It's great to finally have a bottle of whiskey at home, though a budget one. I haven't had Jameson in years since I discovered how great of a budget mixer J&B is. I decided to get a small bottle and re-evaluate what I think of Jameson and put some words on paper...well, not really paper. A 375 mL bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey costs $15.45 CAD and is available in most stores.
The whiskey has a nice golden color and looks just a touch oily when gently swirled in a glass. The aroma is quite pleasant for a cheap whiskey with toffee and some sweet fruits in the distance. The whiskey is not the smoothest, but at least it has some flavour - some butter, dried fruits and a touch of toffee. The finish is not the greatest, but I have had worse whiskeys. It is mostly spicy with no long lasting flavour. After the first glass, my mouth was a little numb.
Once I tried a couple of fingers neat, I decided to cut another couple of fingers with a splash of spring water to see if I can unlock any hidden treasures. It didn't quite work for the aroma. Though the toffee scent became stronger, the alcohol became even sharper, which killed the remainder of the noticeable scents. It didn't do much taste-wise, other than to, once again, sharpen up the alcohol.
The third test was mixing and of course, I made myself a Manhattan. Nope, not too good for that either. Like with the Centennial whiskey, Jameson simply did not have a flavour strong enough to compliment that of the sweet vermouth and the bitters. Even with a splash of vermouth, its sweetness overpowered the lightness of the Jameson's flavours.
Scores:
Cost - $15.45 CAD for a 375 mL bottle, $29.95 CAD for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 6.2/10
Overall - 6.2/10...some flavour, but has no long lasting finish. You can easily find better whiskey for this price
This one is perfect for Irish coffee... try it, you will like it!
ReplyDeleteTry the basic Bushmills as well. I think it does a better job than Jameson in general.