Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with Jameson Whiskey

What better way to celebrate the heritage and culture of the Irish than by sipping on one of the world’s best-known names in Irish whiskey- Jameson Whiskey. The classic green bottle can be found worldwide as about over 56 million bottles are shipped yearly. Besides being consistently available, it’s also high-quality Irish whiskey, and it’s pretty affordable! We’re going to share with you some of our favorite Jameson Whiskey bottles that we carry in our Bottle Shop, and we’ll help you get your hands on one before St. Patrick’s Day so you can celebrate right along with us! But first, let’s briefly look into what makes Jameson Whiskey so unique.

About Jameson Whiskey

Jameson Whiskey is arguably the most well-known Irish Whiskey brand, and that’s because they do a couple of things exceptionally well. First, they honor their heritage and history throughout their recipes and ingredients, and they maintain this even with the incredible volume they put out each year. Instead of using bigger stills as their volume increases, they just add more stills. 

This dedication to making quality Irish whiskey began in 1780 when John Jameson was put in charge of a new distillery. Previously a law clerk, Mr. Jameson realized the potential success he could have making Irish whiskey, so distilled whiskey at the original Jameson Distillery on Bow Street in Dublin, where all the magic (and hard work!) began. Today the former factory stands as a monument to Irish Whiskey, and it can be visited for tours, cocktail-making classes, whiskey tasting sessions, and even classes on blending your own whiskey. The newer, upgraded facility located in Cork, Ireland is called the Midleton Distillery. Here, Jameson Whiskey houses the world's largest working pot still, which you can also visit on a tour and taste whiskey straight from a cask in their live Maturation Warehouse.

Jameson Whiskey is known around the world for its smooth and friendly flavor palate, and it’s favored by novice and experienced whiskey drinkers alike. The credit can be given to both quality ingredients and consistent (yet unique) production techniques. Jameson even uses the same size pot stills now it used back in 1780 to maintain the precise flavors year after year. In fact, if you try one expression of Jameson now, the same one five years from now, and the same one ten years from now, they should all carry the same flavors and aromas. 

Jameson Whiskey prides itself on locally-sourced ingredients. All of the barley is sourced within 100 miles of the distillery, and the water source, the Dungourney River, flows through the distillery- can’t get much more local than that. 

One of the production techniques that make Jameson Whiskey stand out from other Irish whiskeys is during the barley germinating or malting phase, during which they use smokeless fuel. This gives the whiskey flavors that are absent of smoke and peat. The distillation phase is similar to other Irish whiskeys in that it’s triple distilled, and at this point, the alcohol is about 160 proof. Then deionized water is added to dilute the alcohol content, dropping it to about 124 proof. After triple distillation, it spends at least 3 to 4 years maturing in ex-bourbon, sherry, and port oak barrels, imported from America, Spain, and Portugal. Once it’s ready, it’s bottled and shipped around the world for all of us to enjoy.

Another interesting thing to note is that many of Jameson’s blended whiskeys are pooled together from two or more distilleries to create a unique blend. But Jameson Whiskey, with both pot stills and column stills in their facilities, produces all of their whiskeys that are then blended together. You could even call it a single blend since each component come from one place. 

About Irish Whiskey

While Jameson Whiskey may be the world’s best-known Irish whiskey, there are 32 whiskey distilleries in Ireland. They can all be broken out into four different types- malt, pot still, grain, and blended (and Jameson Whiskey makes all four types!) 

• Malt Irish Whiskey is made from 100% malted barley, water, and yeast, and it must be distilled in copper pot stills.
• Grain Irish Whiskey must be made with malted barley and includes unmalted cereals like corn, wheat, or barley, and it must be distilled in a column still.
• Pot still Irish Whiskey must contain both malted and unmalted barley, water, and yeast. It can also contain other unmalted cereals, and it must be distilled in copper pot stills.
• Blended Irish Whiskey is made from a blend of two or more different types of Irish whiskey, and that includes malt, grain, and pot still whiskey. Blended is the most popular category of Irish whiskey today. 

Irish whiskey is especially popular in the US and the UK for its smoothness, which is attributed to the spirit being triple-distilled. You might remember from our Blog about the difference between Scotch and Irish whiskeys that Scotch is usually double-distilled. Both styles include blended and single malt whiskeys, though Scotch is more well-known for single malts and its peaty smokiness. 

