Jameson The Distiller's Safe Irish Whiskey
43% ABV (86 proof) | 750mL | No age statement (components ~5–6 years) | First-fill ex-bourbon — Jameson The Distiller's Safe is a 2016 limited release from the Jameson Whiskey Makers Series — a trilogy honoring the Head Distiller, Head Blender, and Head Cooper of Midleton Distillery, Midleton, Cork. This bottle honors Brian Nation, then Head Distiller: a blend of single pot still whiskey and small-batch grain whiskey (no malt whiskey), matured entirely in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and bottled non-chill filtered. The series is long discontinued, so shelf bottles are increasingly collectible. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The ex-bourbon maturation keeps Nation's chosen style front and center: creamy vanilla and toasted oak on the nose, a palate of soft buttery grain, ripe orchard fruit, and the signature pot-still spiciness, and a smooth, medium finish with lingering vanilla and gentle pepper. Among Irish whiskeys, the Makers Series bottles are the ones collectors chase — this is Jameson at its most deliberate, made the way the head distiller himself likes it. Neat or with a splash of water.
Tasting notes
Nose: creamy vanilla, toasted oak, orchard fruit. Palate: buttery grain whiskey, ripe pear and apple, pot-still spice. Finish: smooth and medium; vanilla, gentle pepper. (Per Whiskynotes/Frootbat tasting notes.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 43% ABV (86 proof) — 750mL
- 2016 limited release from the Jameson Whiskey Makers Series (Head Distiller edition — Brian Nation)
- Single pot still + small-batch grain whiskey, matured entirely in first-fill ex-bourbon casks
- Non-chill filtered; components around 5–6 years old
- Discontinued trilogy — increasingly hard to find, collectible
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a tumbler or tulip glass at room temperature; a splash of water opens the pot-still spice. Built for sipping, not mixing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Jameson Whiskey Makers Series?
A 2016 limited trilogy honoring three craftspeople at Midleton Distillery: the Head Distiller (this bottle), the Head Blender, and the Head Cooper.
Who is honored on The Distiller's Safe?
Brian Nation, then Head Distiller at Midleton — the whiskey is made in the style he championed: pot still richness meets soft grain sweetness.
Is The Distiller's Safe still made?
No — the 2016 Makers Series was a limited run and is discontinued; remaining bottles are collector items.
What does "distiller's safe" mean?
The spirit safe — the box where distillate emerges from the final still and the distiller makes the final cut of the spirit.