I was super excited to find a bottle of Jameson Orange. It just came out and I live in the boonies, so I had to drive across the river and hit the “big city” to find it.
I was even more excited when the cashier told me its really good. He described it as not too sweet, and subtle – which sounded awesome because I’m a Whiskey Snob and I like whiskey that tastes like whiskey.
Jameson Orange
The Nose
The nose on this Jameson Orange is just amazing. All orange and cream and just so very aromatic. It is a very pleasant nose.
The Palate
The initial sip is smooth, and is reminiscent of Jameson with hints of orange. The mid tongue is zest, and the finish is all orange, zest, and just a hint of Jameson butter cookies.
That first sip is tasty, but the more you drink, the more the aftertaste turns to cold medicine. It is a slow gradual degradation of flavors that ends up being a final sip of cold medicine.
The Score – Jameson Orange
Still, I drank the bottle, but if I buy another I’ll be saving it for Mixed Drinks Only. I’m giving this Jameson Orange a 55/100.
Color
Light golden brown.
Proof
30.0% ABV
Pros:
Great starter whiskey for someone who doesn’t really appreciate whiskey yet.
The nose is all orange creamcycle.
It’s only 30% ABV, so it really doesn’t have any alcohol edge.
Cons:
I don’t like flavored whiskey, and this is like a candy whiskey to me.
After a few sips the orange aftertaste starts to finish like cold medicine.
It’s only 30% ABV, so it goes down easy, but also leads to a hangover. What is strange is that I don’t usually get hangovers from higher proofs so I tend to blame the flavoring for some reason. I have no idea what the real cause is.
We were driving by a CostCo and decided to hit their liquor store. Which you don’t need a membership to shop at! It is apparently illegal to have private alcohol stores? We don’t have a CostCo nearby so I had to grab this huge bottle of Kirkland Irish Whiskey to try out.
Kirkland Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose on this Kirkland offering is subtle. It hints at butter cookies but it is really hard to appreciate through the alcohol. Not super impressive so far.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean, but has lots of sharp edges. Those sharp edges continue all the way to the finish with a stab of alcohol.
Of course I couldn’t try this without comparing it to Jameson right?
Kirkland Irish Whiskey Vs Jameson
It is really hard to see in the pictures, but the Kirkland offering is just a tiny bit darker than the Jameson. Picking the Jameson by nose was very easy, it all comes down to the alcohol burn. Neither has a strong nose, but the Kirkland Irish Whisky really hits in with the alcohol in comparison. Even my wife, who does not like whiskey, could pick out the Kirkland Irish Whiskey. It is the one that smelled “stronger” of alcohol.
The mouth feels are very similar. The very first note on the tip of my tongue makes me wonder if the Kirkland Irish Whiskey might be sourced from Irish Distillers Ltd. Yes, the same company that owns Jameson. From what I can find on the public forums, it does appear these two are coming from the same source. For obvious reasons, CostCo wants to keep this a mystery.
A lot of other reviews comment on the sweet creaminess of the the Kirkland Branded Whiskey. I was really looking forward to enjoying that! Sadly, the only thing I could really appreciate was a bit of sweetness mixed in with those sharp edges.
For me, the flavor comparison is close. Kirkland Irish Whiskey has an age statement and is an excellent budget offering. I just think the Jameson is smoother and easier to sip. If you are going for volume per dollar though, the Kirkland option is the clear winner.
The Score – Kirkland Irish Whiskey
Jameson scored an 75/100, and while this Kirkland Irish Whiskey is a huge value, it is not as good. I’m scoring it a 65/100 putting it at the uppermost range of Mixed Drinks Only.
Color
Golden brown.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Holy carp, this was only $18 bucks.
Very economical if you are making mixed drinks.
Aged 4 years.
Cons:
Very faint nose that is hard to get to because of how alcohol forward this whiskey is.
Rough edges on the finish.
Even though its twice as much volume for a few dollars less, I would still go with a bottle of regular old Jameson.
I actually picked up this bottle of Jameson IPA Edition the first time I went to find Jameson Orange. The Jameson Orange was already gone, so I picked up this IPA Edition as a consolation prize.
The IPA Edition is finished in IPA beer barrels for a crisp, hoppy finish that puts a nice citrus twist on the classic Jameson offering.
IPA Edition
The Nose
I poured a nice dram into a Glencairn Glass and let the aroma fill the bowl. The nose has a very distinct citrus and hoppy scent that fades into classic Jameson at the end.
The Palate
Those hoppy, citrus notes continue right on into the tasting. The front of my tongue gets all classic Jameson, but as soon as the sip reaches mid tongue I pick up citrus that turns to a very pronounced hops on the finish.
The Score – Jameson IPA Edition
For me it is a nice change up over classic Jameson, which is my go to Irish Whiskey for budget sipping, but I’d say its not better or worse. It is just as good, just different, which means this IPA Edition is scoring an 80/100.
If you like IPAs, you will love this rendition of Jameson.
Color
Golden brown.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Nice twist on classic Jameson.
Great training for new drinkers as the nose isn’t too subtle. If you compare this to standard Jameson it is easy to pick out the differences, even for new drinkers.
Cons:
If you are not a fan of IPAs, you might not like the citrus, hoppy finish on this sipper.
My wife and I had lunch at Ted’s Montana Grill. She had the Snowcrest Sandwhich and I had a burger with fries and onion rings. My wife had a beer and I had two of the “Newly Fashioned” cocktails.
