Jameson Irish Whiskey - Told You The Irish WhiskEys Are Making a Comeback

There was a time in yesteryear, very yesteryear, when Irish Whiskeys ruled the world, that was when Ireland (the Republic of, now) was still part of the British Empire, and it stood to reason, that as the sun never set on the British Empire, so too the reach of whiskeys throughout the globe must have been sizeable.

But after the Irish War of Independence, (presumably they won), they were no longer given access to the free markets of the Commonwealth, and in its place, the Scottish whiskies now became the flavour du jour.  To add salt to the wound, America was undergoing Prohibition, probably due to too many drunkards, And that was how the Irish Whiskey empire fell...

.........but take heart, rising from the ashes of defeat now rise the phoenix of victory, and these gems are once again making waves...

Well, this Jameson, let's not be hoitty toitty about it, is an easy, drinkable drop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, it is a blend, and is surprisingly palatable.  To introduce the drink and for sake of comparison, we were to taste it juxtaposed against the bestselling American Whisky, and bestselling Scotch,

But before the formalities, nothing like a few cocktails to lighten the mood, and the head.

Kieran Crowe, the Brand Ambassador, gave a scintillating 'lecture' on how the Irish Whisky was made, and despite the absence of modern day multi media, it was actually even more riveting to listen.  Irish whiskey is triple distilled, or at least this one is, distinguishing it from the Scottish cousin, who is only distilled twice usually.  The peat in some Scottish also differentiates the Irish.

"John Jameson established our way of making whiskey in 1780 and we’ve been proudly sticking to it ever since. It might not be the easiest way, but insisting on the finest ingredients, triple distillation, and aging our whiskey in seasoned oak barrels has been the secret behind our signature smoothness" - Jameson Website.

The comparative tasting was with the Scottish JW Black Label, and GASP, the Americal Jack Daniels.  I know some whisky/whiskey snobs would pooh pooh the very idea of these libations, but it was actually a good comparison, and if that was the same playing field, then I have to say, Jameson wins hands down.

Then it was time for shots....and need I say more.... the evening started to be blurry...

The coat of arms, and the motto which means WITHOUT FEAR...

Graduation time, for attendees....

So yeah, I am now an official Jameson Irish Whiskey Taster...better than other degree I've obtained thus far.

Distributors locally are probably Pernod Ricard Malaysia, since Pernod Ricard does own Jameson.

What a great night, thanks to Walauwei for the invite.