The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
Rating: B+
Jameson Cold Brew
(Credit: Emma Briones)
Coffee and coffee houses have been and remain trendy for the “it crowd,” and sometimes beyond. Specialty coffee has awaken millennials all around Europe, hungry for a hot or cold beverage that can be enjoyable and also look great on social media (and thank God we are already past the avocado-coffee trend!).
The combination of Irish Whiskey and coffee is a classic that never goes out of style. A nice dram after lunch and the perfect drink when you don’t know if it is too early for whisky or too late to have coffee. Jameson Irish Whiskey has decided to take on this classic with a twist and so the Jameson Cold Brew was born.
Jameson Cold Brew is a combination of triple-distilled Jameson Irish Whiskey and cold brew coffee extract. This has been crafted from the finest, 100% fair-trade arabica beans from Columbia and Brasil.
This result, according to Irish Distillers, is a smooth, new Irish whiskey experience, with a bold coffee taste balanced with charred wood on the palate and a warming mouthfeel on the finish. They also recommend serving it over ice or in a coffee cocktail.
“Jameson Cold Brew combines the best of worlds in a new and refreshing way and we are confident that Irish whiskey and coffee fans alike will enjoy the taste experience it offers,” comments Brendan Buckley, Strategy, innovation and Prestige Director at Irish Distillers. Even so, at present this is only a pilot.
Forgetting the fact that I might be the perfect target for Jameson Cold Brew (a millennial who adores both coffee -expresso, please- and whiskey), this drink really intrigued me. This is not your typical honey-cinnamon-whatsoever flavored whiskey. This is coffee with a touch of whiskey. In fact, the label states that every 50ml contains 48mg of caffeine.
The Whiskey
And you can see it just by pouring it on a glass. It looks like coffee. A long filtered coffee, with different shades of dark brown. It also smells like coffee, but with a twist. It definitely has those specialty coffee bean aromas and also some sweet vanilla and malty notes.
On the palate, it has a full body and an intense coffee taste. You might think it would have lighter coffee notes on the palate, but it is full bold coffee. And then, the whiskey kicks in. The vanilla sweetness and a touch of charred wood. The finish is short, but deep on coffee notes.
This is not your usual whiskey, nor your classic Irish coffee. It is, indeed a twist, but a surprisingly wonderful twist. I’d gladly have one of this bottles at home for whenever I want my coffee a little bit whiskey-ish.
The Price
Jameson Cold Brew is officially available in the Jameson Distillery Bow St, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Dublin Airport. It is retailed at €28.50.
I purchased a small bottle of Jameson Cold Brew out of curiosity. I’ve had the IPA Caskmates version and liked it very much. I can’t say the same about Cold Brew. The flavors just don’t mesh together well. All said and done after drinking it straight, I’m left with the feeling of having drank a poor quality watered down whiskey combined with a bit of coffee. Not a pleasant experience. Maybe as a mixer in something sweet it would be ok. But then just stick with Kalua. Sorry but not to my liking.