I’ve set myself a ‘one in, one out’ policy when it comes to whiskey (and liquor in general) for one, because it’s easier on the wallet in these times of inflation we live in, and for two, because I don’t understand those pictures you see on the whiskey subreddits of massive collections of whiskey, none of which seems to be getting consumed at all. (I mean, at the end of the day I’m not too bothered by it. Everyone deserves to have a hobby, but to me if I’m going to buy a bottle of whiskey, I’m going to drink it.)
So, with one bottle out (farewell, delicious Talisker!) and March upon us, I figured why not celebrate the upcoming holiday and grab a bottle of Irish whiskey and talk about it?
The Good News: there’s more selection of Irish whiskey available locally than ever before. After falling to two whiskey distilleries in the mid-1970s, Irish whiskey began a long resurgence that really took off in the 1990s. As of last year, there were 42 distilleries on the island and they’re estimating sales of 24 million casks of Irish whiskey by 2030.
As a consumer- even in a state like Iowa with ass backward liquor laws- the rise of Irish whiskey has been noticeable over the past few years. I have no doubt that other states probably have a better selection than we do- but if you always stroll past the whiskey in the liquor aisle when you’re grocery shopping, you tend to notice these things.
I looked back through my archives and I was somewhat astonished to discover that I couldn’t find any evidence of having done a tasting of Jameson. (For the record: I found 2 Gingers, Crested Ten and Bushmills Red Bush.) And maybe I should have just gone with the original Jameson for this tasting, but instead, on an impulse, I picked up a bottle of Jameson Cold Brew.
Flavored/infused whiskey is not a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination- on my trip back through my archives, I was astonished to discover I have been talking about whiskey/booze in one form or another since 2009- in that time, I have tried all kinds of flavored/infused whiskies: Ole Smoky Salted Caramel, Revel Stoke Pecan, Tennessee Honey, something called Yukon Jack Jacapple, and Southern Comfort Pepper. Those are just the actual write-ups I can find! I know I’ve had more and I am here to announce that you can stop the presses: Jameson Cold Brew is the best flavored/infused whiskey I’ve ever tasted, hands down.
It’s hard to explain in words, but most flavored/infused whiskey still tastes like whiskey. So, for instance, if we take Ole Smoky Salted Caramel, it tastes like salted caramel-flavored whiskey (and it’s delicious, by the way) but Jameson Cold Brew manages to invert that somehow and winds up tasting like whiskey-flavored cold brew.
I honestly don’t even know where to begin with this. I decided I couldn’t do my regular tasting notes because the answer to every question is coffee. Color? Black coffee. Nose? Smells like coffee. Body? Unbelievably… it tastes like coffee, with just an undertone of something alcoholic that’s probably the whiskey. Finish? Supremely pleasant, just like a good cup of you guessed it- coffee.
I’m going to hazard two guesses as to why this is so damn good. First, the triple distillation. I’ve had regular Jameson before- at some point in the past and remember it being particularly smooth, so I think that helps even out the potential harshness of the coffee here. The second reason might be the cold brew itself. I’ll admit from the outset: I drink coffee, but I’m not extra about it. No hate to those that are, but when I stumble out of bed in the morning, I’m not faffing around with a French Press and hand-ground bespoke beans. I'ma stick my K-Cup in the machine, press the button, frantically remember to shove a mug under the spout just in time, and then drink coffee. So I’m not super familiar with the ints and outs of cold brew, but the brewing process does result in a different chemical profile from conventional brewing and it’s supposedly more concentrated, so I could see a super infusion of cold brew into whiskey having more success than just, say, regular coffee.
Whatever the reason, it’s damn delicious but also leaves you with a question: what the hell do you do with this stuff?
First, let’s dispense with the obvious choice here: if you make Irish coffee on anything approaching a regular basis, this is the whiskey to do it with. It’s a no-brainer.
Second, drink it over ice. I’m not kidding… it’s eminently drinkable and you can have a good time with a glass, some ice cubes, and a bottle of this stuff. Perhaps even too good of a time- especially if you love whiskey and coffee.
Third, have yourself a latte and mix this stuff in with a cream soda. Now, I know people may be of two minds about cream soda. My kids love root beer and given a choice I would take a good cream soda over a root beer any day of the week, but in this case, you get something damn tasty that does, in fact, come pretty close to approximating the flavor of a decent latte.
Finally, if you’re really looking for inspiration, Jameson offers some suggestions: Cold Brew & Cola (okay, sounds decent), the Cold Brew-Tini (no objections here), and finally, the Cold Brew Tonic (uhhhhhh… maybe not.)
Overall: until some other whiskey comes along and takes the crown, Jameson Cold Brew is the best flavored/infused whiskey I have ever tasted. If you’re all about the flavor adventures with your whiskey, this is one bottle you can’t miss and if you love a good Irish coffee, stop what you’re doing right now and go snag a bottle of this. My Grade: 10/10