I've had this bottle for a while now, and several times have meant to leave a note here...but the words wouldn't come. This evening, though, something struck me. The semester of college I spent in Ghana was...hot. Ghana is really damn hot. Most afternoons, I would get a bottle of ice cold Pepsi from the little shop in the international student hostel to cool off, plus a snack. My usual go-tos were Snappy Snacks (kind of like Japanese peanuts) and Fan Ice (a frozen treat that tasted like a cross between ice cream and cake frosting), but occasionally, I'd get an Akuafo Bar. Ghanaian chocolate with candied lemon peel...it was a good chocolate bar when the mood struck. This dram noses like snack time in Ghana minus the Pepsi. Milk chocolate, candied lemon, sweet vanilla (like frosting), a whiff of crunchy grain, and a funky floral note in the background. The palate is summery and light, beginning and ending with vanilla and wildflowers, with chocolate, lemon peel, and toasted grain in the mid-palate. The finish isn't overly long, but does linger. It's a good drop of whiskey, and lovely in the summer, but...this is not a $65 bottle. Personally, I think this is the weakest link in the series - the brightness of Cooper's Croze excels, for me, far beyond this or the Blender's Dog. I'm not sure any of them is really worth more than $60. Is this good? I have no complaints. Does it compete with, say, Powers John's Lane or Redbreast? Not for my money. Granted, it's trying to be something rather different (light and bright as opposed to rich and rounded), but an airy Irish NAS blend like this, which is tasty but not particularly complex, is...not worth $65 a bottle.
About this bottle
Part of the 2016 Whiskey Makers Series, the Distiller's Safe is Head Distiller Brian Nation's bottling that highlights his influence on the quality of the new make spirit without excessive wood influence. While the barrel is often thought of as the primary contributor to a whiskey's overall flavor, the influence of the new-make (called "cleric" across the pond) can have a profound impact as well. The cleric is a product of the type of grains used, of the shape of the still, of the length of fermentation and distillation, of the size of the cut, of the type of condenser, and of many other factors that the master distiller can use to achieve his or her desired style. The distiller's safe, a small clear box where the distillate emerges from the final still, is the physical place where all of the distiller's work coalesces: the point where the final cut is made before entrusting the remainder of the process to the cask. Bottled at 43% ABV, this whiskey is non-chill filtered.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 25 parsed reviews.
Rating: 13/23 N: Light, slightly oily. Apples with some spice. Kind of sweet and lightly floral. It smells like a young Irish, but also fairly well crafted. P: Oily for sure, though not excessively. Kind of sweet with caramel and some apricot and apple. But also kind of bitter. A bit of spice, but possibly more harsh than spicy. F: The apple and apricot richness and oily sweetness linger nicely. Unfortunately, the harshness gets stronger on the finish. - Conclusion - This was originally my least favorite of this series from Jameson, but after some side-by-siding, I put it above the Blender's Dog. Then I continued and put it below again. I like the initial impression here, but I'm underwhelmed overall. This isn't very complex and I just don't really like that Irish whiskey oiliness. Still, this is a solid example of a lightly flavored Irish whiskey. Add in the harshness and this seems like a pass to me considering the price is goes for. Still, the oiliness makes this richer than the Distiller's Safe, which I think is ultimately an appealing factor. I'd say that this and the Distiller's Safe are closer to each other in quality than either is to the Cooper's Croze (which is substantially better). The Distiller's safe is a pretty average and this is kind of in that ballpark too. Compared with Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star, I think this is about at that quality. I might put this slightly higher. So it could be as high as a 13. That's kind of the limit though. This is quite close to Blender's Dog, so maybe they're both 13? I think that 13 for both seems right. 12 is a solid possibility though.
When asking for a whiskey list in a bar I was directed to a closet. It was a reputable bar so I wasn't too worried about walking my way in one side and then out the other side into a specialized whiskey bar where I found this dram. I think the entry to the whiskey bar was more interesting than this dram. Light and inoffensive. 3
Nose - vanilla and almonds, sharp herbal spices, citrus zest, apricot, some ethanol, a bit of walnuts Palette - silky, bright and metallic, sharp vanilla and some toasted almonds, bright citrus flavors, a bit of honey Finish - medium length zestiness, slight bitterness, medium burn
A smooth, subtle peppery start followed by a flurry of spice and buttery hints leading to a soft and carmel sweet finish. A very light bodied whiskey with lots of personality, truly an embodiment of an excellent Irish.
Aged 5-8 years to taste more like white dog. Only aged in bourbon barrels. Very sugary, but sharp like white dog. Meant to be near to right off the still.
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Tastes like this
Same style and price bracket, best rated first.
