Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition Review
In-Depth Review
Mentioning Jameson whisky usually elicits two different responses. One – a grimace born out of some bad college experience or St. Patrick’s Day in the local Irish dive bar. Or two – a whisky enthusiast making jokes at the expense of that first person. There is a third reaction – much rarer – of someone who is proud to say how they enjoy Jameson. But those people are relatively enlightened and hard to find.
Realizing that the immense brand awareness of Jameson, Midleton Distillery has shifted the Jameson brand away from just being the go-to whisky shot on St. Patrick’s Day to something that even your hardened whisky nerd could appreciate. One of the most widely available iterations of this shift is found in their Caskmates Editions. These editions feature typical Jameson whisky that is then finished in various types of beer casks to impart different flavors and more complexity. The current Caskmates line includes a Stout cask finish and this IPA cask finished expression. At this point, I should mention that I loathe beer. But when I found this 375ml on clearance, I decided to take a gamble. Bottled at 40% and widely available in every major market, can this fancified Jameson be better than the original? Let’s dive in and find out.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 40%
Cask: Mix of casks then finished in IPA barrels
MSRP: $25
Distillery Name: Midleton Distillery
Review Date: 9/10/22
Color: Medium Gold
Nose: The nose immediately hits with bright orange citrus notes, almost like a freshly cut clementine or Pledge cleaner, before moving onto a more bready, sawdust quality that highlights some of those classic Jameson grain notes. Then there’s the typical Irish fruitiness, like an unripe melon or artificial candy. The only real evidence of the finishing casks seems to be the bready, malty character – otherwise this feels relatively similar to traditional Jameson.
Palate: Oh, that’s funky. I think we have found the IPA influence now. The citrus notes on the nose are still there but they are overpowered by a sourdough bread note. It’s musty. It almost feels muddy – like a mixture of two disparate parts. Like whisky mixed directly with beer. It’s an odd pairing that isn’t my favorite. The mouthfeel is okay but not special. It punches slightly higher than its 40% ABV would lead you to believe with a tangy zest coming across the palate and into the finish.
Finish: The finish is short and slightly bitter – but not in a tannic or woody way. Instead, it finishes with a yeasty, bready, and acidic way – like how I imagine it’d be to take a bite out of a fermenting sourdough loaf. And while the finish length is overall quite short, there is something that clings to the mouth and lingers – unfortunately for my palate - not in a pleasant way.
Final Thoughts: Maybe my disdain for beer clouded my better judgement, but I couldn’t get behind this Jameson Caskmates IPA edition. While there is a distinctive difference between this IPA finished version and the original Jameson, I find the original to be much more to my liking. As I continued to drink this IPA Caskmates the less I liked it. So, while other reviewers have sung the praises of the entire Caskmates line, I think Midleton have swung and missed for my palate. But I do applaud them for not being afraid to continue experimenting. And for that they deserve a few extra points.
