The Irish in you

by Darryl Beeson

Though not certain where it began, historians suggest that in the sixth century, monks brought the relatively new science of distillation to Ireland. Later again, in 1780 there were magics of sorts, James Watt perfected the steam engine and Mozart crafted magical music, and John Jameson began crafting magic in his Dublin distillery. This was a key part of the start of Irish whiskey. And it was good.

"Traditional Irish pot still whiskey is diferrent in that the starter mash is both malted and un-malted barley," explains David Quinn, the Jameson rightly-named master of whiskey science. "The unmalted elements bring a more mouth coating texture. The single malts approaches can be dry on the palate."

Unlike Scotch, there are no  peaty or smoky characters in Irish whiskey. Regarding the entry level, top quality, Jameson whiskeys, "We use special oak casks barrels that we design and then send to Jerez, Spain, where there is a seasoning process over two years with Oloroso Sherry, separated from the solera system. It is quite an expensive process, but we fell it is worth it," adds Quinn. They also embrace the same logic by sometimes using Bourbon barrels from America.

Jameson Twelve Year

12  nice rich daek amber color..matured in cherry casks. European oak for this a rich aroma of hearty grain with nuances of fruit and nuttiness from the Sherry casks, some vanilla, spice and floral notes

"The reason for the third distillation, we take the center cut of the center cut from distillation. This influences the character of the spirit, removing the heavier fusel oils pushing the flavor spectrum to being more floral, fruity and spiced. There is a result of more smoothness on the palate, though it is a full-bodied whiskey"  $36 is the suggested retail price.

Jameson Gold Reserve

Formerly only available in airport duty-free venues, this special whiskey starts with an exotically spiced nose, possibly Asian spice hints, rich ripe pear with hotish brown spices, peach, orange zest, and then dried fruit nuances in the long finish. "There is a creamy, mouth coating texture on the palate,"  observes Quinn. There is a touch of structure from new American oak in the barrel mix.  $65is the suggested retail price.

Jameson Eighteen Year

Though barely legal, so to speak, the aromas lead with mature complexities of leather, cigar tobacco and a touch of apricot. "This is the type of whiskey that could be served in a snifter and warmed in your hand," advises Quinn. There are complex toffee notes, with spice and floral on the long, subtle length. The suggested retail price is $74.

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve ($250 suggested retail)

Being a blend of 20-23 years of age, from the truly finest barrels of whiskey to select from, one of the secrets is that these are matured in special used Port casks. The nose is luxurious, almost like perfume. There are notes of tropical fruit, melon and even fudge or butterscotch, with nuances of leather. It is a little bit stronger in proof, being 92 (46% alcohol). It has a huge, creamy mouth-coating texture. There are luscious flavors of banana, brown spice and lightly toasted wood. The complex flavor that the port casks includes sweet notes of dark chocolate along with the wood elements. There are interesting notes of barley in the long length on the palate.

The obvious success of Jameson, especially the very limited release reserve, can be attributed to the across the board smooth and accessible taste. This gentle taste can be attributed to a team that includes Dave Quinn, master of whiskey science at the renowned Midleton Distillery, the home of Jameson. “Our goal has been to present the fast-growing audience of Irish whiskey lovers with a heritage bottling of which we are passionately proud. In this reserve bottling, we have created a truly vintage Jameson experience,” boasts Quinn.

Darryl Beeson, described as green in journalism, wears this green proudly when evaluating the excellence of fine Irish whiskey. In his words, "May the farce be with you!" He teaches professional sommelier certification, details ay www.internationalsommelier.com.