Jameson 12 Year Old Distillery Reserve

Before I did this bottle, I had a can of pre-mix Jameson Ginger & Lime (6% ABV) with my dinner (grilled sandwiches and salt-and-pepper potato chips), poured into a tall glass over ice (I'm sure @Nozinan is appreciative) It's exactly what you would imagine - mix Jameson and ginger ale with a healthy dose of lime bitters - but too thin and weak. It would have been better at double the strength but still wouldn't have been any great shakes. At least I got the can for free.

Now to the whisky. This bottle is only available at the Jameson Heritage Centre in Midleton Co. Cork (I got it at the LCBO/Waddingtons auction. Guess what happened to the cork...again...)

The colour is a medium gold. On the nose this is all sherry - a bit too much sherry, in my opinion. Coca-Cola, plum pudding, forest floor, burnt walnut, cherry nibs. Water brings out a bit of malt. Otherwise, this is all cask, no whisky - but it's a hell of a cask.

On the palate - much more interesting! Big pot still - nutty with almond, graham cracker and light balsamic - with all of those dark sherry notes as noted on the nose. Some mint as well. Massive chocolate. Massive umami, and even more with water. Very interesting!

The palate is blood orange, charred oak, pepper and cloves. Comparing to the standard Jameson, and the Marconi bottling: a study in sherry. From some sherry, to more sherry, to heavy sherry. But the fruity, spicy pot still is there within all three. It's just a matter of balance - which the Marconi wins. Jameson tends to get short shrift among the whiskey cognoscenti but I find it is usually an enjoyable and complex dram, as these two (plus the standard, to some degree) illustrate.

Find where to buy Jameson whisky