REFINED VICES

Read the full Jameson Irish Whiskey review on the frontpage.

Count Silvio & Esteban Fontsworth wrote:The review of Jameson Irish Whiskey this week is a special one because instead of one review you will get to read two reviews written by me and our guest writer Esteban Fontsworth. On top of that at the end of my review I’ve written a short comparison between oxidised Jameson and fresh Jameson. Some of you may wonder what it means for a spirit to be oxidised but read on and all shall be revealed.

Two are better than one they say. It was certainly interesting to do this double review with Esteban Fontsworth. As you can see from the reviews our experiences with this whiskey were quite similar and we both agreed immediately which award the whiskey would get. Perhaps one day you shall see yet another double bill!

From now on I will also start including oxidation comparisons in my reviews whenever I can do such a daring experiment. Expect oxidation comparisons atleast for Zacapa 23 and comments to the Cruzan Single Barrel thread once the first bottle is nearing the end.

metal smell? and jamesons should be served with water? its hardly a cask whisky.

neat or with ice is the only way.

Jameson is my first whiskey love. I am overdue for a new bottle.

jamesons is my daily drink of choice, im never far from it and agree it goes well with coke as a digestive or hot day.

i have a regular supply and know a good duty free dealer that supplies me with 2 x 1litre samples for 29.95 euro.

baron wankelporkington wrote:metal smell? and jamesons should be served with water? its hardly a cask whisky.

neat or with ice is the only way.

I can't explain the metal smell any further, it was just something I noticed. Please notice that I didn't say it should be served with water: "Best served on its own or with a drop of water."

i know some people like lemon and lime with their whisky, that doesnt mean it should ever be suggested.

only cask whisky should be mixed with water, shame on you count.

While I tend to enjoy my spirits neat, my experience is that for the purposes of a review up to 50% water will help the reviewer to better explore the subtle nuances.

Agreed !

@ 20% abv a few flavours will be unlocked that are held in the alcoholic solvent

baron wankelporkington wrote:i know some people like lemon and lime with their whisky, that doesnt mean it should ever be suggested.

only cask whisky should be mixed with water, shame on you count.

I don't consider the normal Jameson that fine a drink that using a few drops of water would be considered blasphemy. I usually drink every spirit neat and room temperature but sometimes that drop of water will bring some new flavours out.

AngelSword wrote:While I tend to enjoy my spirits neat, my experience is that for the purposes of a review up to 50% water will help the reviewer to better explore the subtle nuances.

I feel that more than a splash would be too much and would make it too watered. I only use a couple of drops to open it up if needed.

its certainly not fine enough for blasphemy but id be sceptical that water really unlocks anything, especially a couple of drops.

ive only ever heard of water added to cask whisky, but whatever floats your boat, heathens.

To the Count - mark my words I'll have an answer for you on the Jamesons code forthwith. I've been asking the experts here and they're on the case.

It's really intriguing and no-one seems to know the answer.....yet

I'd be happy to be the first to announce the answer. I actually emailed Jameson but distilleries these days seem to be unwilling to respond to any emails. One thing I would also like to know is the age of Jameson. Señor Pablo suggested 8 years.

I wonder if the 12 and 18 year old varieties also have this mystery number on them ...

my bottle of jameson gold has no such number, i think its reserved for the standard 8yr old.

the 18yr old is also a nice drop however they charge 26euro a glass at the distillery.

Prepare to be majorly let down. I have spoken to a contact at Jamesons who has confirmed the code on every bottle is entirely meaningless. It is merely there for design purposes.

I've been bugging every spirits expert in the UK on this and frankly I'm a bit disappointed.

I wonder how long it has been since the code was introduced to the bottles. Surely there is a story why that exact code was put there even if it is purely for design purposes. Anyway, thank you for this information Paul.

They were very definite it ws purely a design feature. I'll try and find out when it was introduced.

I will have to buy you a magnifying glass, a fedora and an overcoat soon, detective.

Just lucky I have a job where this kind of thing qualifies as work

I have just closely inspected (multiple times) my Jameson 12yo bottle and it doesnt have that code on it. There IS a code L7067B(8?)2001 09:56 on it in dark lettering stamped near the bottom of it. Nothing else on the bottle, the label or the packaging.

Dacaqa Fe Noyetuxuhe wrote:I have just closely inspected (multiple times) my Jameson 12yo bottle and it doesnt have that code on it. There IS a code L7067B(8?)2001 09:56 on it in dark lettering stamped near the bottom of it. Nothing else on the bottle, the label or the packaging.

Couldn't find a code in the bottle I have.

Returning back to the water in whiskey conversation. It just occured to me that most people only ever complain if you put water in whiskey but you never see people complaining when you put water in rum. Are they just being "whiskey snobs" or don't they care about rum enough? Because I know for a fact that my friends who drink more whiskey than rum have read my rum reviews, where I've recommended adding a few drops of water in the rum, and they've said nothing about it so far.

