Irish Whiskey Review

Jameson Irish Whiskey

If you were to ask 100 people to name an Irish whiskey, the majority of them would say Jameson.  Everybody knows Jameson.  After all, it’s the biggest selling Irish whiskey in the world and available in most bars.

Funny thing about Jameson is it was started by a Scotsman.  Yes, John Jameson was born in Scotland.  He crossed the Irish Sea to manage his wife’s uncle’s distillery.  Jameson’s wife was Margaret Haig (same family who owned Haig Club Scotch whisky).  John Jameson’s son, John, eventually took over the distillery.  Fast forward a couple of company mergers, Jameson is now owned by Pernod Ricard.

JamesonJameson is distilled at the Midleton distillery in Dublin, which also produces Redbreast, Midleton, Powers and other Irish whiskies.  For a while in recent history, there were only three distilleries on Ireland producing all Irish whiskey – Midleton, Cooley and Bushmill’s.  New ones have cropped up in the last couple of years, ushering in a renaissance period in Irish whiskey.

The standard expression of Jameson is the one most folks are familiar with.  There’s no age statement on the label.  What we do know is it’s triple distilled, giving it a light body.  It’s also a blend of grain and potstill whiskies.  The final product is bottled at the minimum 40% abv.

On the nose is a bit of grain alcohol, along with a slight metallic/copper note.  A bit of light honey provides a sweet aroma, while a floral note keeps things a touch fragrant.  The entry is soft and surprisingly fruity.  I’m talking about slightly acidic berries.  Honey from the nose is also present, along with that odd grain alcohol note.  The finish is on the sweeter side, and doesn’t linger long.

This is a light bodied whiskey that seems to be made to sip with ice at a party, which is how I enjoy mine.  What’s in the bottle is just fine.  It’s not phenomenal or particularly memorable, but it serves its purpose.  Jameson does make for a great tasting Irish coffee, which is why I bought the bottle in the first place. That reminds me: Louisiana folks, pick up a free copy of the March/April 2016 My Rouses Everyday magazine at Rouses Supermarkets.  I have a piece on Irish Coffee in that issue.

7/10

The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey

St. Louis-based spirits company Luxco is now in the Irish whiskey game with the launch of The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey in a partnership with Niche Drinks.  The Quiet Man’s founder, Ciaran Mulgrew, created the brand to honor his father who was a Belfast bartender for over 50 years.

The label launched in January 2016 with two expressions, a 4-year-old blended whiskey and an 8-year-old single malt whiskey.  The whiskey itself appears to be sourced, with online rumors mentioning the Cooley distillery.  Both expressions were matured in oak barrels, then finished in first-fill bourbon barrels.  They are also bottled at 40% abv.  Let’s take a look the expressions.

Quiet Man Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey

Photo courtesy of Quiet Man Whiskey

Photo courtesy of Quiet Man Whiskey

A combination of malt and grain whiskies, Quiet Man Traditional Blended whiskey has a higher malt percentage, giving it a bit more body than other blends.  Retail pricing is $39.99.

Aged four years, the blend smells young and vibrant in a great way.  Light bourbon aromas (vanilla and caramel) lightly pepper the honeyed cereal grains found here.  The entry is light.  Very soft, in fact.  There’s a nice sweetness provided by a combination of bourbon barrel maturation and spirit character.  To balance, there’s a touch of spice and some apple & pear.  The finish is slightly warm, with some tongue-tingling spice and oak.

Quiet Man Traditional Blended whiskey is a no-frills easy-drinker.  It’s a tad on the sweet side, but there’s enough else happening the keep things interesting.  Neat or with some ice, it’s a decent pour.  Give it a go.

7.5/10

Quiet Man Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Photo courtesy of Quiet Man.

Photo courtesy of Quiet Man.

This expression from Quiet Man is distilled in pot stills and aged at least eight years in bourbon barrels.  It’s twice the age of the blended whiskey and features only malted barley.  Retail for this expression is $49.99.

That extra aging is evident on the nose.  In addition to stewed fruit, toffee and malt, a nice wave of oak presents itself.  A lighter, fragrant floral note also pops up.  Taste-wise, clove honey prominently sits atop some vanilla and light spices.  Some malty notes and oak sit in the background.  The medium finish is relatively clean, leaving behind some sweetness and spice.

Quiet Man Single Malt whiskey has a syrupy mouthfeel that’s missing in their Blended whiskey.  Like that other expression, this Single Malt is flavorful and satisfying pour.  It’s also much richer, providing a different drinking experience.  It may be slightly overpriced at almost $50, but the juice in the bottle comes with my recommendation.  I think you’ll like what you taste.

