Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition

Review #55 - Whisk(e)y #39 Acquired as part of a trio tasting pack, which also included Jameson Original and Black Barrel (50ml each), for just under 8 euros – a seemingly good deal. Chill-filtered - Yes Artificial Colour - Yes ABV - 40% Appearance - A deep gold hue with amber undertones, quite viscous. Nose - Initially subtle, it becomes more pronounced with time. It's rounder and darker than Jameson Original, with a dominant creamy milk chocolate note, a hint of dark chocolate bitterness, and a noticeable alcohol presence. The underlying orchard fruit notes (pear and red apple) are still present. Palate - Begins sweet and creamy with hints of coffee and chocolate, transitioning to a sharp, spiced, and alcohol-forward mid-palate, before gradually fading towards the finish. Finish - Medium length, longer than expected. A slightly bitter, oaky, dry dark chocolate aftertaste lingers, along with an unidentifiable, slightly odd note. The late aftertaste has a prominent coffee aroma. Difficult to evaluate; it's quite different from the Original, more enjoyable, flavorful, and darker, though not truly complex or refined. Rating System: 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

Quite good, reminiscent of a sweet Caribbean rum. The nose has ethanol and bananas. The taste is creamy vanilla with bakery notes, fresh oak, and spice. It has a significant amount of sugary sweetness for a whiskey, a slight tartness, and a slightly velvety texture, though the 40% ABV is still very noticeable in its thinness. There are faint metallic, shortbread, dairy, and fluffy whipped cream notes in the aftertaste, with a hint of oak and vanilla. It's very smooth and easy to drink, not funky, but also not intensely flavorful. It contains a lot of ethanol with some harshness and burn throughout. The alcohol taste is very clean (likely due to triple distillation). It's a great everyday whiskey because of its sweetness and mild flavor, perhaps even too great due to its upfront smoothness. It's very rum-like and sweeter than some inexpensive bourbons. This is my first Jameson, and I enjoy it so far. I opened a second bottle and it has less bite, is more savory, with more vanilla and hints of smoke or burnt sugar. I prefer the second bottle as it seems to have more flavor and less sting/woodiness, though it appears slightly thinner.

The Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition presents a unique departure from the norm. It captivates with a deeper color and a blend of aromas, including milk chocolate, malt, and a subtle hint of hops. The texture is notably rich and decadent, a result of the stout aging. However, the finish is unexpectedly short and somewhat dry, deviating from expectations. A lighter-than-expected aftertaste follows, with faint notes of black pepper. This whiskey is an adventurous and exciting experiment, straying from the traditional Jameson profile. The Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition creates a novel flavor story that keeps enthusiasts intrigued.

I had enjoyed the stout version of this series a few years ago, so I didn't hesitate to get this other release, especially at an affordable price. Amber color, though I can't compare it to a standard Jameson. Woody and fruity aromas, with a recognizable hop presence among oak spice, and a hint of toastiness. On the palate, it's a typical Irish whiskey, but the stout effect softens the spicy flavors of wood and alcohol. Some dark chocolate, coffee beans, and dark berries, with an astringent hop bitterness. The finish regains its original character with lots of dark wood, alcohol, and spices. Nice texture overall. A good low-priced sipper (at least in the Quebec market).

This is a balanced Irish Whiskey finished in Stout casks, created by Jameson Distillery Bow St. in Ireland in collaboration with Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork. Jameson provided empty Whiskey casks for Franciscan’s to mature their barrel-aged Stout lager. Afterwards, those casks were returned to age the Irish Whiskey. “Caskmates!” It begins aromatically with notes of freshly cut grass, pear, ripe apple, coffee bean, crushed almonds, chocolate liqueur, and hints of hops and clove. Its rich and complex development adds notes of marzipan, vanilla cream, hops, cocoa, and oak, leading to a long and balanced conclusion with notes of milk chocolate and butterscotch. July 2020 / September 2022

79 Aroma: mud, vanilla, a bit of chocolate, figs, subtle notes 22 Taste: first alcohol hit, then a bit of barrel, slightly chocolatey, but quite alcoholic 19 Finish: medium, alcoholic, slightly chocolatey, barrel-aged with a hint of wet earth 20 Overall: pleasant subtle aroma, however, the taste has quite harsh alcohol that overshadows everything else, which is a shame, as there are otherwise nice chocolate notes. Good for smelling, significantly worse for drinking 18