Jameson and the Book of Kells

Mad Yolks

This morning, I get up bright and early in order to give myself plenty of time to walk from my hotel to the Jameson Distillery. In fact, I gave myself so much time that I arrived early and the distillery hadn’t opened yet. Good thing I did a little research beforehand and found a breakfast spot nearby. Mad Yolks is a cool breakfast sandwich shop and I picked up a great egg sandwich prior to visiting the distillery. I figure at worse not having an empty stomach would aid me in the adventure ahead!

Jameson

Next stop would be Jameson’s Bow Street Distillery.  While most of Jameson’s Whiskey production no longer happens at the Bow Street location, there’s still a lot to explore here. I end up booking two “experiences”. The first of which is the Bow Street Experience and the second is the Secret Whiskey Tasting. Upon arriving, the doors had yet to open so a crowd began to form. However, after a few minutes things began to open and we were allowed in. The main area is literally a bar with “all things Jameson”, even the lighting! I suspect even if it’s not a destination for tourists and whiskey fans, this place can get going in the evenings!

The Bow Street Experience

I proceeded through the main bar area towards the registration desk, where I pick up my tickets for the Bow Street Experience. This is the general tour that most people will go through. It starts with the history of the Jameson family and how this worldwide brand got its start. The tour then goes into the whiskey making process with a strong emphasis on smell and aromas. To facilitate this, they have these spray bottles with tester cards you can spray on to smell (much like perfume samples!).

After that, we move onto the good stuff! We are then provided three different versions of Jameson to try: Jameson Crested, The original Jameson, and the Black Barrel. One of my favorite things about doing tastings like these is you get an opportunity to try “similar” whiskies side by side so you can really tell the differences. Plus, you get to drink Whiskey!

Jameson Secret Tasting

At the end of the Bow Street Experience, we return to the main lobby where I proceed to get my “ticket” for the Secret Whiskey Tasting. After a short wait, our tasting group starts to form and we are led through a small door, through a hallway and into a back room. This room is setup like a private bar and we’re told this used to be John Jameson’s own office. But now is the place that the Secret Whiskey Tasting occurs. We all find our seats and our guide then takes us through the four selections that will make up our tasting. These include: Jameson Black Barrel (which we had on the bow street experience), Jameson Distillery Edition,  Knappogue Castle Single Malt, and the Jameson 18 Years.

To be perfectly honest, I am slightly disappointed at the selections provided, especially the Black Barrel since it is offered on the main tour. However, I did discover a new distillery in the Knappogue and get to try something pretty special in the Jameson 18 years. You’ll notice the three glasses on the tasting board. This is because for trying the 18 years, they poured our glasses and then allowed us into the cellar room to consume it.

Jameson is a go-to Whiskey for me whenever I’m out and about. It never disappoints and I know what I’m getting. I knew that with all these visits to breweries and distilleries I had limited allowance to bring things home to Canada. And while Guinness is a favorite, I did opt for a distillery edition bottle of Jameson along with a little Travelling Minions personalization! I look forward to cracking this baby open at some point in the future!

Book of Kells at Trinity College

After leaving Jameson, I make my way back to the hotel to drop off my precious “Travelling Minions” Whiskey. I then proceed to Trinity College for my booking to see the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels. From reading the exhibits, illuminated manuscripts are intricately hand made books. Usuallywith gold or silver embossing along with a variety of colourful dyes. In some cases these books are more like art than it is a book! Unfortunately, due to the sensitive nature of the Book of Kells, no photos were permitted. Sadly, I don’t have any to post because of this.

The Long Room

After the Book of Kells room, we arrive at the “Long Room“. This is literally a long library room which is home to some of Trinity College’s oldest books. There are floor to ceiling shelves full of books and busts of famous people in History limning the main hall. To be perfectly honest, I think the long room is more impressive to see than the book itself. Walking into the library, everything seems so grand. Knowing that there are very historical and rare books on the shelves adds to the allure of the room!

The Ramen Bar

After leaving Trinity College, dinner is next on my list. On the recommendation of a friend, I visit The Ramen Bar, which is near the college. I end up ordering a Pork Miso Tonkotsu and Gyozas. While not bad, I think being from Vancouver, Canada, I’ve been spoiled with amazing Ramen. So while this does hit the spot after a week of steak, stews, fish and chips. I think in the grand scheme of things, it’s unfortunately just an above average bowl of ramen.

After dinner, I head back to my hotel to start packing. I leave tomorrow morning and intend to get there early to avoid the lines.

Homeward Bound

Early in the morning I catch the bus from near my hotel to Dublin Airport. While my flight doesn’t leave until 10AM, I did want to get there early. Over the summer Dublin airport has experienced its fair share of travel disruptions.

Thankfully, this morning things seemed to be relatively normal. After a short wait to check in and pass through security, I was air side in a little over an hour. With an hour or two to kill, I head for the lounge to get a bit of breakfast. I end up only staying for a short while due to it getting quite crowded. I opt to walk around the terminal a little to stretch the legs before heading to my gate. About 20 minutes before boarding, I get another welcome notification that I had been upgraded again to Premium Economy! No complaints here as the extra leg room and wider seat will make the 9 hour flight a bit more comfortable.

The flight passes very smoothly, and before I know it we are touching down in Vancouver and home. This brings my short Irish adventure to a close. This is my first “proper” international trip post pandemic, and I’m glad it went smoothly! It’s like riding a bike and getting back on it sometimes comes with a bit of anxiousness. I’m glad that things are feeling normal again and am looking forward to my next adventure. Stay tuned as I will be wrapping this trip up next week!