Jameson Black Barrel

Purchased as part of a three-pack including Jameson Original and Stout Edition (50ml each) for just under 8 euros, a seemingly good deal. Filtered for cold - Yes Added Color - Yes ABV - 40% Appearance - Deep gold hue. Nose - Gentle, sweet, smooth, malty, caramel, crème brûlée with caramelized sugar (a first for me in whiskey), honey, vanilla, ripe tree fruit (yellow and red apple, pear), with a faint sharp, grainy, and oaky spice underneath. Palate - Soft, sweet, creamy initial taste, malty, caramel, honey, vanilla, with delicate oak spice on the mid-palate. The alcohol and spice become more pronounced with aeration, unfortunately. There's also a slightly unusual note present. Finish - Lingering a moderate amount of time, creamy and sweet, with some dry woodiness towards the end / aftertaste, accompanied by herbal scents and a slight bitterness...and that same odd note as in the Jameson Stout...mineral-metallic, I can't quite pinpoint it. Not a fan. Overall, the whiskey surpasses expectations for its price. It's well-rounded, with harmonious aromas, very accessible, and not heavily spiced. It certainly contains some older distillate, primarily malt. However...it remains very consistent from nose to palate to finish, lacking development, and features unpleasant unusual notes. I'm being overly critical here...it's definitely a whiskey that outperforms its cost significantly. Rating Scale: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

Jameson Black Barrel offers an improvement over the standard version. I wouldn't specifically seek it out, but it's good enough in mixed drinks and on its own to be a decent choice if offered. The nose has a hint of smoke, but the grain is most noticeable. The initial sips are somewhat thin, with notes of oak, lemon, and apples. It leans slightly sweet. The finish has minimal burn and fades quickly. A touch of maltiness was also detected on the finish. Are there superior blends available, absolutely (Bushmills Black Bush comes to mind), but it's acceptable and reasonably priced. It offers good value for cocktails. However, if I intended to savor a drink neat, I would gladly spend an additional $10-15 for a bottle of something like Knappogue Castle 12 year.

I picked up this bottle to make an Irish Old Fashioned as requested by a recipe. The drink turned out well, but tasting the whiskey by itself was less appealing. The aroma is rich and packed with fruit. I looked into the bottle because I anticipated some smokiness, given the name Black Barrel. I learned it's aged in both ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, which explained the prominent jammy, cherry, fruit flavors I associate with sherry. I found this quite pleasing. On the tongue, I detected some fruitiness from the sherry aging, alongside a hint of spice, but not much else. However, the ending was not to my liking. There was a sharp, difficult-to-describe bitterness. All in all, it's not quite what I prefer. 5/10

Found this at a local store while out of town. Everything was overpriced, so I opted for this as a "safe" and reasonably priced choice. It proved to be a safe and enjoyable drink, though not outstanding. Quite pleasant to consume, with enough flavor to be enjoyable, but not particularly memorable either positively or negatively. I'd gladly drink it again if it's available while traveling, but I likely won't keep it at home, as I prefer other Irish whiskeys in a similar price range.

The bourbon casks are prominent - the extra charred ex-bourbon barrels truly enhance it. Creamy toffee, honey, and sweet apples are on the nose, with a barely perceptible smoky touch. The smoke fades on the palate, giving way to fruits and spicy notes that complement the vanilla and toffee sweetness, which conclude nicely. A solid everyday whiskey, similar to Proper No. Twelve but with more depth.

This was a pleasant surprise. The nose presents coconut, vanilla, and oranges. It's quite subtle, but the arrival is where the character shines. Features toasted oak, licorice, and toffee, along with vanilla. Of course, there's plenty of caramel, and surprisingly, more than a touch of cola. While not a complex whiskey, it's very enjoyable to drink. A perfect after-dinner dram.