In the native tongue of the Emerald Isle, the Irish have called whiskey Uisce Beatha for centuries.
Much has changed since the first glass of uisce was poured, but much remains the same.
I arrived to County Cork early in the morning, under a dense fog that didnt rise for days.
Beneath the thick blanket of mist, green pastures dotted with cottages and cattle crept into view.
Theres a certain serenity to it, a peacefulness somewhere between soothing and sedative.
View in galleryAn old oak stands silently in the dense night fog near Castlemartyr, Ireland.
Since Jameson began producing whiskey, this beer has been the primary building block of its product.
View in galleryInternational Whiskey Ambassador David McCabe discusses the craft of Jameson Irish Whiskey.
At the Midleton Distillery, I was invited to explore this whole process from start to finish.
The beer itself was quite drinkable like a bright wheat beer without hops.
In technical terms, distillation is the process of separating liquids based on boiling point.
Jameson Irish Whiskey uses a triple-distillation process to turn beer into whiskey in a set of three copper stills.
This process happens three times, and the final step yields a pure, crystal clear spirit.
Three massive copper stills, soon to be joined by three more, boil beer into spirit around-the-clock.
View in galleryGlasses of distilled spirits await tasting and refinement at the Irish Whiskey Academy.
View in galleryBuckley disassembles, inspects and rebuilds a barrel with stunning dexterity.
At the Midleton Distillery, Buckley oversees the management of a massive inventory of barrels.
Each of these casks have a different flavor impact on the spirit within.
For example, Jameson Gold Reserve is blended in part with a spirit matured in a virgin oak barrel.
This adds fragrant notes of toasted oak with rich vanilla sweetness, yielding a smooth, complex flavor.
One of which was Jameson 18-Year-Old Limited Reserve, one of Jamesons most celebrated reserves.
View in galleryLiquid gold Jameson Irish Whiskey awaits a sip in a tasting glass.
View in galleryMcCabe pours maturing whiskey into tasting glasses directly from an aging barrel.
Two casks, one American oak barrel and one sherry butt were opened from the top for sampling.
McCabe pulled the spirit out with a sampling straw and filled a collection of glasses.
While the higher strength was apparent, the flavor was rich and ultimately pleasant to the tongue.
A splash of water helped with the inherent bite of the higher-alcohol spirit.
As they say in Midleton almost every minute over a departing drink, Slainte!
Words and Photographs by Michael Seamus Payne for TheCoolist
The Jameson Experience and Irish Whiskey Academy Gallery
