August Whiskey of the Month.

"About time!" I hear from some. 😉 I had even surprised myself when I realised I have not reviewed this mainstay of Irish whiskeys! Oh well, it's here now as my August Whiskey of the Month, Jameson whiskey (website) which used to be distilled at their Jameson Distillery, Bow Street, Dublin 7. However, since 1976, when they merged with Powers and Cork Distillers to form Irish Distillers (website), like many other well known Irish whiskey brands, now it is distilled at their Midleton Distillery near Cork (website).

Jameson is a 40.0% triple distilled whiskey, of course, a deep amber coloured blend of grain and single pot still whiskeys, and aged in oak casks for at least 4 years before bottling. It has a slightly oak woody, honey and citrus aroma, and you notice the alcohol very much too, and noticed straight away in the taste. Indeed, it has a warming effect all through the drinking experience from nose, to mouth to stomach, although very smooth! I, as I seem to, noticed butterscotch in the taste predominantly, with hints of vanilla, nuts and cinnamon too, I like it, sláinte! 😉

May Whiskey of the Month

My May Whiskey of the Month, indeed my 10th Irish Whiskey of the Month in this series, is Green Spot, a 40.0% Single Pot Still Whiskey, meaning that both malted and unmalted barley is distilled in a pot still at just the one distillery. It is distilled at the Midleton Distillery near Cork (website), where many well known Irish Distillers (website) whiskeys come from, including Jameson, Redbreast and Tullamore D.E.W. Green Spot is distilled for the wine and spirit merchants Mitchell & Son of Dublin (website), who mature this whiskey for between 7 and 10 years in new and refill bourbon casks, and then in used sherry casks.

As expected for Irish whiskeys this was triple distilled, and is a deep golden colour, with hints of orchard fruits, vanilla, honey and cinnamon in the aroma. To taste, slightly spicy at first with the hints of vanilla still there, and a sherry fruitiness, finishing off with a slightly less smooth, but warm dryness, not my favourite Irish whiskey ever but still very nice, slainte! 👍💚

October Whiskey of the Month

My October 'Whiskey of the Month' is Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition (40% - website). This is triple distilled, like most Irish whiskeys, blended, then matured in old whiskey barrels that have since been used to age stout brewed by Franciscan Well Brewery of Cork (website).

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition is another pretty decent whiskey, and not expensive at all. Warm and slightly sweet, with subtle tastes of butterscotch, marzipan and coffee, and definitely chocolate in the finish; presumably these flavours very direct results of the stout seasoned barrels used in the ageing process. Smooth and leaving a warm glow as it goes down, slainte! 👍

September Whiskey of the Month!

I may just start this continuing as a regular monthly event, maybe until March anyway... So, a whiskey I've been wanting to try for years, and I finally got around to buying a bottle, Redbreast 12 (40% - website), which I think is owned by Jameson now, but, what the heck! It is a 'pot whiskey' not a single malt, and I just discovered that means it is made from both malted and unmalted barley, which apparently saved on taxes in the past, those canny Irish! Like most Irish whiskeys it is triple distilled in copper pot stills. It is then matured for 12 years, first in American Bourbon seasoned oak barrels, then in Spanish Oloroso sherry seasoned oak barrels.

Redbreast 12 Year Old (I'm not loaded, so not the 15 year old!) is pretty decent indeed, my immediate notes were "warm and fruity" but there are subtle tastes and aromas of sherry, nuts, spices and caramel. Very smooth and very drinkable, I like it, cheers! 👍