No, it’s not Friday. You’re getting this review because we’re going to keep posting noteworthy reviews on noteworthy days as well as the weekly Friday article/review/brainstorm/hate-filled screed/discarded napkin poetry.
A couple years ago we did a bunch of Irish whiskey reviews for Irish Whiskey Day St Paddy’s Day. We did Redbreast and Writer’s Tears, and since then have done a bunch more: several flavours of Bushmills, Connemara, Tullamore Dew, Kilbeggan and the cheap Jameson. We like Irish whiskey here at iScotch, so much so we’ve canned the “which is better, Scotch or Irish” argument because they’re both amazing for very different reasons. If someone tells you one or the other is better, it’s okay to tell them to cram it with haggis and/or whatever gross food the Irish are famous for.
I picked up the Jameson Select Reserve especially for a St Paddy’s Day review – we’ve been a little light on Irish contributions and I wanted to fix that. I have to admit to a lot of trepidation about this bottle – I had remembered (incorrectly) not caring much for the regular Jameson and so plonking out more cash for a bigger bottle AND an “I put it in a box” tax seemed foolhardy. Man, I was totally wrong. Here’s what we thought:
colour
Dan – oddly, hint of green and brown
Simon – much darker than expectedRyan – brown
nose
Dan – wood, green apple, chocolate
Simon – apple cider, some smoke?
Ryan – extremely ripe red delicious apple
neat
Dan – super smooth, apple texture in taste, char/burn
Simon – apple, oak, char
Ryan – very much like smell, with caramel
finish
Dan – chocolatey, fruit finish, semi sweet baker’s
Simon – no burn, velvety smooth
Ryan – melon?
splash
Dan – honey apple, all bitter gone
Simon – honey
Ryan – honey, very cleaned up
Jameson Select Reserve – 40% 750ml – $49.95 – Ireland
Try it? Yes! Buy it? Yes!
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