The Jameson Makers series was launched around this time last year. The idea was to let three of the key craftsmen behind the Jameson brand build their own expression.

Brian Nation (Master Distiller, so responsible for spirit production) created Distiller’s Safe – a fairly young blend of pot still and grain whiskies all matured in ex-bourbon oak, showcasing the spirit character predominantly.

Billy Leighton (Master Blender, so responsible for crafting the right mix) created Blender’s Dog, which has the widest range of distillates, cask wood types and ages of the series.

And finally Ger Buckley (Head Cooper, so responsible for cask selection and management) created Cooper’s Croze (reviewed here). Cooper’s Croze is a blend of whiskies rumoured to be between 12-16 years of age, consisting of single pot whiskies from first-fill and second-fill bourbon casks as well as sherry casks, and grain whisky matured in virgin American oak. The name comes from Ger’s favorite tool, the croze (an implement used to make the groove into which the head of the cask or barrel is positioned). Cooper’s Croze is probably the most widely available offering in the series, as it was the first to launch.

All three Makers series expressions are bottled at 43% ABV, are non-chill-filtered, and priced at a premium of ~$100 CAD. That makes these among the most expensive Jameson-branded whiskies in my database (although there are of course higher-end offerings from Midleton, who own the Jameson brand). Here is how the Makers series compare in my Meta-Critic database, relative to other similarly-priced and higher-end Midleton Irish whiskies:

Green Spot: 8.50 ± 0.38 on 16 reviews ($$$$)
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton: 8.82 ± 0.34 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson: 7.84 ± 0.51 on 19 reviews ($$)
Jameson 12yo Special Reserve: 8.38 ± 0.24 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson 18yo Limited Reserve: 8.62 ± 0.24 on 9 reviews ($$$$$)
Jameson Blender’s Dog: 8.51 ± 0.48 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson Bold: 8.28 ± 0.37 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson Cooper’s Croze: 8.53 ± 0.29 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson Distiller’s Safe: 8.26 ± 0.65 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson Gold Reserve: 8.47 ± 0.38 on 10 reviews ($$$$)
Jameson Lively: 7.90 ± 0.37 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy: 9.07 ± 0.24 on 9 reviews ($$$$$)
Midleton Dair Ghaelach: 9.09 ± 0.29 on 7 reviews ($$$$$)
Midleton Very Rare (all vintages): 8.83 ± 0.45 on 12 reviews ($$$$$)
Powers 12yo John’s Lane: 8.82 ± 0.39 on 14 reviews ($$$$)
Powers 12yo Reserve: 8.63 ± 0.26 on 6 reviews ($$$)
Powers Signature Release: 8.23 ± 0.54 on 4 reviews ($$$)
Redbreast 12yo: 8.75 ± 0.41 on 21 reviews ($$$)
Redbreast 12yo Cask Strength: 9.07 ± 0.35 on 17 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 15yo: 8.74 ± 0.26 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Redbreast 21yo: 9.13 ± 0.31 on 14 reviews ($$$$$)
Redbreast All Sherry Single Cask 1999: 8.55 ± 0.84 on 5 reviews ($$$$$)
Redbreast Lustau Edition: 8.78 ± 0.34 on 8 reviews ($$$$)
Yellow Spot: 8.78 ± 0.26 on 14 reviews ($$$$)

While the Makers series are typically outperforming the lower-priced Bold/Round/Lively expressions released around the same time, there are certainly higher-ranked Irish whiskeys at this list price.

While I was curious to try these, I wasn’t about to shell out those kind of clams for them. The LCBO recently placed the series on clearance, dropping the prices to $45 CAD (at which point, they sold out within days). Given that Cooper’s Croze was the highest ranked offering, I thought I’d give that one a try and picked up a bottle before they disappeared from the shelves.

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Classic quality Irish blend. Sherry cask notes assert themselves up front, with darker fruits –  raisins, sultanas, and berries. Also apples and green grapes. Honey with a touch of brown sugar. Lots of caramel and vanilla. Light wood spice. Fairly clean nose, although it does have a little solvent. Reminds me a bit of the 2015 Middleton Very Rare.

Palate: Vanilla and caramel are the most prominent here. Fruits come in after, and seem more dried now – except for the apple (stewed apples). Citrus is new. A lot more oaky than the nose suggested. Classic wood spices come up considerably, cinnamon in particular. Ginger. Texture is a bit watery unfortunately, and it is a little ethanol hot. Seems a bit young for the rumoured age of whiskies in the blend, honestly.

Finish: Medium. Caramel sweetness and citrus initially, then the more woody elements. Fairly light on way out, like many Irish whiskies. Not bad.

All told, this is a decent Irish whisky – sort of the poor man’s Middleton Very Rare. That said, I’m going to guess it has a higher proportion of grain whisky in the mix, as it is a bit ethanol hot. Still, a blended Irish whisky buff is likely to enjoy this. It is certainly a significant step up from entry-level standard Jameson.

Personally, I would give it a score just slightly below the overall database average of ~8.5, but the Meta-Critic score is reasonable. I don’t think it’s worth the current $100 CAD list price – but the heavily-discounted LCBO price made this a good bargain.

The highest score I’ve seen comes from Jim Murray. Josh the Whiskey Jug gives it an average score (but a positive review). Less positive are Richard of Whiskey Reviewer and Jonny of Whisky Advocate (although interestingly Richard ranks it as the best of this Makers series, and Jonny as the lowest). The lowest score I’ve seen is from Ruben of Whiskey Notes (although he also ranks it above the other two Makers series expressions).