After the blend was put into first fill ex-Bourbon casks, the barrels were moved to the warehouse at the original Jameson Distillery on Bow Street to marry and finish for at least 6 months. Then they were blended back together and bottled with minimal filtration. For me this is a bit of a curiosity dream come true; I've always wondered what the Jameson, and Bushmills blends, would taste like at full proof, with minimal filtering and all their oils left intact.
How much richer would they be? How much more depth might appear? It's something I wonder every time I sip one of their standard releases and now I get to experience it first hand, in the Irish Whiskey review below, and I couldn't be more excited.
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength Whiskey Review: Details and Tasting Notes
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years is a special blend of rare pot still and grain Irish whiskeys produced at the Midleton distillery. After ageing for almost two decades, these whiskeys are married together and spend their final finishing period in our original home, at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street in Dublin. Distilled in weeks. Matured in decades. Perfected over generations.
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength Whiskey Review: Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)
Region: Ireland
Distiller: Midleton
Blend: Single Pot Still (malted & un-malted barley) and Irish Single Grain
Cask: ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry
Age: 18 Years
ABV: 54.24%
Batch: 2018
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural ColorPrice: $160
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
NOSE
Caramel, sherry, coconut, Banana's Foster, Chocolate Twizzlers, roasted nuts, honey, oil, coconut and bits of dried fruit, leather and oak.
PALATE
Caramel, herbal, honey, sherry, Strawberry Necco, spice, oak, citrus, honey, banana, cocoa, coconut and some graham and copper.
FINISH
Long -> Oka, caramel, dried fruit, Strawberry Necco, spice, banana and ash.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, medium body and a slick oily feel.
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength Whiskey Review: Overall and Score
There are a lot of things to find interesting and intriguing about this whiskey. The most interesting and intriguing thing about trying this at full cask strength and non-chill filtered is how not-full or rich the body is. I was hoping for a heavy oily whiskey, but it isn't. It's definitely heavier and oilier than the Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve... but shocking not by much. The depth though, that's another story.
At full CS and NCF this whiskey has the kind of depth I want from something carrying an age statement over 15. The aroma elegantly carries everything evenly with a hint of honey and copper. The palate comes through darker and heavier with the copper and spice notes showing more prominently and the finish pulls in a heavy dose of oak that completes the move from sweet to rustic.
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength Whiskey is quite good. I'm enjoying every second of it and it misses the 90+ levels by a hair. Though this is a batch 1 of a batched yearly release so who knows what's to come.
SCORE: 89/100 (B+)
