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Old Jameson Distillery
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Good for Children:
- No
13 reviews for Old Jameson Distillery
I had to choose between the tour here and the tour at the Guinness storehouse and I decided on here and am so glad I did. It started with a coupon for a free Jameson drink and I got the Jameson Hot Chocolate. Chocolate and alcohol. Always a good combination. It was a bit crowded but our group was up quickly.
Or tour guide was amazing! He personally talked to each person in the group, finding common interests and amazing us with his knowledge of the world. He knew all about Ohio and the Ohio State Buckeyes and as soon as he said GO BUCKS! I was in love with him! He also knew about my partner's home town of Middlesbrough and was able to talk football with him.
It was really interesting to learn about the distilling process and what went into the Jameson I love. At the end, we did a tasting which was informative and interesting.
The gift shop had so much that it was difficult to decide on anything! I bought my father a sampler set of different Jamesons and my partner bought several flasks for himself, his father, and his close friends.
Highly suggested!
I think I would have liked the tour better had they not mentioned that the facility was no longer a working distillery. I mean, throw me a bone here. I'm a super tourist looking for an authentic tour of an authentic distillery (I guess I should have paid closer attention to the website when I bought my tickets?).
OK, that was a little harsh. The tour was packed full of information and fun tidbits about John Jameson and his whiskey. I have to say that I like the layout of the Jameson distillery better than the Guinness Storehouse. Although Guinness' pint glass shaped building is a very creative touch, the feel of the distillery is much more warm and inviting (much like it's whiskey). I'm a sucker for a cozy atmosphere so the point goes to Jameson for this one.
I wanted to volunteer for the taste test but by the time I worked up the courage to raise my hand, all the spots had been taken. Boooo on my part. My friend, however, was one of the brave volunteers and became an official whiskey taster (he got a certificate and everything!).
Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of whiskey. Long story short, Jack Daniel and I are mortal enemies. Even so, I did enjoy the free sample of Jameson they gave us at the end of the tour. Most people who know me know that I almost never have a reason to turn down free booze.
Bottom line: if you're in Ireland, you can't pass up the opportunity to learn a little more about real Irish whiskey.
I thought this was a fairly good tour of a distillery, though the distillery is long non-functional. Make sure and look at the stone-work below the glass floor of the lobby of this place. I've been on tours of other distilleries, from craft liquors to large distilleries like Bacardi in Puerto Rico, and I'd say this is on par.
The tour was informative, and after listening to the subtleties of repeated sayings of Jameson, I think I almost have the pronunciation correct. Something between "jam"-es-son and "gem"-is-son.
If you go on this tour, raise your hand when they ask you to volunteer! I almost didn't because I was on a tour with my mom, but she turned to me and said "I know you like whiskey, RAISE YOUR HAND". Ok Mom :D . You'll get to do the ending tasting of Jameson against a scotch and against an American Whiskey (ugh Jack Daniels, you taste like college).
The souvenir shop is nice, and I bought a shot glass, but reserved my bottle purchases for the airport. Most Jameson can be purchased in the US at a similar price.
This is an OK tour, nothing special. At least at Guinness you have the Sky bar.
Since I am a fan of Jameson I had to do it.
It was interesting, but I think I can find something better to do with 13 euros. It would be better if they actually made the whiskey here. I'll have to check out the Middleton tour at some point since I really like Middleton Whiskey when I can afford it. Maybe they actually make the whiskey there.
If you have some time to kill and nothing else to do then fine, but if your on a tight schedule I would give it a miss.
As others have said make sure you volunteer at the tasting so you can taste some of the good stuff. When I went no one volunteered (this was many years ago) and my wife finally did even though she does not like whiskey. Luckily she gave me most of her sample.
As others said they have some nice stuff at the shop, several things you can not get at the duty free so that is worth checking out if you are into whiskey.
I also recall the whiskey chocolates were very good, but again you can get those (and the dark chocolate Guinness bars) at the duty free.
I really enjoyed this tour! I didn't volunteer for the whiskey tasting. I'm lame I know.
The set up of the tour was organized and the tour guide was interesting. I like how the tour starts with a background video of the history of Jameson before showing us how the distillery operates and how the whiskey itself is made.
The gift shop has some reasonably priced "souvenirs" by this I mean bottles to take home and drink... or give as gifts. A 50ml bottle of 12 year old special reserve Jameson is 5 euro or you can buy a three pack for 9.95 euro. They also sell whiskey chocolates and Jameson Marmalade for 3.30 euro. The marmalade can also be purchased at a Carroll's tourist shop in the city centre, but it's 19 cent more.
I wouldn't mind doing this tour again when other guests come to town!
The Jameson Distillery is a great attraction here in Dublin that rivals it's fellow alcohol-related tourist activity the Guiness Storehouse as the best in Dublin.
The location itself is really neat. The old buildings have been fixed up but maintain an air of antiquity. The main reception that includes the bar and gift shop is floored in glass, so you can see the old mixing vats - really cool. We arrived and got ourselves into the next tour and grabbed a table at the bar while we waited for it to begin. Here I had my first Irish coffee ever and it was DELICOUS. I would come here again just to get another one.
