases) & #3 - Tullamore D.E.W. (142K Cases).
• What us Americans would usually term as table/house whiskey, Jameson being so readily available makes it a great mixer but is also enjoyable to drink neat or on the rocks (a staple in Matt's cabinet). This is the whiskey you bring to a party because the price doesn't leave you broke and it won't embarrass you in front of your friends. Only real downside is it being so well blended, balanced & smooth you may not be able to pick out as many unique aromas and flavors to break down. We want to applaud Jameson for fueling the Irish whiskey revolution that has been happening over the past decade or so and look forward to experiencing more of what the region has to offer.
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• Fun Facts:
• Did you know John Jameson isn't actually Irish?
• Even though Jameson Original is a NAS the distillate is usually aged between 5 & 7 years

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Review - Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve Whiskey

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Rating 4.5 Glasses

• Distillery: Tullamore D.E.W. Company LTD
  • Years Aged: 12
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $42.95
      • Availability: Widespread

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Yellow amber and thicker legs than regular Tullamore D.E.W. Original that run the entire length of the glass. Think Beyoncé vs Taylor Swift.
• Nose: Quite the hit of aromas in the forefront but like its younger brethren fades quickly, opening to a world of Irish delight (which is like Turkish delight but much more boozy) with sweet caramel happiness and more intense sherry notes.
• Taste: Butterscotch, citrus, brown sugar & figs.
  • Finish: Lingers with malt and spice that hangs around.

Conclusion: BIG step up from Original D.E.W. A bit sweeter and more depth most likely due to the longer aging. Great value for the complexity of flavors and we would put it up against almost any other at this price point.

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