When I heard that we were going to be treated to an exclusive whisky tasting courtesy of Jameson, I could not imagine anything else that would make my Friday evening more exciting. My weekend had officially began and on a high-note for that matter. I counted hours and couldn’t wait for the day to end already so we could enjoy the fantastic whisky.
When the Jameson Brand Ambassador, Antony Owich walked into our offices, everyone’s faces lightened up with such joy and we just couldn’t wait for the tasting to begin. It all started with an introduction to the history of the Irish Whiskey. We got to learn how it is made and were fascinated by the fact that this exquisite drink is made up of only three ingredients; barley, maize and pure Irish water which is sourced from the local Dungourney River, which flows right through the grounds of the distillery.
A proportion of the barley is then taken through the malting process leading to the production of natural enzymes in the grain which is used in the brewing process. The unique factor about Jameson Whisky is the fact that is is triple distilled which attributes to its smoothness.
Then we got to the best part, tasting. Antony had set up three different whisky brands for us to taste and differentiate. Each glass containing Bourbon, Jameson, and Scotch. The way he took us through each section of the tasting was straight up awesome. His presentation was nowhere less than perfect. The passion he had for whisky and more specifically Jameson was evident from the way he conducted the tasting.
The first glass we had was the Jameson Whisky which we all got to appreciate the spicy, nutty and vanilla notes, accentuated with hints of sweet sherry. It went down smoothly in an incredible mellow finish. The bourbon in the other glass which was American Whisky was full with a rich balance of corn and oak extract. It had a dry finish, not as smooth as Jameson which is the overall character of most bourbon whiskys. The final glass had scotch which we were able to identify its strong character, leaving a dry and smoky effect while going down.
We learnt a few tricks like adding some little water to your whiskey opens it up and helps you to taste the flavours in a richer way. Antony left us with a must-try cocktail recipe for those who find whisky a bit too strong. Pour a shot of Jameson Whisky in a glass, fill the glass with Ginger Ale put some ice and garnish with a slice of lime and there you go! Perfect way to take whisky for those who don’t really like its taste.
The evening ended on a high-note and we dived into the weekend with the intentions of having a great time.
