Well for St. Patricks Day we decided to do another Double Review, this time of some Irish Whiskeys! We have the Jameson Caskmates, and the Jameson Caskmates Great Divide Brewery edition. Both of them spend time in beer seasoned barrels, the original caskmates with stout beer, and the Great Divide edition with an ale from their brewery. Let’s go right into it!
Here on out, The Great Divide will be referred to as GD.
Color:
Caskmates: Amber and Golden, very clear
Caskmates GD: Very similar to the original, but a little bit lighter in color.
Nose:
Caskmates: Vanilla, coffee, and oak are all very present on the nose, and the dark roasted stout beer smell can be picked up as well. Definitely a darker smell than it’s Great Divide Counterpart.
Caskmates GD: Fruit, berries, malt and ale all come through on the nose, with hints of oak. A much brighter nose than the original caskmates.
Palate:
Caskmates: Dark and creamy, the stout beer is extremely prominent in this sip. A good amount of oak comes through as well, with some coffee, vanilla and stout flavors that linger on the finish for a while.
Caskmates GD: Lots of dried fruit and malt on the front, with toffee flavors coming through. A lot lighter of a sip with a lingering beer/ale finish.
With a couple drops of water:
Nose:
Caskmates: Lighter, a lot lighter, with a bit more sweet notes. Still full of stout beer
Caskmates GD: Oak comes through lot more, and the malt is a little bit heavier, but overall the nose is a lot lighter with water on this as well.
Palate:
Caskmates: Chocolate and vanilla come out more, but the finish does not linger anywhere near as long after a couple drops of water are added. Better without water
Caskmates GD: More leather and more malt, but the ale flavors start to go away, and the finish really fades away. Better without water
Ratings:
Caskmates:
A: 84/100
Z:82/100
O:83/100
Caskmates GD:
A: 86/100
Z: 78/100
O: 82/100
Definitely worth picking up either of these, or both of them if you can still find the Great Divide Barrel Caskmates. A unique take on the Jameson, and a reasonable price as well.
