Irish Distillers has teamed up with Eight Degrees Brewing once again, this time to create a third edition in its Jameson Crested series. Jameson Crested Finished in Barleywine Irish Oak Barrels is a limited-edition whiskey born from the latest installment of the partnership between the iconic Irish whiskey brand and the Cork-based brewery.
For this third iteration, Irish Distillers and Eight Degrees started by selecting rare Irish oak barrels from Midleton Distillery’s inventory. The brewery team at Eight Degrees then selected barleywine, a traditional malt-forward beer, to rest in the barrels for twelve weeks to produce a rich and complex sipping beer infused with whiskey flavors for their Original Gravity series.
Once emptied, the beer-seasoned barrels were then returned to Midleton, filled with Jameson Crested and left to mature for a further three months. The result is an elevated Jameson Crested with a rich roasted malted barley flavor profile with notes of toasted almonds and sweet candy floss. Bottled at 45% ABV, the whiskey balances generous oak tannins and dried fruits with cereal notes and nutty undertones from the barleywine for a full-bodied and luxurious flavor.
“Our relationship with Eight Degrees Brewing continues to provide a springboard for innovation, adding a new dimension to both our whiskeys and beers,” explained Irish Distillers’ Blender Deirdre O’Carroll. “As a wood, Irish oak is much more porous than its American counterpart, meaning the barrels have been quick to mature and impart flavours of caramel and dairy fudge, which have worked elegantly in tandem with the nutty, malted flavour of the barleywine for a luscious whiskey which is truly Irish in every sip.”
Derek Neville, Head Cellarman at Eight Degrees Brewing, added, “It is a rare privilege to work with Irish oak in beer brewing and the buttery creaminess the casks added to our Original Gravity Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine was immediately distinctive. We are thrilled to see the seasoned casks return to their rightful resting place, with our beer imparting a sweet, malted character to this special bottling of the iconic Jameson Crested.”
The celebration of Ireland continues on pack with designs from local artist Coireall Carroll Kent adorning both the Jameson Crested bottle and the Eight Degrees beer cans. Featuring historical patterns and ancient tree roots, the artwork is a vivid celebration of the Irish countryside.
“I wanted to create a standout design which was distinctly Irish, I spent a lot of the pandemic trekking across the Irish countryside, and many of the roads that I took to are shrouded in trees just like these,” said Kent. “The knots are naturally rooted in Celtic culture, with the concentric circles representing both the curves of our landscape and the bubbles in a good drink!”
A limited-edition release of fewer than 10,000 bottles, Jameson Crested Finished in Barleywine Irish Oak Barrels will be available in Jameson’s brand home outlets at Jameson Distillery, Bow Street, Dublin, Midleton Distillery, Cork, as well as in global travel retail and through Jameson’s online shop for €50 per 70cl bottle.
Previous editions in the series include Jameson Crested Finished in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels as well as Jameson Crested X Finished in Devil’s Ladder Belgian Tripel Barrels. Earlier this month, Midleton Distillery unveiled The Jameson Anthology.