Irish Whiskey, craft beer barrels. Like all the best conversations, the one between Jameson’s Head of Whiskey Science and the Head Brewer of a local craft beer brewery, started at the bar. A swapping of whiskey and beer barrels soon after, resulted in Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition – triple-distilled, blended Irish Whiskey that has been patiently finished in Irish craft beer-seasoned barrels.
Nose: An initial aroma of freshly cut hay is complemented by a crisp orchard fruit character – green apples and pears, with a twist of lime zest. Mild pot still spices appear, deepening from green tea to hazelnut and milk chocolate. Taste: The initial sweet mouth coating typical of the Irish pot still inclusion is quickly complemented by the subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans from the beer cask finish. Finish: Long and sweet with milk chocolate and butterscotch.
What Gary Says
Nose: Floral and yeasty notes of cut hay, dry cocoa powder, subtle pears with hints of dried tea. Palate: Sweet with a creamy mouthfeel, caramel and honey with bits of cocoa, a touch of stout. Finish: Short to moderate in length, on the damp side, sweet with notes of stout. Comments: Per their original press release, this is a collaboration with local Irish micro-brewery Franciscan Well. Of the three Caskmates I reviewed, this was the lightest in color and the most like Jameson Irish Whiskey. A much more gentle, nuanced finish compared with the Bale Breaker Topcutter IPA or Revolution Brewing editions. Nosing reminds me a bit of an empty pint of Guinness. Nothing objectionable, but this was the least interesting of the three for me – which is strange as Guinness is one of the only beers I do enjoy.
40% ABV $30 Website We would like to thank Jameson and Ketchum for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Jameson Irish Whiskey heightens their collaboration with local Chicago tastemaker, Revolution Brewing, with the release of Jameson Caskmates Revolution Brewing Limited Edition. This latest Caskmates Edition was conceived when Revolution Brewing travelled to Ireland to brew their signature beer, Fist City Pale Ale, to season Jameson casks. The Jameson Blenders used these beer-seasoned casks to create Jameson Caskmates Revolution Brewing Limited edition, pairing together each liquid’s unique flavor – the smooth taste of Jameson with the signature characteristics of Revolution Brewing’s Fist City Pale Ale.
Jameson Caskmates Revolution Brewing Limited Edition is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks alongside Revolution Brewing’s Fist City Pale Ale.
Nose: Delicate fruits, grapefruit and lingering sweet notes Taste: Full bodied and smooth with hints of both hops and vanilla Finish: Spice character and hops fade slowly into lingering fruit notes and toasted oak
What Gary Says
Nose: Some citrus zip right off the bat, grapefruit, clove, orange bitters, subtle honey with brighter herbal notes. Palate: Citrus spice with vanilla and honey; fruit that is more citrus than orchard, some tangerines along with grapefruit but a bit of pear sneaks in, just a touch of pepper in the back. Comments: Like the Jameson Caskmates Bale Breaker Topcutter IPA Limited Edition, I tasted this side by side with Jameson Irish Whiskey (as well as some other Caskmates vintages) for comparative purposes. My first thought when sipping this one was “Damn, this is almost rye-whiskey like!” which is a compliment. No dill, but the citrus edge this has definitely had my brain thinking about rye. This has quite a bit more citrus and edge to it than the Jameson Caskmates Bale Breaker, and while not a beer drinker – I really liked this one (maybe because of the echos of rye). Both of these definitely take that smooth, sweet Jameson and give it a blue-collar edge that I think fans of both will enjoy. And if you like rye whiskey – I’d put this in the ‘Must Try’ category for the experience.
40% ABV $30 Website We would like to thank Jameson and Ketchum for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Jameson Irish Whiskey heightens their collaboration with local Washington tastemaker, Bale Breaker Brewing Co, with the release of Jameson Caskmates Topcutter IPA Limited Edition. This latest Caskmates Edition was conceived when Bale Breaker travelled to Ireland to brew their signature beer, Topcutter IPA, to season Jameson casks. The Jameson Blenders then used these beer-seasoned casks to create Jameson Caskmates Topcutter IPA Limited Edition, pairing together each liquid’s unique flavor – the smooth taste of Jameson with the hoppy characteristics and distinct flavors of Bale Breaker’s signature Topcutter IPA.
Nose: Rich in hops with delicate floral notes Taste: Citrus notes with some spices and vanilla throughout Finish: Rich, lasting finish with hints of hops fading to notes of oak and spice
What Gary Says
Nose: Honey with hops, both floral and herbal notes, a touch of clove; richer and more savory than Jameson Irish Whiskey. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, starting off sweet with orchard fruits – pears and apples, then evolving with apricots, tangerines, and a hoppy beer note; notes of vanilla and honey underlying. Finish: On the short side, with citrus, hoppy note. Comments: I apologize up front if I’m creating any confusion on the name (Jameson’s web-site refers to this as ‘Topcutter IPA Limited Edition’, but the press-release refers to it as ‘Bale Breaker Limited Edition’; and on the bottle ‘Bale Breaker’ is in larger type and more prominent; so I combined them to be safe). Full disclosure – I am not a beer drinker (so apologies in advance to those who are and find my descriptors in this area lacking!) I tasted this and several other Caskmates vintages side by side with Jameson Irish Whiskey for a baseline frame of reference. I definitely get the IPA cask influence here. The finish leaves me feeling like I had just sipped a beer rather than an Irish whiskey, and this has a lot more savory and herbal flavors going on. That said, it doesn’t lose the honey sweetness I get from Jameson. I think fans of Jameson and IPAs would find this interesting, and priced where trying it out won’t break the bank.
