Too much of anything is bad,
but too much good whiskey is barely enough.
~ Mark Twain
Jameson whiskey — size HUGE! — outside The Old Distillery.
This was just going to be a quote and a photo that I conveniently had in the wings, but I couldn't resist giving a tiny bit of context to go with it. While clearly Mark Twain can stand on his own (really, who can ever get enough of Mr. Clemens?), just tossing out a mention of a world famous distillery without so much as a, "Yeah, I was there," seemed a little disrespectful. I mean this is Jameson's whiskey we're talking about, people!
If you are fortunate enough to be in Co. Cork, be sure to stop by The Old Distillery to partake of The Jameson Experience tour. Even if you haven't yet learned to like whiskey, the tour provides a nice bit of insight into the history and process of whiskey making in Ireland. The care and pride that goes into making Jameson is apparent: the barley never comes in contact with the smoke, it's triple distilled, and the long aging process takes place in specially selected barrels, among other things. By the end of the tour you'll feel sorry for other brands!
Dario and I went on the tour with Andrea and John of Inspiring Travellers when they were visiting. Although a taste of Jameson's (a decent sized taste, too) is included, Andrea swiftly volunteered for one of the few taste-testing spots. Not only did she get to compare and contrast Irish, Scotch, and American whiskey, she also earned herself a certificate. That's right — you may be lucky enough to become a certified whiskey taster!
ps: although neither Dario nor I earned ourselves a certification, Andrea did generously share her samples with us. ;)
At which distillery, brewery, or winery
have you had the most fun?
I never liked whiskey until I went here. And, while there, I got to be one of the official tasters. Now, I LOVE it!
Hahaha! You fell victim to their evil ways. Now you’ll never escape the whiskey demons!
Btw, which one did you like best? I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I preferred a non-Jameson brand!
My friend and I went to the Jameson experience in Dublin and she was in the test testing crew. I love going on brewary and distillary tours even though I am not a huge drinker.
Same. Being a science geek, I enjoy learning about the process and the details, along with the history!
Hmm, I haven't been to a distillery yet but it is high on the list. Many a winery around the world, but we are greatly lacking on the Distillery. As far as a favourite, it would have to be in the Alsace in France. They just fed us too much wine for us to not have a good time and it was a long time ago so one of our first tastings over seas. The first is always the best.
Good point about the first being the best. Despite having lived in Sonoma, I will forever associate good wine, great food, and fun friends with Italy. And my first 'being fed too much free alcohol' and 'laughing my head off with friends as we giggled our way back to the hotel' was in Paris. I'm a lightweight and rarely drink more than a glass or two of wine, but that was the exception. It was good to find out that I am, if anything, a silly drunk! ;)
Last year I did the premium tasting session at Laphroaig distillery with a friend.. I can tell you, that day was off to a good start after that! I love visiting distilleries…
I must admit that I am more of a wine fan than whiskey, but I have heard there are regions in northern Italy that start the day with white wine. Wine tasting first thing in the morning would certainly be a funny way to start the day. :D
That's one of the best quotes I've heard in a long time! I'd absolutely love to visit this place :)
Yes, Mr. Twain, along with Maya Angelou, is one of my favorite wordsmiths. His wit and wisdom are an endless source of amusement!
I really need to dig up the link to Andrea and John's post about visiting the distillery. Got a lot of info and great snaps in it. Highly recommend checking out their site.
Thanks for the comment, Samuel. (Just installed a new plugin, btw. You might get an email in a day or two thanking you again for this comment. ;)
I aspire to getting one of those certificates! Must visit Jameson's Old Distillery next time in Cork. Wise man, that Mark Twain.
If you can make your way here by mid-December, we will drive you there personally! If not, then maybe you can catch us in Italy, where we can all go wine- and pasta-tasting together instead. ;)
Yay — I love Andrea and John! I can't do whiskey, and not for lack of trying. There's so much going on with it right now that I keep reading about it and want to try. I'm a wimp!
Hahaha! No worries, Abby. I'm not much of a drinker myself. If you make it to Ireland some time, wait for a cold night then go to a pub and try a "hot whiskey." It's whiskey, hot water, honey, and a slice of lemon with cloves in it. It's a nice pick-me-up and a good introduction to whiskey.
I've moved on to "hot port" unless I really need a kick in the pants, but that's a story for another post… ;)
That was a fun day! Though I don't drink whiskey, it was great to finally know the difference when people talk about single, double, triple distilled, etc. =)
Indeed it was! Thanks for nudging us out of our hometown stupor and reminding us to explore. :)