Jameson Irish Whiskey Experiment Shares Barrels with 5 American Craft Breweries [Video]

Jameson® Irish whiskey announced the next phase of the Jameson Drinking Buddies program, highlighting distinct craft beer collaborations with American breweries. Last year’s collaboration was with a single brewer, KelSo Beer Company of Brooklyn. This year’s program has expanded to include five local breweries from across the U.S. who exemplify devotion to the spirit of their neighborhoods and share Jameson’s passion for craft & quality in the product they produce.

The five breweries from across the U.S. include,

• Angel City Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
• Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, New York, NY
• Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Dallas, TX
• Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, CO
• Hilliard’s Beer, Seattle, WA

Learning about Barrel Making from 5th Generation Cooper Gar Bukley

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Jameson invited each brewery to the distillery in Ireland, and then sent them back to the U.S. with Jameson Whiskey barrels to create a limited edition beer inspired by both their experience in Ireland, and their own unique neighborhood. It’s likely that these barrels made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean twice now. Most barrels used for whiskey making in Ireland are used barrels from the U.S. Irish law requires the spirit to be aged at least three years before it can officially claim the title “whiskey” but, unlike Bourbon, it does not require barrels to be “New” or “Unused.”

It’s a multi sensory experience, you have the unmistakable overwhelming scent and aroma of these barrels … you sort of have a sense of geography and place because you are there looking at all that and then relating it to our brewery and thinking about man, if we could get to that point at one time like what would that look like and how would that feel.
~ Todd Garrett of Hilliard Brewery

Showcased in a video series, being released over the coming weeks on JamesonNeighborhood.com, is the story of each partner brewery in the Drinking Buddies program. From visiting the Jameson distillery in Ireland, to becoming buddies with the whiskey distillers, the series sheds light on each brewer’s Drinking Buddies experience. Following the distillery visit, the brewers returned home to their neighborhood breweries with Jameson barrels, where the episodes chronicle the beers they ultimately brewed.

As a brewer, stainless steel and copper turns me on.
~ Scott Vaccaro, Captain Lawrence Brewing

“The breweries involved share Jameson’s passion for craftsmanship, quality, and creativity,” said Sona Bajaria, Director, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Pernod Ricard USA. “With the creation of these locally brewed Jameson-inspired beers, our goal is to pay homage to the spirit of each brewery’s neighborhood.”

Jameson Drinking Buddies Episode 1

And here are the results of this collaborative effort

Angel City Brewery – Imperial Irish Ale

• Color – Rich mahogany-hue
• Aroma – Ripe fig and toffee notes
• Flavor – Light vanilla, molasses, black cherries and a distinct peppery finish. The beer has an indulgent, yet subtle sweetness, full body, and warming linger.
• ABV – 15.0%

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company – Trans-Atlantic Red

• Color – Deep auburn with highlights of red
• Aroma – Rich and malty, with hints of chocolate and citrus fruit
• Flavor – Deep and rich, with a big malt backbone, chocolate and coffee flavors and restrained hop character. The Jameson barrels lend a layer of complexity that is highlighted by vanilla and toasted oak.
• ABV – 7.0%

Deep Ellum Brewing Company – Local Legend – Jameson Edition

• Color – Deep black
• Aroma – Notes of vanilla and caramel, hints of licorice
• Flavor – Rich mouthfeel from the flaked barley, notes of dark chocolate and roasted grains as well as an uncommon smoothness.
• ABV – 6.0%

Great Divide Brewing Company – The Smoothness

• Color – Dark
• Aroma –Whiskey notes, chocolate, oak and leather
• Flavor – Dark, smooth lager that has a velvet/silky mouth feel that accentuates roasted malt, vanilla and oak. It has a medium malt backbone that makes for a very balanced quaffable lager that highlights the characteristics of the Jameson barrels.
• ABV – 8.5%

Hilliard’s Beer – Jameson Whiskey Barrel Sour

• Color – Chestnut
• Aroma – Citrus, spiced wood, and a light sweetness
• Flavor – Kettle-soured Saison with tart, lemony notes from the Belgian yeast and lactobacillus. Flavors of caramel, vanilla and charred oak imparted by the barrels.
• ABV – 5.5%

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