Jameson Single Pot Still is an Irish whiskey in the single pot still style, produced at the Midleton distillery in County Cork and bottled at 46%. It marks the producer's return to the profile on which the brand built its reputation in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a single pot still whiskey, meaning it contains exclusively pot still distillate from a single distillery.
Pot still is a style of whiskey based on a mash of malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills within a single distillery. Jameson Single Pot Still is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and is then triple distilled. According to industry sources, the recipe is based on at least 30% malted barley and 30% unmalted barley, with up to 5% other grains.
The distinguishing feature of this edition is maturation in five types of cask. The Five Oak Cask Release matures in a combination of three different types of virgin oak (Irish, European and American) as well as in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Around 80% of the whiskey's composition comes from the same ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks used in the classic blended Jameson, with the remainder made up of distillate matured in virgin oak. The spirit is filled into casks at 63.4% at Midleton.
The nose reveals woody spices – cinnamon and nutmeg – interwoven with toasted oak, honeycomb and salted caramel, with fruity notes, fudge and vanilla in the background. The palate is led by ginger and white pepper, accompanied by orange peel, stewed ripe fruit and vanilla fudge. Dark chocolate, spiced toffee and ground cinnamon are noticeable, with hints of freshly grated ginger and orange peel, while the combination of fresh and seasoned oak adds layered, sweet-smoky wood tones with gentle tannins, balanced by the silky pot still texture. The finish is long, with cinnamon and a further dose of oaky vanilla.
Good pairings include mature cheese, grilled meat and dark chocolate. This is a permanent part of the range rather than a limited edition, although the first batch amounted to just 3,000 cases. It is the first time since 1968 that Jameson has produced a single pot still Irish whiskey.