Jameson 12 Year - Blind Tasting

I for one think the Jameson 12 year is a good solid pour. When I first tried this I was surprised at how good it was. I'm not sure why I was surprised but I didn't get the impression this was anything more than a pedestrian mass produced whiskey. Now the Jameson takes up residence on the bar.

Established in 1780 by John Jameson in Dublin, this brand is now one of the top selling whiskies in the world producing more than 30 million bottles annually. This whiskey is distilled in pot stills using malted and unmalted (green) barley and the results produce pretty tasty whiskey.

The Jameson beat out the Bushmills by a good margin but in fairness, the Bushmills is not age stated so potentially younger whiskey and is a blend.

95-100 Classic Whiskey	0
90-94 Excellent Whiskey	2
85-89 Very Good, Above Average Whiskey	5
80-84 Average Whiskey	4
75-79 Fair Whiskey	1
74 and Under - Pass on This Whiskey	0

For the most part, the tasting panel liked this selection and had some of the following comments:

"A nose of brown sugar, malt and pumpkin pie spice......looking forward to learning what this is because we'll probably buy some"

"Nose is forward and very attractive. White fruit, honey, roasted nuts, yeasty bread and creamy nuances. Sweet entry with apple and pear notes jumping forward. Honey, shortbread, buttery notes and apricots. Creamy mouth feel makes this whisky very approachable"

"This is a very nice whiskey but a little too timid for my taste"

"I can't really find much to like or dislike about this one. Just an easy drinker that doesn't warrant much thought"

"Nose is malt, mild leather with a sherry kicker. Nice"

"First sip hits the tongue like velvet with the sweetness dominating"

Last year the San Francisco World Spirits Competition award the Gold to Jameson 12 year. The label is widely available and and can be found in various sizes, the 750ml being the standard. Price is in the $40 range.