Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey (750ml)

The former Bourbon barrels used to mature this whiskey were “charred and double charred,” the producer says, to coax more from the barrel wood. Look for an almost piña colada-like effect: coconut and tropical fruit aromas, and a rich, honey-soaked palate that shows caramelized pineapple and dried apricot. (KN) (3/2019)

Sumptuously rich and intense whiskey emerges from these double-charred casks; a seduction of butterscotch, treacle, toasted nuts, scorched coconut, raisin, and vanilla essence. Secure in its deep-centered sweetness, it revels in caramelized sugar, dark vanilla, pecan nut slice, crème brûlée, peppery spice, and fleshy fruits gloomily submerged in sticky, umber syrups. Memorable for its long, satisfying, toasted aftertaste, heavy on the vanilla and raisins. (JM, Summer 2018)