One would think if you're opposed to adding water to your whiskey you would be opposed to adding water to any great spirit.

to drink only rum is simply dumb, but to mess with whisky is very risky.....

i suppose i dont mind some ice from time to time, could be considered the same thing but i just cant get away from the fact that you are watering down my drink. ill concede for review purposes a couple of drops can open it up.

I just received this piece of information from one of my readers named Eli Baskin who found an answer for the JQ code stating the following:

"A number on the neck of every bottle (JQ058548) refers to a cask opened by John Jameson in 1806 which he found to be perfect. It became the Jameson standard and the bottle itself is partially preserved at the distillery in Dublin."

What is the point of arguing about adding water to whiskey or not?

There is no absolute correct way to DRINK a drink, just a number of ways to enjoy the same drink for different purposes: Pure enjoyment, a formal tasting session, trying to identify exactly all flavour components for accurate notes, getting drunk quick, etc. etc.

Personally, if I am seriously reviewing whisky, whiskey or rum for tasting notes, I would start by making sure I have an absolutely clean palate. This means that most of the serious tasting I do happens Sunday mornings, not for example in a bar after work day & food. I also try to do the tasting at least twice on different days, in order to verify results.

I start by trying the drink neat very, very carefully. I’ve seen plenty “tasters” gulp down 2cl in one go – ouch!! If it is a cask strength product, forget it, game over – so keep the sip tiny.

I then proceed to sip and add a little water, bit by bit increasing the water content over duration of 40 – 60 minutes, ending with a glass that’s about 60% water. This, I feel, allows me to get a full experience of flavours, and build the complete tasting notes.

When I do tasting, I will never add ice, because cold numbs the palate, and I am not interested if the product goes best with ice – or lemon, or coke for that matter. Mixology is a personal thing, and quite honestly, I’d rarely mix any of the products I taste. Cocktail reviews are a separate item in my books.

on the other hand, I would not recommend any drink ”with ice, lemon etc”, but I might state that a drop of water is good / not for a whisky, depending on what I feel brings the best out of that product. Some whiskies like most Rosebank’s do fabulously poorly with added water in my opinion, whilst some others are simply too strong or overpowering to properly open up without the added water.

I think the Count was well within his rights in suggesting a drop of water in a whiskey here, especially if one wishes to sample it’s full flavour palate. The point of his article, I believe, is precisely this - showcase how to get the full taste of the product on its own. If one aims just to drink it, one does as one wishes…

X2...

Almost all of the leading reviewers of whisky follow a regimen similar to JaRiMi's. Start neat, take your time, then slowly add a few drops - literally a few - of pure water. More water can be added for further exploration. It is a scientific fact that even a few drops of water releases aromas and tastes.

Even 80 proof whiskys get this treatment (although more carefully). Cask strength ends up getting more water. Last, do keep in mind this is a tasting/reviewing technique. Once you've explored the whisky - or rum - then drink it the way you like. Another technique is to hold the spirit in your mouth for a great deal longer than with normal sipping.

Not to mention that most spirits absolutley open up with time in the glass - the spirit at 15 minutes is usually quite different than with the first pour. At The Rum Project, Sue Sea and I have come to the conclusion that no rum (or whisky for that matter) displays its true character until it's down to the shoulders of the bottle.

Your witness...

Great post JaRiMi and a good point about ice. I personally do not like my spirits cold, I find the taste is best when warm.

Jimbo, very interesting you should say that as I've noticed the same thing about the level of liquid in the bottle. I call it the Golden Middle Age, when the level is halfway down (or up if you're an optimist) the bottle. To me that is when it tastes the best in most cases.

A fair bit of time has passed since I wrote this review and I think I can now also answer the metal question presented by the Baron as I believe the metallic taste comes from the copper pot stills. I have found this taste in numerous pot still spirits.

certainly some excellent posts on the art of tasting and how to open up the spirit. i concede that drops of water and a clean palate go a long way in enhancing the experience.

i agree that holding the spirit in your mouth for some time helps with the tasting process. one tasting companion believed in a second for every year of age as a mark of respect, quite hard with some 18 yr olds and the volitials really do enter the back of the throat.

as for casual drinking enjoyment i cannot go past adding a generous helping of ice to the neat spirit. in scotland due to temperature they can forgo the ice but in the warmer climate i believe it necessary to maintain enjoyment.

These are the times when I love my rather barbaric (by some standards) background. The best way to sample and explore a good spirit in my world is to keep it in its natural environment, that being in concert with a good cigar, a filthy book, a hearty sandwich and a roaring fire. Truth be told, if it can't initially kill the lingering aftertaste of vagina when I start drinking, it's hardly even useful as a cleaning solution.

I like Jameson ... it's a good whiskey...
actually I think that if you want to feel the real taste of whiskey, it is not necessary to add water or ice...