Jameson Distiller’s Batch Brings 5 Casks Together

(Photo: Jameson)

Jameson is marking its 200th year of whiskey-making with a new entry in its Reserve Series: Distiller’s Batch, which the brand unveiled Tuesday and will roll out nationwide in September at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Crafted by Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman at Midleton Distillery, Distiller’s Batch traces its roots to a mashbill handwritten by John Jameson II in 1826, a notebook still kept in the distillery’s archive. Jameson is emphasizing the Single Pot Still tradition for this release; it’s triple distilled in copper pot stills from a mix of malted and unmalted barley, a method unique to Irish whiskey and the style behind the earliest Jameson recipes.

“200 hundred years ago, one of the very first Jameson recipes were crafted in the Single Pot Still tradition — a legacy we discovered in a mashbill handwritten by John Jameson II in a pocket notebook dated 1826,” O’Gorman said in a news release. “Distiller’s Batch is our way of celebrating that origin story.”

The whiskey is aged in five types of casks: ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and new Irish, European and American oak. O’Gorman called combining that many cask types “a careful balancing act,” adding that each one “contributes something to the final whiskey.”

Jameson lists tasting notes of toasted oak, honeycomb, salted caramel and baking spice up front, moving into dark chocolate, spicy toffee, cinnamon, ginger and orange peel, with the combination of oaks bringing smoked-wood tones and delicate tannins alongside the whiskey’s signature silky texture.

Kristen Colonna, Vice President of Marketing at Jameson, framed the release as an extension of the brand’s history rather than a departure from it. “Jameson has been crafting Irish whiskey for over 200 years and Distiller’s Batch is our latest chapter,” she said, pointing to the whiskey’s spice, orchard fruit and dark chocolate finish alongside “the smoothness Jameson is known for.” She added that the release is meant for longtime Irish whiskey drinkers and newcomers alike, advising Jameson fans to pour it neat or use it to elevate a classic whiskey cocktail like a Manhattan.

Distiller’s Batch joins the Jameson Reserve Series, the brand’s series that focuses on cask finishes, aging techniques and flavor-driven expressions that sit above the standard lineup. It’s bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof) and is available for pre-sale here ahead of the full September rollout.

Our Review

Jameson gave us access to a bottle ahead of the release to give us a chance to taste it and report our thoughts. Our full review is live here — check it out to find our tasting notes, full thoughts and to see what score we gave it.