Jameson Blender’s Dog Irish Whiskey

Jameson Blender’s Dog Irish Whiskey is Head Blender Billy Leighton’s bottle from the Whiskey Makers Series: a Midleton marriage of pot still and grain, pulled from casks with the metal “dog” that gives the whiskey its name. Seasoned American barrels and Spanish sherry butts do the aging, then it is bottled at 86 proof without chill-filtration so the fruit stays lush and the pot-still spice still prickles. It is a past release built for harmony rather than a single loud wood. Pour it when friends come over.

Light citrus opens into pineapple, mango, and kiwi, with figs, dates, and a little walnut behind them. The sip is rich and creamy — butterscotch and vanilla first, then succulent fruit, charred oak, and a fine tannin. The finish runs long; the fruit is slow to fade.