Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Irish Whiskey | 40% ABV | 70CL | Triple Distilled Whiskey Finished in Craft Stout-Seasoned Barrels | Sweet with Hops & Cocoa Bean Notes | Triple Distilled in Ireland

Well, I was surprised. On the face of it -if you're not over-familiar with whisk[e]y finishing, you wouldn't necessarily expect a huge change between Jameson Original and this Caskmate edition. It is, after all, 'just' regular Jameson whiskey that's been finished in an IPA barrel. How much difference can that make? A lot, is the short answer. Whisk[e]y distilleries have been doing it for decades (centuries) of course -ex-bourbon barrels being arguably the most common type used. The wood, impregnated with the spirit, wine or in this case IPA, transfers some of those characteristics to the whisk[e]y that spends some months sitting in it, and you can get all sorts of interesting complexities and new flavour profiles from doing so. Being perhaps excessively naive though, I wasn't expecting an especially significant difference with this IPA cask finished version of Jameson original. It's at the lower price-point region, comes in the regular screw-cap bottle rather than the slightly fancier corked types for the pricier releases and to the best of my knowledge, the finishing is the only difference between it and the entry-level release. It transforms the whiskey though. The slightly excessive (for me) vanilla of Jameson original drops to the background. Fresh, green herbs, a shift in the spice toward the bite of hops, with some lemongrass and citrus fruits making an appearance, adding some further air and crispness. It's still got the signature Jameson smooth finish, with no alcohol burn of any kind, but for me, there's more depth and life that add a welcome extra interest. All from finishing in an IPA cask. I don't know who first had the idea, but it was a very good one. To my palate, this is a big step up from the regular bottling, and one that doesn't necessarily cost all that much more -especially if you catch it on offer. This has actually become my favourite whiskey that retails at its normal price within the £20 - £30 bracket -always a tricky region. In fact, it's joined Glenmorangie 10 as my 'favourite' for offering a quality well above its price-points. Highly recommended.

Great tasting whisky which has a nice creamy smooth finish. Worth a try when it's on offer, not so much a bargain at full price.

Bottle empty 😞 will need to buy again 😀 a lovely smooth & peaty whiskey

Cheap(ish) but very good whisky. Chocolatey notes from the stout barrel.

Jamesons i find is easy to drink and no harsh flavours , i was having this with some nitro surge Guinness , which i have reviewed , it might be that i have not got a sophisticated palate but i was expecting more flavour , more chocolate or stout taste with this Jamesons cask edition but i didn't really taste much from the normal edition , would probably just stick to the original Jamesons but it is a good drink and easy to drink.

Excellent whisky, I still prefer the triple triple Jameson but this is a nice treat for change.

good value for money - a quality tipple

Worry bice indeed. Hicup.