8.0/10
(Note: Review samples were provided by The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey)

A Trinity of Teeling Whiskey

Kicking off a small Irish whiskey series here on AdventuresInWhiskey.com, we take a look at the trinity of releases from  Teeling Whiskey Co.  Owners Stephen and Jack Teeling not only have Irish whiskey running through their veins, it flows through their family blood line.  See, back in the late 1700s, a Teeling was distilling whiskey in Dublin.

In recent times, John Teeling, Stephen and Jack’s father, founded the Cooley distillery in the 1980s.  The brothers learned all they could about the whiskey business.  However, when the distillery was purchased by Beam in 2012, Stephen and Jack sold their Cooley shares and used the money to start an independent distilling company – the first new Dublin distillery in a very long time.  That company was given the family name – Teeling Whiskey Co.

The brothers brought in distiller and micro-brewer Alex Chasko from Oregon to help with distillation.  While the company is currently distilling whiskey, it’s not mature enough to actually be called Irish whiskey.  Like Scotch, Irish whiskey must age a minimum of three years and a day to carry the name.

In the meantime, Teeling has sourced some whiskey from a distillery they know well – the Cooley distillery.  Though the company sells other expressions, their core range is built upon three whiskies: a Small Batch, Single Grain and Single Malt.  Let’s take a look.

Photo courtesy of Teeling Whiskey Co.

Photo courtesy of Teeling Whiskey Co.

Teeling Small Batch

A blend of malt and grain whiskey, Teeling Small Batch comes non-chill filtered and bottled at 46%.  The primary maturation takes place in ex-bourbon casks.  The blend is then finished in ex-rum casks for six months.

The nose starts off slightly harsh and rum-sweet.  After a few moments, the alcohol vapors disappear and make room for sweet grain, clove honey and spiced vanilla.  On entry, lovely vanilla ice cream mingles with malted grain and a touch of oak.  A bit of baking spice shows up towards the end and well into the sweet finish.

Teeling Small Batch is a great blended Irish whiskey.  I like the subtle touch the rum cask finishing adds.  This is a solid blend that has a great mouthfeel and is flatout fun to drink.  Pour a glass and enjoy.

8/10

Teeling Single Grain

Single grain whiskey means there is an absence of malted barley in the mash bill. In the case of this Teeling Single Grain, the majority is made of corn.  Grain whiskey is usually lighter in style when compared to malt whiskey.  This expression is finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels for an unknown period of time.  Like other Teeling whiskies, this one is un-chill filtered and bottled at 46% abv.

The nose is sweet and fruity thanks to the predominately corn makeup and wine finish.  Taste-wise, the wine finish is apparent.  This whiskey is full of big fruity red wine notes.  There’s a bit of spicy oak underneath, adding a little balance to the fruit flavors.  The finish is shorter and drier than the Small Batch.  It features a nice spiciness I wish were in the palate.

Grain whiskey is very delicate, and a cask finish can quickly overpower the whiskey’s character.  I think that’s what has happened here.  The wine cask finish has overtaken any whiskey notes instead of complimenting them.  This whiskey has very nice flavors, but I wished the wine notes would take a back seat to the whiskey.  That said, the wine finish does add richness to what might have been a bland grain whiskey.  If you go into this whiskey knowing that, you’ll enjoy this expression.

7.5/10

Teeling Single Malt

Here’s something you don’t see everyday.  Teeling Single Malt is a blend of malt whiskies aged in five types of wine casks:  Sherry, Port, Madeira, White Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon.  There’s no age statement here, but for what it’s worth this expression contains whiskey aged up to 23 years.

The nose for Teeling Single Malt is sweet and fruity, just not as much as their Single Grain release.  There’s a nice combination of candied berries and dried fruit alongside cereal grains, creamy toffee and some vanilla.  A bit of bright citrus pops up as well.  The full-bodied palate is similar to the nose, with malt, dried fruit and lemon rind proving to be the dominant flavors.  Honey adds some sweetness.  Astringent oak lurks in the background, as it adds to the layers here instead of overpowering them.  The finish is the longest of the three, carrying a honeyed fruit sweetness.

Teeling Single Malt is my favorite of the three expressions.  It’s the most complex and palate-pleasing to me.  The malted barley really holds up well to the wine barrel maturation.  Very nice.

8.5/10
(Note: Review samples were provided by Teeling Whiskey Co.)