The RRP of this new look Jameson will come in at €200. The producer has described the dram as having oily aromas with a touch of wood, a toffee taste with notes of wood and leather alongside a gentle sherry nuttiness and vanilla, concluded with a long lingering finish carrying notes of wood, spice and toffee.
The changes to the liquid include an increase in the ABV, while some of the biggest changes are in regards to packaging. The bottle will now be presented in a new, lightweight packaging with the original box redesigned as fully recyclable cardboard complete with foiled accents. The redesign comes in an attempt to align Irish Distillers’ and Pernod Ricard’s sustainability commitments, something the entire industry is highlighting.
Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman said on the evolution of the whiskey: “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. 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.”
Global marketing director at Irish Distillers Brendan Buckley followed up: “At Irish Distillers we are committed to reducing our environmental impact. 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 minimise our environmental impact and preserve our natural resources by reusing, reimagining, recycling and reducing, adopting a truly circular mindset.”
The new-look dram will be rolled out in the coming months in a variety of specialist off-trade, leading on-trade and high-end outlets.