The standard Jameson whiskey starts with a blend of malted and un-malted Irish barley that is sourced from within fifty miles of the distillery. The grains are dried using natural gas kilns (unlike the peat fired kilns used in Scotland), fermented, and then distilled three times in batches within their small pot stills. Jameson isn’t the only whiskey-maker inspired by beer. New Holland has a Beer Barrel Bourbon and Charbay Distillery in California actually distills finished beer to make it’s Whiskey R5, using Bear Republic’s Racer 5 IPA. However, it’s still a bit of a novelty — one that Jameson has done well. Really, it’s not that much of a leap when one considers that Jameson typically ages its whiskey in bourbon barrels from the U.S. and fortified wine barrels from Spain. Why not beer barrels from Cork? So despite the fact that John Jameson was actually a Scot and that the company is now owned by French conglomerate Pernod Ricard, Jameson Caskmates is still a thoroughly Irish whiskey, combining Irish whiskey traditions, with Irish stout flavors. And, if one were to believe Jameson, it all started in the most Irish way possible: a brewer and a distiller walk into a pub… Tasting Notes In this case, the stout beer flavors remained strong and present despite the addition of a bit of ice and water. They still make themselves easily known, but there’s a little more of a bite on that dark chocolate flavor than before. It could use a bit of sweetening up if I’m honest. For many, Jameson and Guiness are Irish alcohol. Whiskey and stout. It seems only natural that a combination of the two should arise. Enter Caskmates.

The original Bow Street distillery was renovated in 2016 and now serves as a tourist attraction designed to increase interest in Irish whiskey tastings. Product

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Usually, with a bit of ice, the more delicate flavors tend to drop out of the race. And in those instances where the barrel finishing process has done the bulk of the work imparting flavors into the spirit, those barrel notes are usually the ones that get the axe.

Nose: Bold at first, but mellows significantly after the first second or two. Hints of campfire mingle with burnt sugar, oak, and hay. There’s a touch of isopropyl heat buried under spice, vermouth, and toffee. From there, the spirit is combined with some generic mass produced neutral grain spirits (hence the “blended whiskey” title) that may or may not be produced by the same company. The combination is then added to American produced oak barrels (no longer their own locally manufactured variety) and aged for a minimum of three years as per Irish law. The Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, Ireland was established in 1780 by the Stein family. They started producing their version of a distilled whiskey and, by 1786, were cranking out about 30,000 gallons a year when Scottish businessman John Jameson joined as manager of the business. Within fifteen years, the distillery would be the second largest producer of distilled spirits in Ireland and turning out one million barrels per year. That rich complexity carries over in the taste, where it’s like I just had a gulp of a dark beer and then took a shot of Jameson. There’s the rich dark chocolatey tones of the stout beer and some pleasant malty flavors coming into the mix, and interacting quite well actually with the bright cheerfulness of the Jameson whiskey. It’s just the right balance to make for a deliciously drinkable spirit all by its own. On IceFinally, this whiskey was provided to us a free sample to review by the party behind it. The Whiskey Wash, while appreciative of this, did keep full independent editorial control over this article. Whereas Jameson Original is light, floral, and a little fruity, Caskmates Stout Edition is caramel-y and creamy. It still has a light mouthfeel and a smooth finish with just a little burn but instead of grassy fruitiness, there’s the richness of butterscotch. The nose is especially different, showcasing burnt sugar, toffee, and campfire scents.