Jameson The Cooper's Croze

Rating: 15/23 N: I get some fruit and spice. Apples for sure, and then some cinnamon and clove I guess. There's a bit of something vaguely floral and grainy too, but I can't quite figure out what it is. There's a little bit of a dry, almost mineral tartness that reminds me a bit of rye. P: There's some clear wood in here. I get a plain woody flavor, but there's also spice, jasmine and vanilla. The wood isn't too strong though (certainly not when compared with bourbon). There's a light caramel sweetness in here and also some oily fruitiness that's on the apricot spectrum. I get those dry minerals from the nose and they work pretty well once you accept that this is a pretty light whiskey. There's an acceptable amount of harshness here. It's still young for sure. F: The minerals, oily apricot (now with a faint nuttiness), bit of woody spice, and harshness remain. - Conclusion - Of the three in this special Jameson line, I think this is the best. It's decent in that current Japanese whisky style of being light with mellow, subtle flavors. There's nothing too challenging or exciting going on here, but the balance works and it's pretty easy to sip. This is, however, still below Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. Whereas the others in this series struggled to compete with Evan Williams BiB (which I chose to compare because of the oiliness), this is clearly superior. Being a mellow spirit, I figured Dalwhinnie 15 might be a good point of comparison too. The Dalwhinnie is richer, but this is more complex. It kind of reminds me of how I felt when comparing the Blender's Dog with Sir Edward's 12. It would be totally valid to pick either over the other, but I think I prefer this slightly (though the Dalwhinnie is easier drinking for sure). After trying this side-by-side with Dalwhinnie 15, I feel like 15 is about right for this. This certainly is no Redbreast 12 CS, but it's actually quite a good whiskey. I didn't really enjoy the other two in this series, but I like this one. The Redbreast is better, but this is actually pretty close. Overall, I think a 15 is about right for this.

Entry one of the Jameson Whiskey Maker's Series. This one is dedicated to Ger Buckley, the head cooper. An interesting concept. Jameson has always served me as a bar-room bread and butter; even as I've come to outgrow the standard offering, the Black Barrel continues to serve me well. Let's take another step up in price and see if Ireland's most famous brand can deliver the goods. Nose: Shortbread cookie and powdered sugar. Some orange peel, honey, and vanilla (frosting). Fruity notes like apricot, coconut, white/green grape, and gala apple. Almond and walnut. Initially muted but opens up after about 10 minutes. Palate: Citrusy orange peel, toffee, and malt. Banana. Some caramel and vanilla. Big chashew note and some macadamia. Like with the nose, the sherry influence is barely noticeable while the bourbon influence takes the forefront. A bit of date, fig, raisin in the background, but it's really back there. Much more oak driven on the palate as well. Coconut and a bit of agave. Honeydew. Cinnamon and black pepper. Finish: Some red fruit and orange peel. Oak, caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. A little cinnamon spice on the way out, as well as black pepper. Moderate in length. Stand out here is the mid-palate into finish transition. Very nice. I'm about halfway through the bottle. I expected to score this a tad bit one higher based on previous tastings, but the lack of complexity was a small detractor here. It's very well-balanced and very enjoyable. Classic Irish, good from start to finish. Good, very good even, but not great. I saw this on sale for $60 down from $70. Either way, I think you can do better for your money. I gave it a 3.75, which just beats out the Black Barrel, even factoring in VFM. If you're a serious Jameson or Irish collector, you won't go wrong with this one. Be warned, there are better options at this price point (Knappogue Castle 14, Redbreast 12, Green Spot). Nevertheless, it's a solid effort and a damn good drop from Jameson.

Enjoyed neat from a glencairn at a local restaurant. I wasn't able to pay as much attention as I wanted, but I hadn't tried this expression before. There are a few expressions in the Jameson line that I enjoy - I like the Caskmates Stout much more than the IPA (surprising since I like hoppy IPAs), I enjoy the regular Jameson from time to time, and I have a great memory of the 18 year. But generally speaking, Jameson isn't in my rotation and I don't own any bottles. That said... This was an acceptable pour. I recall tasting honey and hay, fresh cut lumber, wet barrel wood, and a slight touch of spice. It wasn't nearly as engrossing as I'd hoped. I recall a bit of ethanol and traces of acetone on the nose, along with honey and grass, but otherwise I wasn't able to divine too much from the aroma. I also remember thinking that it tasted like a stereotypical Irish whiskey; sweet, soft and easy to drink. I don't remember thinking, even for a second, that I couldn't wait to have another. I didn't. I feel like I'm being tough on this one. Maybe my taste buds are off tonight, and because of that possiblity I'll be fair and give this another go. But I'll only commit to a pour at a restaurant. I don't need another forgetable bottle of booze in the cabinet. On my scale, a 2.5 is an acceptable, ordinary, mass market, middle of the bellcurve, bottle. Tullemore DEW is an example of 2.5 Irish whiskey for me (I drink it regularly). This might be a half step up from the Tully, but it didn't hold my attention long enough for me to find out.

Jameson's entry-level whiskey was my real point of departure into appreciating the good ol' water of life rather than just abusing Kentucky Deluxe to get sloshed at college parties. Obviously, I've developed a more...discerning palate since my early 20s, but the distillery has always held a place in my heart. The good news here is that Jameson and co. have also developed a more discerning palate over the years, too. The Irish whiskey revival is lifting all the boats in the harbor and is rewarding us with treasures like this offering, which is a far cry from the basic Jameson bottling. Real thoughtfulness went into the crafting of the spirit, with wood at the forefront (as befits a dram named for the cooper). The signs of good quality oak, of a variety of sorts, are present on the nose - vanilla, a variety of spice notes, sawdust, and coconut suggest a heavy American oak presence, with enough nuttiness to give away the usage of some ex-sherry casks. The palate is what a good Irish blend should be - clean and fresh, with vanilla, candied lemon peel, dark chocolate, spices, and a bit of tropical fruitiness. Very bright, very clean, very focused. I debated on whether to give this 4 or 5 stars; if I have to debate it, then 4 it is. That said, I have zero regrets about springing for the bottle...and its light, fresh profile will make it a great dram now that the weather's getting warmer.

A nice expression from Jameson, from their "Whiskey Maker's series", which is a collection from 2016. This Whiskey commemorate the master craft of the cooperage, where the most amazing barrels are repaired and prepared for whiskey maturation. Bottled at 43% golden color. On the nose it is pretty nice. Creamy Vanilla, Chocolate , Coffee beans, Yellow apples. It has this Bitter aroma mixed with Marshmallows. Apple pie and Moca coffee. On the palate; very fruity and sweet. Sider and pear juice, Chocolate and Creamy vanilla. Aftertaste was not as good. Sider, a hint of smoke, hay and Burnt grass. Overall, this was a very enjoyable whiskey and definitively on of Jameson's more rounded drams. Aftertaste lost most of the points here, but still it manages to be a nice whiskey. My score for it is an 83 over 100.

Very nice blend. Nose: light yet complex. Cinnamon, vanilla, burnt sugar, orange. Sometimes really cereal, sometimes i feal strong apple, today smelled like wood. On first nose some acetone notes, later on it is more friendly. Palate: first very nice silky texture, cinnamon, Sweetness. Finish: warming spices, then becomes bit pungent . Nuts. Little dryness. This is a wonderful, everchanging whisky, unfortunately too oaky/spicey for my taste.