Jameson 12 Year Special Reserve

This is a discontinued expression. I overpaid for it out of sheer curiosity. Ex-bourbon and ex-olorosso. 40%. Obviously it's a 12-year old, though Distiller claims it contains stock as old as 17 years. Nose: Heavy on the roasted almonds. Some chestnut and walnut as well. Plenty of pecan to boot. Vanilla and caramel. Nutmeg and clove spice, along with a ton of black pepper. Ever so slightly grainy and metallic, but the malt component dominates here. Raisin, honey, and toffee. Date and fig. Big-time lemon citrus. Some apple, pear, honeydew, and apricot. Solid nose. Palate. Roasted almonds persist, and right off the bat. The walnut, chestnut, and pecan also be found. That goes for the vanilla and caramel as well. Wider array of fruit notes here. Red apple, pear, apricot, grapefruit, honeydew, strawberry, and some white grape. More toffee and honey. Again, a great deal of black pepper. The palate ups the fruit presence and drops the spice besides the black pepper. Well done here. Finish: A bit of the roasted almond and black pepper carry over from the palate, and then it's all vanilla, honey, apple, and pear. Somewhere between medium and short in length, which is surprising for a 40%'er. I quite like this one. 4 stars flat. That puts it tied with Cooper's Croze for best my highest-rated Jameson expression. Head and shoulders above the similarly-priced Jameson Gold. This one has plenty to offer from start to finish, and has a unique profile for an Irish whiskey. Barely metallic on the nose, and that disappears altogether upon taste. No shortbread cookie, which I get on 9/10 Irish whiskies. It's a blend, but the malt component dominates. So, there's plenty to like here. At $100, is it worth it? Probably not. But I don't regret buying it. This and the Jameson Gold were discontinued around the same time. The latter was only $5 cheaper, meaning that these two are comparable on paper. If I could only save one of the two, I'd choose this in a heartbeat. At $100, I can't guarantee it's worth the price of entry. But if curiosity is enough, this one delivers. Note: Did not hold up well over time. Nose has become more sulfuric and the finish makes little impact. Dropped to a 3.25.

Nose: Sweet vanilla, toasted hazelnut, a quality preserve of berries ready to spread. That spicy Jameson signature sweetness is present throughout. The wife picked up a lot more sweet wood and richness, also saying she disagreed on the nuts but not the vanilla. Teasing in all the ways you want a robust Irish to. Palate: Cinnamon candies, glasses of good sherry glasses from the night before, sweet roasted lamb and a candela cigar. The wife seemed to say way more oily/earthy/sweet/medicinal overtones predominated for her with the floral opening matching the cask finish to the finishing linger. I agreed with the wood comment but personally had more floral finish. Rich, smooth, high notes of the "good" Jameson spices. Black tea, the faintest hint of a waft of pipe smoke, malt balance finish the tongue. Finish: Isnt fierce like a lot of bottling with this depth. Isnt the profile to put you in the mood to pound but tastes so good you could get in trouble fast. Clean and crisp for having so much to enjoy and savor. Makes you want to sip again and find more layers like an old trusty leather bag. Ice makes it perfect to sip sip sip but spheres/BIG pieces/rock cubes+mineral may be the secret here... standard cube shape isnt enough... Overall: Outstanding but sadly discontinued and replaced at a higher (slightly)price point by the 18yr. Perfect celebration bottle--Johnny Blue type of special. For all of the positive mentioned thus far I rate it 92/100. Top-shelf assuredly. Worth any price ~100USD alllll day. I know it secondhands far higher. If you see this dusty and it hasn't been baking in the heat:BUY IT!!!

Nose - Creamy vanilla, watered down honey, hint of cherries and apples. Taste - Lightly bitter apple juice, thin, faint hints of vanilla, muted oaked chardonnay sweetness and lightly sour like a chardonnay can get. Finish - Fades pretty quickly, light apple cider blended with oversteeped tea, leaving a light fruity dry bitterness and ligh sourness. 78/100

Right - so I'm a big fan of the Middleton whiskeys. Can't say I'm hugely enamoured with this one but I've tasted a hell of a lot worse. It's a little harsh on the palette, but is bursting with fruity flavours and nuts. Given the price point I think I'd spend a few extra bucks and head for a Rebreast!

More akin to Redbreast than base level Jameson! Getting notes of honey, buttery shortbread, pear, plum/sherry-influence dark fruits and some light oakiness. I’d liken it to Redbreast 12, but less rich and with more light flavors. Damn shame it’s discontinued!

Only available at Duty Free Intl travel shops. Had to try it. Better than the regular Jamie bar rail at a decent price. Best as a good mixer. Wouldn’t be my go to straight pour.