The tour began with a cheesy 10 minute movie about Mr. Jameson that had us snickering throughout. After that we went on a 30 minute tour of the former distillery (it is no longer producing whiskey) which was informative, funny and interesting. The worst part of the tour came when the guide had to essentially do a commercial for the really expensive whiskey you can only get at the distillery. If you buy it, you sign a book that is in a locked case in the gift shop. Whoo. Hoo.
The best part of the tour was of course the booze at the end. I got picked to do a sampling, which was really awesome. We got to taste scotch, an American whiskey and Jameson. It was the first time I have ever drank whiskey straight, and I was proud of myself for not barfing. At the end, I got a certificate claiming that I am now an official whiskey taster. Silly, but fun.
A pretty decent tour, unless you are a huge fan of whiskey and its history. I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Jameson, but when I visited this distillery and tasted a few shots, I was digging it. Worth checking out to kill a few hours while in Dublin, but not on the top of my list of favorite things to do when in town.
Note: The distillery is closed on Good Friday & Christmas.
This is the lovely alternative to the Guinness Storehouse. Perhaps it helps that I really like whisky (whiskey)! Either way, the tour was great, the people that worked there were friendly, and the store was fantastic. In addition, my wife was chosen to do the tasting, which was really a lot of fun.
Be sure to go during a weekday if you can help it to avoid the crush of the crowds on the weekend.
Volunteering is a must so you can have more to drink at the end of the tour. Just to ensure I'd be chosen (as whiskey is my second love in life), I wore a long sleeved, bright red shirt and a hat. When the audience was asked to participate in a tasting after the tour, my hand shot up so fast it nearly set off a sonic boom. Needless to say, I was chosen first.
The tour is interesting. From what I remember, the whiskey is no longer made there, but it's still cool to walk around and learn its history, see all the stuff, etc. Plus, if you just got back from Guinness, you can keep your buzz going after the tour.
The chosen ones received shots of whiskey from around the world, but they were not too impressive... JD, Johhny Walker, a really awful one Jameson also makes. However, I did find something new that I liked. When I told the bartender I generally hate mixed drinks, but also didn't want to have my whiskey as a shot, he gave me one with ginger ale. I tend to have the drinking tastes of a 68 year old man, so I thought I'd try it. Pretty good!
The gift shop isn't as big or fun as the one at Guinness, but I did get Jameson chocolates and about 3 other Jameson flavored things. They make awesome gifts for friends back home. Just make sure you aren't too buzzed when you go shopping... Drunken compulsive shopping hurts almost as much the next morning as the hangover.
I gave five stars to the Guinness Factory.... and the Old Jameson Distillery is every bit as good.
Some advice up front: When your guide asks for volunteers at the beginning of your tour, VOLUNTEER. You'll see why at the end of the tour.
The tour itself is pretty blah.... I enjoy a little whiskey from time to time, but I don't need to know each step in its creation. But all in all, it's a pretty distinctive process that gives Irish Whiskey a unique flavor profile from Scotch and Bourbon. How would I know that? From the taste test, silly!!
After the main part of the tour is over, you end up in a bar area. The volunteers are called forward and seated at a table. In front of each of them is five small shots of whiskey. First off, you sample three different Irish Whiskeys (Paddy's, Jamesons, and Powers). I won't go into the taste of each one.... just that Jameson is a happy medium between the two. Then, you are asked to pick your favorite of the three.... everybody in my group picked Jamesons. After that, you compare the Jamesons against Johnnie Walker Red and Jack Daniels. It's amazing how smooth the Jamesons is compared to the other two. I was sold!! hahaha
That wraps up the tour. There's a pretty decent gift shop that's worth a visit.
Highly recommend!!
I loved it here. From the rich woods and dark greens and the chandeliers, always reminding you of the warm deliciousness of Jameson whiskey, to the spunky tour guide, there was nothing to dislike on this tour.
For entertainment value, they seriously enjoy small-scale recreations of the activities that used to happen on a daily basis at the distillery. (Like at Guinness, no Jameson is actually made on the property any longer). This reliance on recreating the past includes a stuffed cat who died in the 1770s who famously handled the mice problem in the barley storehouse.
Also, everyone is right, try to be a volunteer for the whiskey tasting at the end.
We also ate at the 3 stil cafe, inside the distillery because the prices were cheap. We each got soups (solid) and Jameson hot chocolates (soul-warming). There was a bit of a mix-up with our order and then our bill, but we were able to work it out. That part was a bit of a bummer.
I enjoyed the Old Jameson Distillery tour more than the Guinness tour because this one is actually guided. The distillery is off the beaten path and was kind of hard to find, but once you get a Jameson and cranberry in hand, you immediately forget about the long walk! Though they no longer make Jameson there, they have painstakingly worked to recreate the old factory, down to the stuffed cat who originally dwelled here 200-odd years ago! Try and get to be one of the official taste testers. You get to blind test Jameson against scotch and American whisky. Jameson is hands-down the best!
This Distillery in the newly redeveloped Smithfield area is a really nice building and has been restored beautifully. The outside is a wonderful grey stone building and the inside is a wonderful open air courtyard with amazing examples of the old machinery and bits and pieces from the working distillery.
Inside there is a small but well stocked and over priced gift shop and a really cool funky relaxing bar that is always buzzing with local professionals in the know of where to head for a lunch time tipple.
On the tour you learn the ancient history of Irish Whiskey - Uisce Beatha (Water of Life) and experience its manufacture in a this superbly restored 18th century distillery!