Whisky: Jameson Gara Guzu Brewery Edition (Turkish Market)
Producer: Pernod Ricard
Distillery: Midleton Distillery
Whisky Type: Irish Blend IPA finish
Region: County Cork, Ireland. Mugla, Turkey
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Aged in Cask: Ex-IPA (Indian Pale Ale)
Price Range: $$
Last week I had dinner with a friend from grad school who lives in Turkey and comes to the U.S. every six months. He knows that I have a passion for all things whiskey, so he gifted me a bottle of Jameson Gara Guzu Brewery Edition that he picked up at a grocery store in Turkey. After having a sample at his house, I told him I would review it in The Whisky Knights blog.
Jameson has been partnering with breweries around the world to create unique small batches of Limited Edition expressions as part of the Caskmate series. Some of these expressions include Jameson Stout Edition, Jameson IPA Edition, and Fourpure Edition.
Gara Guzu Brewery
Gara Guzu (meaning Black Sheep in Turkish) is a family-owned business founded by Turkish couple Ataç and Akgonc, who decided to follow a passion for craft beer. The brewery is the first microbrewery in Turkey that started the craft beer revolution in the country.
According to my friend, opening a liquor business in a Muslim country can take some time due to the permits required. That would explain why the brewery started on paper in 2011 but did not start operations until 2014.
As anyone would expect from a craft distillery, the core of the business model is to create innovative flavors and use local ingredients to set themselves apart. Core styles include Belgian-style Ales, IPAs, Porter, and seasonal and special brews. Today, the brewery exports to countries like Germany, Canada, France, Japan, England, Australia, North Cyprus, and Austria.
The expression I am about to review is a collaboration between Jameson Distillery and Gara Guzu Brewery. Possibly a similar partnership between Breckenridge Distillery and Breckenridge Brewery, Gara Guzu sent some of their beer to Midleton to mature in ex-Jameson barrels. After a certain period, these ex-IPA barrels age Jameson whiskey.
Tasting Notes for Jameson Gara Guzu Brewery Edition
Nose: Slightly grassy with honey and citrus fruits.
Palate: Oily arrival, sweet with sherry and caramel, typical Jameson. The development is flat but keeps fruits and citrus themes. The texture is richer than that of the Jameson Original.
Finish: Toasted notes with a citrus taste. The toasted finish gives a bit more personality to the whiskey.
Conclusion: Jameson Brewery Edition is an approachable and laid-back whiskey with a sweet and citrus flavor profile that does not try to be a collector’s item. The whiskey is not very complex but I do not think it is supposed to be. A good thing since I do not enjoy hoppy IPAs.
This blend is in the same range as Roe & Coe because it can serve the base whisky for cocktail. Those looking for complexity might want to look elsewhere.
Score: 3/5⭐
If you would like to know more about Gara Guzu click here: https://garaguzu.com.tr/about-us/
Interested in Irish Whiskey? Click here.
Legend
$50 or less $
$51-$100 $$
$101-$150 $$$
$151 or more $$$$
