I’m a Redbreast fanatic but lately I’ve been thinking of trying out some lower priced Irish whiskey for staple drinking. 12CS can be heavy on the wallet for everyday drinking. Plus if you don’t cycle through varieties, you tend to lose appreciation for the favorite over time.

Decided to try out Jameson Black Barrel after seeing some good reviews here. At $39 it is only $10 more than the regular Jameson. 

The juice is smooth, mellow, has almost no burn. The bottle describes it as having vanilla, toasted oak, caramel, and spices. 

Nose is very sweet. My first taste reaction was “why does this taste like bananas”. I do get the caramel, but this bottle mostly reminds me of Bananas foster, a southern desert made of caramelized bananas, butter, cream, and butterscotch ice cream.

Overall I found it a bit flat and uninteresting for neat sipping. While far from a regrettable purchase, I won’t be buying it again. This will make a good mixer. With Coca cola it was quite enjoyable, it makes a better version of Jack and Coke. Notes of vanilla and caramel notes (plus the bananas from my imagination) makes this a good match for most common whiskey cocktails like Old fashioned. I’ll even eat this with ice cream.

What should I try next? I do remember liking Tullamore Dew and regular Jameson from my younger days, I’m a little spoiled by RB now..

Criteria - 

1. Irish, triple distilled, no chill filtering

2. No bourbons! Taste is subjective. However even budget Irish whiskies are better than “premium” American is a hill I will absolutely die on! I tried a lot to enjoy North American liquor, but I really don’t enjoy the likes of Angels envy, Woodford reserve, Knob creek 9 etc. All these bottles are gathering dirt on my shelf. Basil Hayden was the American whisky I came closest to enjoying at a bar. Gentleman’s Jack gave me terrible hangovers.

3. Less than $75. At that price point I’m buying Redbreast 12 every single time. There’s no PX/Lustau availability in my area.

If I don’t find anything fitting this bill, I’m moving to entry level scotch.

Quest for budget Irish whisky - Jameson Black Barrel