John Jameson and Son 7 Year Old 1968 / Soffiantino Import

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

Prior to the formation of Irish Distillers, the practice of merchant bottlings was common throughout Ireland and indeed, many of the most recognisable Irish whiskies today started out as such. Jameson in particular did not officially bottle their own whiskey until 1968, so this one of their first distillery bottlings. Previously, the then Dublin-based distillers offered their products only by the barrel.

Distilled at the closed Bow Street distillery which ceased production 1971 and now houses the Jameson visitor's centre.