Jameson whiskey: history, overview of taste and types + how to distinguish a fake
One of the most famous and popular types of whiskey is produced in the south of Ireland, in the county of Cork, in the vicinity of the city of Middleton.
The legendary drink has been produced for more than two centuries. During this time, the company has grown from a tiny factory with a single distillation cube to a large-scale production facility that is part of the French holding company Pernod Ricard.
The history of the Jemeson enterprise
The company was founded in 1780 by an enterprising Irishman, John Jamieson, who, having assessed the prospects of the industry, decided to try himself in a new field.
The idea was a success, and for several decades the plant, named after the owner of Jameson, rapidly increased production volumes.
Several factors contributed to the company's success:
The active development of the Irish economy and the rise in popularity of whiskey, which occurred at the end of the XVIII/beginning of the XIX centuries.
The presence of certain experience of the company owner. John Jameson was not a greenhorn in the field of malt beverage production.
His wife was the daughter of one of the largest Scottish whiskey producers, and the owner of the Dublin plant had many useful connections and skills in this kind of business.
Successful innovations. The founder of the company began by building a giant distillation cube at that time and actively expanded production for several years.
Government support for large whiskey producers.
An excise act issued in Ireland in 1823 significantly improved the situation of legal enterprises producing strong malt beverages.
After increasing the distillery's capacity and gaining a strong position among local producers, John Jamieson died, handing the reins of the company to his son.
At that time, the company was the second most important among Irish whiskey distilleries.
By the middle of the XIX century, the demand for strong drink reached a peak, and for some time exceeded the supply.
However, already in the 90s, there was a decline due to the appearance of a cheaper blended version of whiskey on the market.
The Jemezon Company preferred to preserve traditions and continued to produce single-malt beverages, which led to a protracted crisis.
All this time, the company maintained the continuity of generations, remained a family business and was guided by the motto "Sine Metu" ("Without Fear").
The life-affirming inscription can still be seen on the product label next to the coat of arms.
Another modernization improved the situation for a while, but did not solve the problem.
Having hardly survived the introduction of Prohibition in the United States, the civil and world wars, the company was forced to merge first with Irish producers into Irish Distillers Ltd, and then to become part of the French giant of the alcohol industry, Pernod Ricard.
Recent changes have benefited the company: it has once again entered the list of best-selling brands.
Today, the company produces blended whiskey, and the number of annual sales has long since surpassed the million mark.
In 2006, the volume of sales amounted to more than 2 million cases, in 2013 - about 5 million, by the end of the 2010s it exceeded this figure. It all started with a small distillery on a Dublin street.
Features of Jemezon whiskey production
The Jameson whiskey line includes drinks of different styles and aging levels. Common to all product categories are a beautiful golden hue and a special production technology, created in the days of John Jemeson Sr. and supplemented in subsequent years. It includes:
Use of high-quality local raw materials: barley is grown in fields near Middleton, water is taken from the Dungurn River, which flows directly through the distillery.
Only corn is purchased from a French farmer.
Drying of grain in special kilns and three-stage distillation of wort.
Multiple distillation gives the drink a soft and delicate taste, and closed drying eliminates the peaty flavor characteristic of Scotch whisky.
Long-term aging in oak barrels, some of which were already in use.
To obtain subtle accents of the bouquet, storage containers are purchased from producers of American bourbon and strong Spanish wines.
These barrels give the drinks light woody, vanilla notes and a sweet sherry flavor.
Strict control at all stages of production: from grain harvesting to bottling.
Inclusion in the blends of exclusively spirits produced at its own distillery.
Overview of the taste and types of Jameson whiskey
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Classic blended whiskey aged for 4 years in oak barrels.
The drink has a pleasant floral aroma with spicy and woody notes.
The taste is balanced, sweet, with a predominance of nut and vanilla tones.
Jameson Black Barrel
An unusual version of products aged in "black" bourbon barrels.
The containers are pre-fired (charred) to enhance the flavor of the drink.
This category is characterized by an aromatic bouquet with pronounced tones of toffee, creamy fudge, nuts, vanilla, sweet spices.
Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition and Caskmates IPA Edition
Two unusual lines include drinks aged in craft beer and pale ale barrels.
A special production technology gives the bouquet floral and herbal, hoppy, citrus, and apple notes.
The flavor is dominated by woody, nutty, spicy accents with a grain trail and a long fruity aftertaste.
The "craft" version also contains tones of chocolate, pears, green tea.
Jameson Crested
A traditional version of Irish whiskey with a pronounced sherry aroma and flavor.
The bouquet contains notes of spices, chocolate, wood and fruit.
Jameson 12 Years and 18 Years
The most famous drinks of the manufacturer, combining several valuable distillates.
Each component undergoes a long aging in a barrel, and after mixing, the whiskey spends six months in a fresh container made of American oak.
The complex, elegant bouquet includes accents of spices, nuts, caramel, leather and vanilla.
A long, mild aftertaste with woody notes and a trail of spices makes the drinks one of the best in the manufacturer's collection.
A variation of the popular category is the Jameson Bow Street 18 Years whiskey, produced in 2018.
The Whiskey Makers Series
The line consists of three types of products: "The Distiller’s Safe, The Cooper’s Croze and The Blender’s Dog".
The drinks are dedicated to the main specialists involved in the creation of whiskey: the master distiller, cooper and blender.
The Jameson Deconstructed Series
The line includes 3 variants of drinks made using unusual technologies.
Jameson Bold and Jameson Lively contain barley malt and ungerminated green barley. "Jameson Round involves aging distillates in different types of barrels.
A separate category includes rare vintage drinks with long aging and unusually designed designer series dedicated to significant events.
How to distinguish a fake Jameson whiskey
Due to the high popularity of the Jameson brand, people often try to copy the drink.
There are many smuggled copies on the alcohol market with the label of a well-known brand.
To buy original products, you need to be able to distinguish them from fakes:
Real Jameson whiskey has a metal cap, not a plastic one, covered with foil.
There are three embossed inscriptions on the bottle of the drink: "Since 1780", "Product of Ireland" and "John Jameson" & Son".
The actual volume of the vessel must match the one indicated on the label.
A bottle of real Irish whiskey has a hologram excise stamp on it.
The original drink will not have sediment, and the bubbles that appear when shaking should not disappear instantly, but slowly dissolve.
The bottle of real Jameson is made of thick glass, the label is glued on evenly, without traces of glue, the image of the coat of arms on it is embossed, not flat.
To protect yourself from buying a fake, it is better to buy the drink in specialized stores rather than in a retail network.
Update: 20.01.2019
Category: Whiskey and Bourbon