LADINENCLUB HOSTS JAMESON TASTING AT SADIE

LAdineNclub.com recently hosted a Jameson Irish Whiskey tasting for our readers at Sadie in Hollywood. Those in attendance got to try samples of Jameson Irish Whiskey, Jameson 12-Year-Old, Jameson Gold, Jameson 18-Year-Old, and Redbreast 12-Year-Old, in addition to tasty bites from the always impressive Sadie kitchen.

Set in the comfortable and lovely Sadie lounge, Jameson brand ambassador Fiona Canning led the group on an informative journey about the history of the brand and walked everyone through the production that each whiskey goes through and elaborated on the wonderful taste that comes with each sip.

The number one selling Irish Whiskey brand in the United States and the world, and my personal drink of choice, Jameson is made with pure Irish water and a combination of malted and un-malted barley, which are then dried in closed kilns to retain the natural flavor of the grain (setting it apart from the smoky taste associated with Scotch), and finally dried over open peat fires. Of course all we care about is the smooth, savory taste. The triple distillation process in large copper pot skills to ensures its ultra smooth taste, and its maturation in Bourbon-seasoned American oak and sherry-seasoned Spanish oak casks to gives Jameson a superb mellow bouquet is all fine and dandy, but again, most of us just want to enjoy its sublime sweet taste, which at first fades into a luxurious mix of malt and vanilla, quickly followed by a nice kick!

According to Canning, Jameson can be mixed in any cocktail, which I was skeptical about as it has been my experience that when I mix Jameson in a cocktail I’m often disappointed because it makes me just want to enjoy Jameson straight. But kudos to the lovely Fiona for recommending the Jameson Margarita, with Jameson in place of tequila (I know, blasphemous to some), because that was one delicious drink.

It seemed Jameson Gold and Jameson 18-Year-Old were the group’s favorites, although the Redbreast, a special single unblended whiskey that’s triple distilled in old copper pot stills, was also a hit. Take my advice and use Redbreast to make an Irish coffee and sweet dreams will be sure to follow.

Special thanks to Arianna Armstrong of Grape Smart, who held her own Jameson tasting in July at Alcove Café & Bakery, for the invitation and introduction to the informative and exhilarating Jameson tasting experience.