Jameson is the best-selling Irish whiskey, producing 20 million bottles a year, or 54,000 every day of the year. The United States is Jameson’s largest consumer, accounting for 12% of total production. Including Scotch whiskeys, Jameson’s production is the third largest in the world. In Estonia, a 50 cl bottle of Jameson costs about € 14.
The founder of the Jameson brand is the Scottish businessman John Jameson, who was hired as Manager at the Bow Street Distillery in 1786. The actual production under his own name began in 1810, when the Jameson family bought the distillery. Whiskey was produced for a long time in Dublin and Jameson was one of the six major distilleries in Dublin until the company merged with the Irish Distillers Group in 1966. Since 1976 Jameson has been produced at New Midleton Distillery in Cork, Southern Ireland. Pernod-Ricard acquired Irish Distillery in 1988 and has since owned the Jameson brand.
The nose is very light. Slightly floral aroma, caramel, light spicy aroma in the background. Not a particularly original or distinctive nose, but Jameson is not bought because of the scent. There is sweetness and smoothness in the taste, but also a strong bite of young whiskey. Toffee, vanilla, cereal and a slightly bitter oak aroma. The taste is by no means delicious, but not particularly unpleasant either. The aftertaste is short, just a slight of sweet spicy oak. You could say Jameson is pretty even. Or homogeneous. In any case, it is easy to drink.
Drinking Jameson gives the same feeling as with Jim Beam or Ballantine’s. There is nothing in taste which makes it one of the best-selling whiskeys in the world. In other words, sales volumes have once again been achieved thanks to an efficient marketing and distribution network. Jameson is not a whiskey that I would buy for sipping, but if someone offers it in a whiskey glass with ice or in a Sour-type cocktail, then why not. If you order a glass of Irish whiskey or Irish Coffee at the bar, you’re very likely to get Jameson. Very basic but still easy and smooth Irish Whiskey.
78/100
