The nose starts with a soft mix of barely and honey wrapped in creamy oak. There is a floral element that is somewhat hoppy, showing some influence from the IPA finish that also shows a hint of green apple. As gentle as the nose it is, it is also inviting. The palate has a soft pepperiness to it as the smooth oak hits the corners of your mouth while barely and honey go over the top of the tongue. Touches of green apple sweetness swirl in and out, something you wouldn't expect from a whiskey that has been in contact with IPA influences. The finish is somewhat short with a lingering pepper spiciness that takes your focus away from the creamier notes that fade pretty quickly. As simple as this is, it is still quite enjoyable and a fun take on Irish Whiskey.
About this bottle
This IPA Caskmates is the second edition of this line of whiskeys aged in former beer casks. This one features an Irish India pale ale from Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork, Ireland. The brewery ages their beer in former Jameson whiskey casks then sends these barrels back to Jameson. These beer barrels are used to finish aging the whiskey. The initial release included 2000 bottles in Ireland, but now a larger rollout has followed with a nationwide US release in late 2017. Update: In 2019, the brewery used is Eight Degrees Brewing. Check the back of the bottle find info.
How it tastes
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Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 50 parsed reviews.
50ml mini bottle ($2.95) tasting series. Tasted neat. Pale yellow copper and full coating legs in the glass. Nose is floral grain, vanilla oak, and a hint of spice. Sweet maple cereal mush, soft and mouth coating. Vanilla and cinnamon sugar cookies or graham crackers. The finish remains soft and sweet, but shows more oak tannins and baking spice. Average long finish, some stone mineral and dry sweet grass tingle. Little ethanol or astringency as I recall in the regular Jameson. Softer and rounder, and in that way more pleasant to sip. Not an over-complicated flavor profile, but a good easy entry level Irish.
This edition of the popular Irish whiskey is finished in a barrel that was first used to store whiskey, and later, this same wooden container received Irish Pale Ale (not to be confused with Indian Pale Ale, as the acronyms are the same - IPA). After passing through the beer, the barrel receives the whiskey again. The sensorial influence of the barrel on the final flavor of Jameson is very small. Maybe add a little spice and a touch of citrus, but nothing too much.
This is more dry and spicy than the main Jameson offering but still very good. The main component of Granny Smith apples still shines, though it's accompanied by a little bit of the beer barrel taste on the palate. I enjoy the flagship Jameson product more than this, but I would buy this again if my local store was out of the original offering.
Nose: Classic Jameson smell Vanilla Citrus (I can hardly smell any hops tbh) Malt Flavor: Smooth Malt Earthiness Vanilla Oak Sweetness Citrus Finish: Oak Malt Sweetness Overall: tasty but doesn’t taste like an IPA. This score considers the fact that it’s supposed to taste like an IPA. 4/10
Sweet and easy drinking with vanilla, citrus and caramel as the main notes. Classic Jameson with a slight citrus touch. Not bad, not great but it's affordable and a nice experience if you like IPA. I believe the stout edition is better because the beer notes are more clear and detectable.
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