Jameson has reconstructed its iconic 18-Year-Old whiskey, which might be good for everyone–including Mother Earth. The new rendition finds the ABV going up and the packaging receiving a sustainable revamp.
“Made from a selection of some of our oldest and most precious distillates, which are then married and finished in first fill American bourbon barrels for a minimum of 6 months, Jameson 18 Years is already an exceptional whiskey in terms of quality,” explains Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman. “And to truly allow the complexity of this whiskey to shine, we have increased the ABV from 40% to 46% and removed the need for chill filtration. This modification helps to concentrate the signature flavours found in Jameson 18 Years balancing Jameson’s characteristic smoothness with the depth of the whiskey in its natural state.”
On the nose, the Irish whiskey offers aromatic oils with a touch of wood and spicy toffee. The palate is mellow and smooth, with rich and complex flavors of toffee, spice, hints of wood and leather along with a gentle sherry nuttiness and vanilla. A long lingering finish carries the theme of the wood, spice and toffee right through to the end.
Putting sustainability at the forefront, Jameson 18 Years will now be presented in new, lightweight packaging with the original box redesigned as fully recyclable cardboard complete with foiled accents. The redesign aligns to Irish Distillers’ and Pernod Ricard’s broader sustainability commitments by focusing on minimizing waste at every step by fostering and applying a circular mindset across the business. In addition, the new packaging will feature a scannable QR code which will direct Jameson fans to a virtual guided tasting hosted by the O’Gorman.
“At Irish Distillers we are committed to reducing our environmental impact,” notes Brendan Buckley, Global Marketing Director at Irish Distillers. “We understand that our packaging plays an important role in the protection and in the delivery of the overall experience of our whiskey, but it is also one of the most carbon-intensive activities in the value chain when you take into consideration the manufacturing process, transportation, and its lifecycle.
“Over the past number of years, we as a business have been successful in devising and implementing new ways of reducing the environmental impact of our packaging through redesign and experimentation with new materials all of which is reflected in the updated Jameson 18 Years packaging. We will continue to innovate to minimize our environmental impact and preserve our natural resources by reusing, reimagining, recycling and reducing, adopting a truly circular mindset.”
The new look Jameson 18 Years will be rolled out globally in high-end, specialist off-trade and leading on-trade outlets over the coming months for €200 per 70cl bottle.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
In April, Irish Distillers teamed up with Eight Degrees Brewing once again, this time to create a third edition in its Jameson Crested series. That same month Midleton Distillery unveiled The Jameson Anthology, a curated collection of unique limited-edition Irish whiskeys which draw inspiration from the past as well as imagining new possibilities.