Other Interesting Jameson Whiskey Factoids

• We mentioned earlier that John Jameson was “put in charge” of the distillery on Bow Street. (Did you catch that?!) The truth is, it was originally founded by John Stein, Jameson’s father-in-law! John was hired as the general manager of the distillery, but he later took on ownership in 1805.  
• In 1810, the distillery was officially renamed The John Jameson and Son Irish Whiskey Company, but imagine trying to say that after a couple of drams! It was nicknamed “Jameson,” which stuck, thank goodness. 
• John Jameson was known best for Irish Whiskey, but the ironic thing is that he wasn’t Irish- he was Scottish! His wife, Margaret Haig was part of the family that owned the original Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, and John married in to this family. He was so interested in whiskey-making and saw such opportunity with some of his former clients (he was a law clerk) that he joined the family business. 
• The Jameson family coat of arms is featured on the brand’s labels. This emblem has the motto “Sine Metu,” on it, which means “without fear.” 
• While Jameson’s green bottles are some of the most recognized around the world, “bottling” is a fairly new concept for the whiskey-making giant. For almost two centuries, Jameson sold their whiskey by the cask exclusively to bonders. They didn’t start selling by the bottle until 1968. 
• Jameson hasn’t been distilled in Dublin since 1975, at which point the distillation process was moved to Cork, Ireland, in the Midleton Distillery. The Bow Street Distillery is like a museum now, full of history and charm. You can visit it for tours and whiskey-tasting though, and it feels like walking back in time!
• Although Jameson is Irish whiskey, the barrels come from Spain and the United States. The barrels were formerly used to age bourbon, which gives the whiskey the notes of vanilla and toasted wood it’s so well-known for. 
• About 90 percent of Jameson’s products are exported and shared around the world.

Some of Our Favorite Jameson Whiskeys

Jameson offers several collections including the Original, Crested, Black Barrel, Black Barrel Cask Strength, Signature, Makers Series, 18-Year-Old and 18-Year-Old Bow Street release. At Taster’s Club, just re-opened our Online Bottle Shop, and restocked it with hundreds of new spirits- and our list grows every day. We offer all kinds of whiskies, and of course, we try to carry as many Jameson bottles as possible. So if you’re looking for a bottle to enjoy for St. Patrick’s Day, we have a few options for you to choose from.

You can click on each bottle below to be taken directly to our Bottle Shop, and you can even get an idea of the flavor profiles below. Pick your favorite or try something new, you’ll be ready to sip some tasty Irish whiskey right along with us! 

Once you receive your bottle, we’d love to see how you’re enjoying it: straight pour, on the rocks, in a cocktail? We love it all! We especially love to see your unboxing videos, which we feature on Instagram and Facebook.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Jameson Irish Whiskey is blended Irish whiskey of pot still and grain whiskey. It’s aged in ex-bourbon and sherry barrels for between 4-7 years, and it can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks, or with ginger ale. 

Color: 
Rich, deep amber

Nose:
Floral, toasted wood, and sherry undertones

Palate:
Sweet orchard fruits, both fresh and cooked with a bit of vanilla cream

Finish:
Medium-length with spice and honey

Jameson Cold Brew Irish Whiskey

The smoothness of Jameson meets the richness of coffee with Jameson Cold Brew Irish Whiskey. It’s a delicious combination of whiskey and natural cold brew coffee flavor, offering a rich coffee aroma and a mellow mouthfeel with toasted oak and dark chocolate notes. It’s best served chilled or over ice, and we think this might be the perfect way to start your day!

Color:
Deep brown

Nose:
Coffee bean aroma and vanilla nuttiness.

Palate:
Cold-brew coffee and charred wood

Finish:
Full-bodied, smooth, and warming

Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition Irish Whiskey

The Jameson Caskmates Series continues with the IPA Edition. Jameson sent its used whiskey barrels to the Franciscan Well brewery, where they were used to age IPA beer. The casks were then returned to the distillery, where they were used to finish this tasty Irish whiskey. The result is Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition, which offers the smoothness you would expect from Jameson with a crisp, citrus, hoppy finish.

Color:
Light amber

Nose:
Floral, herbal, citrus, orchard fruits, with woody and nutty notes.

Palate:
Hops and light citrus with spicy tones, followed by grains of barley.

Finish:
Smooth finish

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Irish Whiskey

Like the IPA Edition, Jameson sent some of its used casks to local brewery Franciscan Well to age their stout beer. When the casks were returned, they were refilled with cask strength blended Jameson and aged for about six months, creating a unique Irish Whiskey with rich stout characteristics of coffee, cocoa, and a hint of hops. 

Color:
Caramel

Nose:
Crisp orchard fruits like green apples and pears, and clove spice

Taste:
Subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans, Marzipan, and charred oak

Finish:
Dry light finish with milk chocolate and butterscotch

Jameson Black Barrel Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey

Jameson Black Barrel is a tribute to coopers, who painstakingly give their bourbon barrels an additional charring that reveals the rich, complex flavors we all love. This small-batch rich pot still grain whiskey is matured in flamed charred black barrels so that the bourbon flavors are diminished a bit, and the rich sweet flavors are amplified for a rich, smooth taste.

Color:
Amber

Nose:
Butterscotch, creamy toffee, fudge, and black pepper

Palate:
Spice and roasted nut flavors with vanilla and some sultana

Finish:
Toasted wood and vanilla

Jameson Orange Irish Whiskey

This one combines the triple distilled smooth Jameson Irish Whiskey with a zesty orange flavor. Refreshing and springy, we recommend using this as a base for your favorite citrusy cocktail.

Nose:
Citrus fruits

Palate:
Orange zest with spicy, nutty, sweet vanilla notes

Finish:
Orange aftertaste

Ready to Drink?

These are some of our favorite Jameson Whiskeys, and we have them all in our brand new Bottle Shop- come check it out. Our doors are always open! We also have a fantastic selection of other Irish Whiskeys to help you celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day, so feel free to look around. 

Sláinte, Tasters!