Jameson Single Pot Still Irish Whisky batch 1/2023 46% 70Cl

The signature taste of Irish whiskey and the one that made Jameson famous, single pot still is a style of Irish whiskey made up of a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley which is then triple distilled in copper pot stills within a single distillery. It was a luxury drink often reserved for special occasions. The original premium whiskey, favoured by those who drank Champagne and Cognac, and one that was exported as far as China, Uruguay, and India by Jameson whiskey, according to records Jameson archivist Carol Quinn dug up from the 1870s.

She’s in her element in No 25 Fitzwilliam Place, setting the scene for the brand’s latest release. Quinn tells us how the original Bow Street distillery was a small town in and of itself within Dublin, populated by an army of employees from in-house leather makers to distillers working to one purpose: creating single pot still whiskey.

Nose: Opens with that salted caramel note I recall from the Irish oak sample, as well as wood-driven spice and some floral, green apple notes the ex-bourbon cask sample had. Oloroso sherry brings hazelnut and dried fruit to the party too. There’s notes of vanilla fudge, nutmeg, and Cadbury Crunchie throughout.

Palate: Through gingery spice there’s dark chocolate, orange peel, and coffee fudge. Some delicate tannins prickle through rich fruity notes of cherries and damson, so thick they’re reminiscent of a jam.

Finish: Wonderfully long and spicy with a delicate selection of orchard fruit.