A third collaboration between Jameson Crested and Eight Degrees Brewing has been unveiled, with Irish Distillers building on the long-standing relationship between themselves and the County Cork-based craft brewery.
Jameson Crested finished in Original Gravity Barleywine Irish Oak Barrels is a limited-edition whiskey, with only 10,000 bottles made available. The RRP for the 45% ABV whisky is set at €50, with availability on Jameson’s online shop and Jameson’s brand home outlets at Jameson Distillery. It’s also available in O’Brien’s Off Licenses and other specialist off licenses.
The drink has been described by the producer as having notes of candied tropical fruits, toffee apple and vanilla on the nose, a candy floss, vanilla and toasted almonds mouthfeel with a lasting finishing influenced by the barley wine seasoning.
The process begun by selecting rare Irish oak barrels from Jameson Midleton Distillery’s inventory, before Eight Degrees’ brewery team selected Barleywine to rest in the barrels for 12 weeks. The beer-seasoned barrels then returned to Midleton and left to mature for three months once filled with Jameson Crested.
Irish Distillers’ Blender Deirdre O’Carroll said the following on the continued relationship between the two companies: “Our relationship with Eight Degrees Brewing continues to provide a springboard for innovation, adding a new dimension to both our whiskeys and beers. As a wood, Irish oak is much more porous than its American counterpart, meaning the barrels have been quick to mature and impart flavours of caramel and dairy fudge, which have worked elegantly in tandem with the nutty, malted flavour of the barley wine for a luscious whiskey which is truly Irish in every sip.”
The second collaboration between the two occurred last year with the release of Devil’s Ladder, a Belgian Tripel craft beer finished in Jameson sherry tasks. The first collaborative spirit was called Jameson Crested Finish in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels and released back in 2020.
Head Cellarman at Eight Degrees Brewing, Derek Neville, also spoke on the new whiskey: “It is a rare privilege to work with Irish oak in beer brewing and the buttery creaminess the casks added to our Original Gravity Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine was immediately distinctive. We are thrilled to see the seasoned casks return to their rightful resting place, with our beer imparting a sweet, malted character to this special bottling of the iconic Jameson Crested.”
The packaging has been designed by local artist Coireall Carroll Kent, featuring historical patterns and ancient tree roots, with the aim of the label to be a celebration of the Irish countryside.
Speaking on her design, Kent said: “I wanted to create a standout design which was distinctly Irish, I spent a lot of the pandemic trekking across the Irish countryside, and many of the roads that I took to are shrouded in trees just like these. The knots are naturally rooted in Celtic culture, with the concentric circles representing both the curves of our landscape and the bubbles in a good drink!”
Jameson Crested finished in Original Gravity Barleywine Irish Oak Barrels is a limited-edition whiskey, with only 10,000 bottles made available. The RRP for the 45% ABV whisky is set at €50, with availability on Jameson’s online shop and Jameson’s brand home outlets at Jameson Distillery. It’s also available in O’Brien’s Off Licenses and other specialist off licenses.
The drink has been described by the producer as having notes of candied tropical fruits, toffee apple and vanilla on the nose, a candy floss, vanilla and toasted almonds mouthfeel with a lasting finishing influenced by the barley wine seasoning.
The process begun by selecting rare Irish oak barrels from Jameson Midleton Distillery’s inventory, before Eight Degrees’ brewery team selected Barleywine to rest in the barrels for 12 weeks. The beer-seasoned barrels then returned to Midleton and left to mature for three months once filled with Jameson Crested.
Irish Distillers’ Blender Deirdre O’Carroll said the following on the continued relationship between the two companies: “Our relationship with Eight Degrees Brewing continues to provide a springboard for innovation, adding a new dimension to both our whiskeys and beers. As a wood, Irish oak is much more porous than its American counterpart, meaning the barrels have been quick to mature and impart flavours of caramel and dairy fudge, which have worked elegantly in tandem with the nutty, malted flavour of the barley wine for a luscious whiskey which is truly Irish in every sip.”
The second collaboration between the two occurred last year with the release of Devil’s Ladder, a Belgian Tripel craft beer finished in Jameson sherry tasks. The first collaborative spirit was called Jameson Crested Finish in Black Ball Metric Stout Barrels and released back in 2020.
Head Cellarman at Eight Degrees Brewing, Derek Neville, also spoke on the new whiskey: “It is a rare privilege to work with Irish oak in beer brewing and the buttery creaminess the casks added to our Original Gravity Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine was immediately distinctive. We are thrilled to see the seasoned casks return to their rightful resting place, with our beer imparting a sweet, malted character to this special bottling of the iconic Jameson Crested.”
The packaging has been designed by local artist Coireall Carroll Kent, featuring historical patterns and ancient tree roots, with the aim of the label to be a celebration of the Irish countryside.
Speaking on her design, Kent said: “I wanted to create a standout design which was distinctly Irish, I spent a lot of the pandemic trekking across the Irish countryside, and many of the roads that I took to are shrouded in trees just like these. The knots are naturally rooted in Celtic culture, with the concentric circles representing both the curves of our landscape and the bubbles in a good drink!”
