By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter
WITH all of us stuck at home, most of us unable to fly to another place or even just step into a bar, we must commend Jameson for giving us a taste of Ireland, even for just a sip.
Last week, Jameson Irish Whiskey held a virtual tasting of three of its lines (their names concealed as Samples 1, 2, and 3 in little vials), guided by Irish Distillers’ International Whiskey Ambassador Tommy Byrne.
Jameson was founded in the 1780s by John Jameson, who married into a Scottish distilling family. The distillery, one of the largest in Ireland, was controlled by the family for many years, until its merger with Cork Distillers and John Powers, which formed the Irish Distillers Group. In turn, the group would be acquired by spirits giant Pernod Ricard in the 1980s.
Mr. Byrne lined out the difference between Irish whiskeys and those from its neighbor, Scotland, and across the pond, the United States. For Irish whiskeys, they use unmalted barley, malt, and maize; while Scotch mainly uses malt and wheat. American Bourbon, meanwhile, uses a minimum of 51% corn, and rye. Scotch is also sometimes peated —meaning the barley has been dried using peat, producing a smoky aroma and taste; and the process is held with affection in Islay and its whisky (the Scots drop the “e”).
The Europeans use ex-bourbon barrels and sherry butts to mature the whisky for a minimum of three years, while Bourbon maturation needs only about two years, counting also that they age their whiskey in virgin American Oak barrels. Bourbon can be sold single-distilled, while Scotch is also usually double-distilled — the factors differentiating Bourbon gives it a more forward flavor. Irish whiskey, meanwhile, is often triple-distilled.
Mr. Byrne boasted about Jameson’s copper pot stills (concealed behind the wall while he made the Zoom call straight from the Ireland distillery), which have a capacity of 80,000 liters, according to him, running day and night for all days of the year. This makes them the largest (and perhaps the busiest) copper pot stills in the world. Asked about the difference that triple-distilling makes, Mr. Byrne said, “Essentially, each time you distill, you refine the product. You’re removing water and other compounds with each distillation. With the three distillations, you’re producing a smoother spirit. It’s going to give it a really easy drinking style.”
Mr. Byrne let us know this by ourselves, starting off by bidding us to open Sample 1, which would of course be Jameson Original. He was right: it was silky and tasted neat (while taken neat), and had a pleasant lingering heat; like candlelight and not a roaring fire; showing a light creamy scent reflected in its taste. Sample 2 turned out to be Jameson Black Barrel, a blend between a pot still and grain whiskey that uses small batch grain whiskey for extra sweetness. It’s aged in bourbon, sherry, and double-charred bourbon barrels for an added note of extra caramel and vanilla sweetness. It had a scent like dark chocolate, and maybe it’s that factor, but a first sip makes one giggle like a child. It does, however, provide a contemplative experience in trying to figure out the more complex notes of pepper and cardamom. The only thing I could think of pairing with it was a cigar, perfect for its even gentle, sensuous heat like the dying embers of a late autumn fire.
Sample 3 was the Jameson 18 Years, matured in bourbon barrels and sherry butts for 18 years; blended and finished in bourbon barrels for another six months. It had a heavy floral scent combined with a note of maple syrup, reflected in the taste with a final ending note of burnt caramel. It somehow reminded me of the supernatural, as if it’s fit to be served in some fey woodland.
Pernod Ricard Philippines Managing Director John O’Sullivan reminded guests that it had been six months after the Metro Manila lockdowns began. “I know this because six months ago today was St. Patrick’s Day, which is the national day of Ireland,” he said of his homeland. “We did have great plans,” he said, noting the St. Patrick’s parties they had lined up for March, all of them cancelled due to quarantine restrictions. “None of us could have predicted just how long that lockdown has been, or that we’d be dealing with the restrictions six months later. There’s a little bit of light, I think; we can see things opening up a little bit, but I don’t think we’ll be getting together personally anytime soon. Given that we can’t connect in person, we’ve decided here today to do it virtually.”
“Virtual events are great, but it’s not the same thing, really. It’s just not as good as having people all together. We’ll make do with what we’ve got,” he said reassuringly. “On a positive note, because we’re doing this virtually, nobody can complain about traffic.”
Customers can experience what we did with Jameson. Starting October, Jameson will hold special online tasting classes, with participants receiving their own Jameson Tasting Experience box which includes a sample of Jameson Original Whiskey. In the sessions, Jameson brand ambassador Julien Rubio will take them through the tasting. To get a slot, interested participants have to register themselves for an online raffle on the Jameson website, and a number of lucky winners will earn a slot in the session. Registrations for the Jameson online tasting class are now open. To enter in the raffle and win an opportunity to join the class and receive your own Jameson Tasting Experience box, go to https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-PH/article/jameson-virtual-tasting-experience.
Jameson Irish Whiskey is available in most stores with a price starting at P800 for Jameson Original, while the Jameson Black Barrel is available at Boozy.ph for P2,299.
