Whisky : Jameson 18 Year “Bow Street” Cask Strength (2019 Ed.)

Country/Region : Ireland

ABV : 55.1%

Cask : First Fill Ex-Bourbon finish

Age : 18 Year (Bottled 2019)

Nose : Big coconut, vanilla, and cream.  Massive slice of coconut cream pie with toasted coconut flakes and toasted coconut meringue sitting atop a jiggling haupia base.  Additional notes of vanilla, caramel banana, and cinnamon emerged with time.

Palate : Medium bodied with notes of banana, cream, and spice.  Gentle sweetness of honey followed by oaky spices: pepper, cinnamon, and star anise.  As the spice and honey fade banana cream pie is left behind along with desiccated coconut.

Finish : Medium length with creamy vanilla and a hint of coconut.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Coconut Creme Pie

Notes : This was by the far the most elegant Jameson I have ever tried.  The overall flavor profile was familiar with the coconut and banana notes turned up a few notches so that the overall impression was one of richness and elegance.  This was smooth in the best way possible; the flavor profile had no off or overly complicated notes, there were no hot spirit or ethanol notes, and the mouthfeel was slightly syrupy with good presence.  While this was a nice dram, it was not really the sort of thing I would normally pour.  For my money, I actually still have a soft spot for Jameson’s Black Barrel.

Overall, this was quite nice and I can see the appeal for fans of Jameson, or Irish whiskey in general, who are looking to level up a bottle into something special.