The Knappogue Castle Cask Finish Series is a range of single malts finished in the finest wine casks. The Marco De Bartoli limited release is matured in bourbon barrels for a minimum of 12 years, then further aged in casks from the renowned Marsala Winery. Made exclusively from malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills, this expression is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92 proof.
Nose: Mix of dried fruit, mocha, and vanilla. Taste: Juicy, savory and light, leading to fruity notes. Finish: Hints of fruit and dry oak.
What Gary Says
Nose: Malted barley, raisins, dried apricots, marsala wine, honey, baked apples with caramel, vanilla, hints of leather, fresh cut hay and smoke. Palate: Thick rich mouthfeel, raisins, marsala, bit of honey, notes of caramel and vanilla, canned pears, apricot, nutmeg and clove. Finish: Moderately long, slightly drying with baking spices and marsala. Comments: This was a first for me – a marsala cask finish (although I enjoy cooking with marsala wine). Maybe the cloudiest bottle I’ve ever bought, which I don’t mind (on the contrary!) The marsala influence is a bit strong; borderline too much. I prefer where the cask finish is a little lighter. I quite often get raisins with sherry cask finishes, but this was more ‘raisiny’ than anything else from recent memory.
The Tyrconnell 16 Year Old Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey
46% ABV $100 Website We would like to thank Savona Communications for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
The Tyrconnell® emerges victorious once again with the debut of its oldest and most unique cask-finished expression to date, The Tyrconnell® 16 Year Old Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Available globally in six countries, it will be released to select U.S. markets in June with a suggested retail price of $100.00 (750ml). Only a limited quantity has been produced due to its age and unique finish.
“We are thrilled to release The Tyrconnell 16 Year Old Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish, as the elegant expression demonstrates our commitment to innovation and quality,” said John Cashman, Global Irish Whiskey Ambassador for the Kilbeggan Distilling Company. “Building on the success of our award-winning 2017 and 2018 Tyrconnell limited releases, we continued to experiment with different aging techniques and we’re intrigued by these distinctively seasoned Spanish casks. The result is a completely unique – and delicious – Irish whiskey unlike any other.”
The only Irish whiskey of its kind on the market, this expression was aged for 16 years in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels before an additional maturation in wine casks from the Andalucia region of Southern Spain, which were initially seasoned with Oloroso sherry before a second seasoning with Moscatel wine. The result has a distinctive sweetness and roundness – honeysuckle, champagne and jasmine notes, with a nutty and caramelized taste that precedes a warm and dry finish with hints of grapefruit.
The Tyrconnell is made of just three ingredients – the finest Irish barley, yeast and pure Irish spring water. Produced in traditional pot stills, it is one of a rare few Irish whiskeys that utilizes double distillation, allowing more of the rich and natural flavors to remain. This creates a whiskey that carries a delicate flavor atop a creamier, more viscous presence.
The Tyrconnell distilling team began experimenting with different finishing techniques after discovering how amenable their light, soft and fruity whiskey was to a cask finish. In 2007, they released its first trio of cask-finished expressions: The Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Cask Finish, The Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Cask Finish and The Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish, all permanent expressions in the brand’s portfolio (as well as The Tyrconnell Original which is aged in ex-bourbon casks only). In March 2018, The Tyrconnell 15 Year Old Madeira Cask Finish debuted as a special limited-edition.
TASTING NOTES AROMA: An effervescent combination of honeysuckle, jasmine and brazil nut envelop the malty peach and ripe red apple skin aromas, with minerality reminiscent of Champagne TASTE: Minerality continues with a medley of nuts and gooey dark chocolate – caramelized sugars and honeycomb combine with the malt spice for added complexity FINISH: Dry and tannic as the oak becomes more prevalent but not before citrus and grapefruit leave a distinctive zest at the back of the mouth
The best way to enjoy this whiskey is on the rocks or neat to showcase the fruity aromas on the nose, its sweet, nutty flavor and spicy finish.
What Gary Says
Nose: Floral perfume notes, fresh apples, ripe peaches with raw honey, German Riesling with lingering tobacco smoke. Palate: Thick mouthfeel, fruity with grapes, peaches, pears, kiwi; sharpens a bit with nutmeg, hint of ginger, caramel cremes and a note of sake. Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak and . . . yep, hint of grapefruit. Comments: I usually find the ‘tasting notes’ provided to be – ahem – ambitious. To be fair, there isn’t a right or wrong answer – different folks get different flavors! And I get that those responsible for coming up with tasting notes are trying to put the best spin on that product. All that said, while my notes differed a bit, what was provided was very well done. I’m not to proud to admit that I had just ‘dry citrus zest’ in my notes, but when I read theirs (which I try to avoid until after I make mines, to avoid the power of suggestion), I thought “Damn – that WAS grapefruit!” Enough about their notes – this is a delicious Irish single malt whiskey. I love that Tyrconnel only double-distills, as it lends to a richer mouthfeel, and in my opinion more dense flavor. This takes water well without thinning out, and it opens up some of the caramel notes (I could see someone getting chocolate). The Moscatel finishing leaves me with thinking of a Riesling or Sake (although Champagne would be right there), which is unique as those aren’t flavors or aromas I get often in whiskey. Fans of Irish whiskey, especially geeks who love to expand their horizons when it comes to special cask finishes, won’t be disappointed.
