Jameson Reserve Series Distiller’s Batch Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Review

 

Born in 1740, John Jameson was a Scotsman through and through. At the age of 28, he married Margaret Haig. Together, they had 16 children. Jameson was the Sheriff Clerk for Clackmannanshire, the smallest Scottish county. Yet, he didn’t enjoy his work, and in 1774, he and his brood relocated to Dublin.

 

Margaret was born into the Haig (paternal) and Stein (maternal) families. Both were established whiskey moguls, and John was appointed general manager of the Stein-owned Dublin distillery Bow Street. In 1780, he began distilling whiskey. Thus, Jameson Irish Whiskey was born.

 

The & Sons part came when his son, John Jameson II, joined the business in 1805 to assume control. Then, in 1851, John Jameson III took the helm and established John Jameson & Son Ltd. in 1901.

 

While John II was building Jameson Irish Whiskey, his brothers, William and James, partnered with other Stein family members to form Jameson & Stein and began distilling at Marrowbone Lane. Soon after that, Jameson & Stein was renamed William Jameson & Co. A fourth brother, Andrew Jameson, owned another, smaller distillery in County Wexford.

 

The Bow Street and Marrowbone Lane distilleries were highly competitive and often rivalrous. By the time John Jameson & Son was formally incorporated, it was the cat’s meow of whiskey, producing nearly a million gallons annually! In 1805, it was the world’s best-selling whiskey.

 

Then, the Irish whiskey market went kablooey. There wasn’t a single reason to assign blame; instead, it was a culmination of things. The Scots introduced column stills, allowing them to eclipse Ireland’s production volume, prompting the government to enact protective tariffs. There was market speculation and mismanagement, causing bankruptcies. There was the Irish Civil War (1922-1923). And, worst of all, there was Prohibition in the United States.

 

Only four Irish distilleries were left when the dust settled: John Powers & Son, Cork Distilleries Company, and John Jameson & Son. To survive, they merged in 1966 to become Irish Distillers Limited. To make matters worse, in 1975 they closed the John Powers and John Jameson distilleries and transferred operations to the Cork facility.

 

The fourth surviving distillery, Bushmills, eventually joined in 1972, giving Irish Distillers a monopoly. Only Cork and Bushmills remained active. Finally, in 1988, Irish Distillers was acquired by Pernod-Ricard. However, it sold off Bushmills to Diageo in 2005.

 

And that’s the extensive, lengthy, confusing history of Jameson Irish Whiskey. Today, I’m reviewing Jameson’s newest American market release: Reserve Series Distiller’s Batch, a Single Pot Still whiskey aged in five different types of casks: Ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and virgin Irish, European, and American oak.

 

“200 years ago, one of the very first Jameson recipes were crafted in the Single Pot Still tradition - a legacy we discovered in a mashbill handwritten by John Jameson II in a pocket notebook dated 1826, still kept today in our archive in Midleton. Distiller’s Batch is our way of celebrating that origin story. Bringing together five cask types is a careful balancing act, and everyone contributes something to the final whiskey. The result is an expression with real character that still feels unmistakably Jameson.” - Kevin O’Gorman, Master Distiller at Midleton Distillery

 

So, wait a second, what is Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey? I’m glad you asked! First, it must be made at a single distillery. Next, the mash is a blend of malted and unmalted barley. It can also include oats or wheat. Third, distilling must occur in a pot still. There was a time when Single Pot Still was the world’s most popular style of whiskey; that was, until the collapse of the Irish Whiskey industry.

 

Now, you know everything that I know about Reserve Series Distiller’s Batch. How does it taste? Thankfully, Jameson was kind enough to provide me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and find out!

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
• Distiller: Midleton Distillery
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: Malted and unmalted barley
• Cooperage: Ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and virgin Irish, European, and American oak casks
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 750mL: $49.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this whiskey neat. A dazzling bronze color caught my eye; it wasn’t quite translucent, which helped define its bronzeness. A thin rim released a wavy curtain of tears, then a second wave came, with needle-thin, slow, crowded tears.  

 

Nose: I allowed this whiskey to breathe for about 15 minutes before exploring the aroma, which included sweeter notes of caramel, apricots, honey, and sherry, combined with chocolate and oak. When I pulled the air through my lips, I tasted apricots and pears.

 

Palate: A soft, buttery texture greeted my mouth, along with oakiness that parked on my palate. My second sip revealed flavors of semi-sweet chocolate, caramel, and apricots on the front, followed by apricots, pears, and nutmeg on my mid-palate. The back featured sherried, charred, and sweet oak, and clove.

 

Finish: Clove, sherried oak, char, apricots, semi-sweet chocolate, and caramel remained in my mouth and throat. It started mild, then quickly crescendoed to an oaky peak at 37 seconds, leveled out, and faded slowly, finally disappearing at 1:17, for a medium duration.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Something that I found unusual was how the variety of oaks competed for attention, especially on the finish. None dominated, but they all came to play. I found myself honing in on how influential they were. On the flip side, the sweet and fruity notes were classics that you’d expect from any Irish whiskey – except for a lack of vanilla, which didn’t go unnoticed.

 

It was great to experience Midleton’s distillate at a respectable 46% ABV. It reminded me more of the luxurious whiskeys that this distillery produces. It was well-balanced and full of character. I truly enjoyed it, likely more than any Jameson whiskey I’ve tried. Compound all of this with the ridiculously affordable price, and there’s no choice but to crown it with my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.