Irish whiskey brand Jameson presents a truly interesting new expression to sign off the year 2021. Their new limited edition Jameson 21 Year Old is the oldest the brand has ever bottled. It will be sold via an online ballot. Only 2,301 bottles of this cask strength release are available.
What I already love about this new Jameson 21 Years even without having tasted it, is that the press release shares quite a bit of details on the recipe. Sure, this Irish whiskey will set you back €310, so some transparency should be expected. But then again, that has often not been the case with luxury releases from other brands.
Okay, here we go. The Jameson 21 Years is a blend of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskies. So far no surprises, because that description fits pretty much any bottle of Jameson. But there’s more.
The single pot still and single grain initially matured in a range of ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry seasoned casks at Midleton Distillery for 18 years. Following on from that first maturation period, these whiskies were then blended and re-casked into freshly emptied ex-bourbon barrels for an additional three years.

That’s not the end of things. After that three years of finishing, those casks were then finally married with additional pot still whiskies that had fully matured for over 21 years in first fill oloroso sherry seasoned wine casks. Sure, they could’ve shared even more details, but in an industry that isn’t always very generous with information, I’m pretty happy with all this.
“This delicious whiskey embodies the craft and creativity for which Jameson has always been renowned,” says master distiller Kevin O’Gorman. “With such a limited quantity available, we have decided to release the expression via an online ballot which is the fairest way to offer fans of Jameson the chance to get their hands on a bottle of this extra special expression.”
Bottled at a cask strength of 57.2 percent, the online ballot will open first to members of the Barrel Club Midleton Distillery at 2pm Irish Saving Time (IST) on November 10th. The second ballot will be open to everyone from 2pm (IST) on November 11th.
Strangely, shipping of the Jameson 21 Years is only available to a very limited number of countries: Republic of Ireland, Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, Singapore, China, New Zealand and Japan.
Jameson 21 Years Official Tasting Notes
Nose: Rich in wood spices with sweet notes of toffee and dairy fudge, while the dried fruits add extra layers of flavour with hints of dates and fig, all wonderfully in balance with the intensity of the pot still spices and floral grain notes.
Taste: Robust and complex with cinnamon and nutmeg spice to the fore accompanied by the oak’s soft tannins and silky nature of the pot still spirit. Dark berry fruits work in tandem with sweet vanilla and chocolate creating a medley of flavours intertwined with a sherry nuttiness and gentle touches of leather.
Finish: Lingering finish with the fruits slowly fading into the background, leaving the oak and spices have the final say.