Jameson Irish Whiskey, given its huge following here in the US, knows a thing or two about American drinkers, including their extreme love for craft beer. The whiskey brand, owned by Pernod Ricard, last year kicked off the Jameson Drinking Buddies program, in which it gives select craft brewers one of its barrels for use in creating a special aged beer. It is now into phase two of this program, announcing this week new collaborative partnerships with five regional breweries.
Phase one of the Drinking Buddies project paired the distillery with KelSo Beer Company of Brooklyn, New York. Now, in the next chapter, the breweries, and the limited edition beers they created and aged in the Jameson whiskey barrels, are presented below for your consideration:
|
Brewery |
Beer Name |
Overview |
|
Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles) |
Imperial Irish Ale |
– Color – Rich mahogany-hue – Aroma – Ripe fig and toffee notes – Flavor – Light vanilla, molasses, black cherries and a distinct peppery finish. The beer has an indulgent, yet subtle sweetness, full body, and warming linger. – ABV – 15.0% |
|
Captain Lawrence Brewing |
Trans-Atlantic Red |
– Color – Deep auburn with highlights of red – Aroma – Rich and malty, with hints of chocolate and citrus fruit – Flavor – Deep and rich, with a big malt backbone, chocolate and coffee flavors and restrained hop character. The Jameson barrels lend a layer of complexity that is highlighted by vanilla and toasted oak. – ABV – 7.0% |
|
Deep Ellum Brewing Company (Dallas) |
Local Legend – Jameson Edition |
– Color – Deep black – Aroma – Notes of vanilla and caramel, hints of licorice – Flavor – Rich mouthfeel from the flaked barley, notes of dark chocolate and roasted grains as well as an uncommon smoothness. |
|
Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver) |
The Smoothness |
– Color – Dark – Aroma –Whiskey notes, chocolate, oak and leather – Flavor – Dark, smooth lager that has a velvet/silky mouth feel that accentuates roasted malt, vanilla and oak. It has a medium malt backbone that makes for a very balanced quaffable lager that highlights the characteristics of the Jameson barrels. – ABV – 8.5% |
|
Hilliard’s Beer (Seattle) |
Jameson Whiskey Barrel Sour |
– Color – Chestnut – Aroma – Citrus, spiced wood, and a light sweetness – Flavor – Kettle-soured Saison with tart, lemony notes from the Belgian yeast and lactobacillus. Flavors of caramel, vanilla and charred oak imparted by the barrels. – ABV – 5.5% |
To craft these beers, the brewers from each of these breweries first toured where Jameson was distilled in Ireland. They were then sent home with the whiskey barrels to make their magic happen.
“The breweries involved share Jameson’s passion for craftsmanship, quality, and creativity,” said Sona Bajaria, Director, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Pernod Ricard USA, in a statement. “With the creation of these locally brewed Jameson-inspired beers, our goal is to pay homage to the spirit of each brewery’s neighborhood.”
This project is somewhat like one Berkshire Mountain Distillers was undertaking last year with its bourbon and craft breweries around the country. In that process the reverse happened in that recently emptied beer barrels were used to finish the distillery’s whiskey to observe what subtle changes each different style beer imparted on the final spirit.
There was no immediate mention by Jameson’s of when these collaborative beers would be released, or already had been released, by the partner breweries.
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