Classic Cocktails
The nose on the Newly Fashioned is all sweet and orange with just a hint of bourbon underneath it. Even my wife, who does not like whiskey found the nose to be quite enjoyable.
The sip is all sweet and citrus and really hides the alcohol. My wife did take a sip, but she said the bourbon was stiller there for her, or at least the alcohol. For me this was a bit too sweet and that sweetness overpowered the bourbon. If you are just getting into bourbon, or like sweet drinks you are going to love this Newly Fashioned.
Newly Fashioned
Ted’s Montana Grill scored a 66/100, making it a restaurant I would go back to If I had Limited Choices. Two things cost Ted’s some points. The first is the cocktail menu and available bourbons is a pretty short list. The second is that it was fairly pricey, with a price tag of $90 for a lunch for two people. The food was good, but not $90 for two people lunch good. Yes, I had two drinks, and my wife had a beer, but between two sandwiches and an appetizer we both walked away saying it was a bit too expensive for what we got.
I originally ordered from ReserveBar on 2/7/2022. I was initially excited because they had bottles I’d been wanting to try for a while and when a website charges my card for something I make a basic assumption that I am actually going to get that item.
On 2/8/2022 I received a refund as they didn’t have one of the bottles of Dingle. Okay, sometimes mistakes happen.
My Reserve Bar Order
No big deal. Sometimes stuff happens.
It wasn’t until 2/15/2022 that I realized I had received the Dingle Batch #4 but not the two bottles of The Irishman. I called and was told they would ship shortly and they were moved to “another supplier”. The chat rep was very nice a helpful.
Today is 2/22/2022 and I realized Is toll don’t have the Irishman bottles so I once again used the ReserveBar chat app and asked them to cancel my order:
They cancelled the remaining bottles and I’m happy they did it quickly and without argument.
However…I will never purchase anything from the ReserverBar again. The whole point of ordering online is that its quick and easy and the booze shows up at my door in a few days/weeks and I don’t have to worry about it.
Selling items which are out of stock and refunding them is fine. Taking my money and forcing me to twice follow up is just unacceptable.
If I were you I’d pass on the RerserveBar and use one of the other websites out there. I’ve used Wine.com a ton without any issues, and would recommend them over ReserveBar every day of the week.
Mrs. M was very helpful every time I reached out and while she was always helpful, I shouldn’t have had to reach out to her – which isn’t her fault.
After hitting up Costco I had to go to BJ’s to try their Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey.
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey
If you aren’t familiar, the big box grocery stores basically have their own budget versions of different types of alcohol, including Irish Whiskey.
The Nose
I poured my normal dram into a Glencairn Whisky Glass and the alcohol was the first thing that my nose appreciated on this Irish Whiskey. Once I took several long breaths in I did appreciate a note of butter cookies and malt but it was really mild.
The Palate
There are pleasant but faint notes of butter cookies but the rough notes on the finish really cost this whiskey major points, along with the headache. I don’t get a hangover from better quality Whiskey, so I know if I wake up with a faint headache the next day that I was probably drinking a lower quality offering, which is exactly how I would describe this bulk purchase.
The Score – Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey
They are incredibly similar, maybe even identical, and I am giving Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey the same score of 65/100. Save it for Mixed Drinks Only or parties where quantity is more important than quality.
At this price point I’d go for Paddy’s Irish Whiskey. Sure, you don’t get the same volume, but Paddy’s quality more than makes up for it.
Color
Light brown.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
At just $28 there is a lot of whiskey per dollar here.
Aged 4 years.
Cons:
The rough edges make it less enjoyable to sip.
This definitely gave me that Cheap Whiskey Hangover.
We hit up the Iron Hill Brewery for lunch before seeing the new Batman movie yesterday. We were seated in one of the long wooden booths as we were a party of five, and the only reason I comment on it is that the table and seats were so tight as to be just barely comfortable. My son and his girlfriend are each like 100lbs, and they sat on on side while the bigger adults sat on the other. Even with the table against their chests, the adults just barely squeezed it. So if you are a bigger person, don’t get a booth.
I had the Baja Fish Tacos, which are my favorite.
The fix is light and the coating nice and crispy, while the slaw and other toppings just blend so well together.
For my libation I selected the Kentucky Connection.
It is made from Maker’s Mark, Amaretto, and expressed orange peel. Is it technically a Manhattan? I’m not sure, but I’m going to consider it a Manhattan for the purposes of this review.
The Kentucky Connection itself doesn’t look like much. It is ice, the drink, and two mixing straws. It doesn’t even have the orange peel as a garnish, so not overly visually appealing.
Kentucky Connection
On the flip side the drink is tasty. I normally consider Maker’s Mark to be an easy to get, but moderate quality bourbon, so I was skeptical about how this Kentucky Connection would fare and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a tad sweet, but it sips very smoothly and ends with a nice orange finish.
I might just have to get get me a bottle of Maker’s Mark and some Amaretto to see if I can reproduce this.
Iron Hill Brewery Scoring
This Kentucky Connection scores an 71/100, making it very Sip Worthy. What cost Iron Hill some points?
Overall there is not a huge selection of bourbons at Iron Hill Brewery, which kind of makes sense as they focus on beer.
It can get pricey very quickly.
Some of the booths are oddly tight. Like my son and his girlfriend are under a hundred pounds each, and they could barely squeeze into the one edge of the booth. (Maybe it was just that booth?)
The roofing on the first floor is metal and it gets so loud you can’t have a conversation if you are inside.
Overall, the Kentucky Connection is worth the trip, and I absolutely love their Baja Fish Tacos!
