Jameson's Distillery can be a bit hard to find, a map helps. It is across the Liffey from the Guinness Storehouse and down some side streets. The hardest part is carting your loot back to a bus stop after a good jolt of uisce beatha. Jameson's dates back to around 1780, but we didn't see any bottles that old. Just as well, we couldn't have afforded a taste anyway. We'd been here last Dublin go round, but this was Josh's first shot. We purchased tour tickets and killed some time wandering around and looking at the displays in the lobby area. We coached Josh to raise his hand quickly when they asked for volunteers, and we picked central seating at eye level with the tour guide in the small theater.

We watched the short presentation on Jameson's (a fairly interesting and well done short film) and then the group was asked for volunteers. Josh's hand shot up as coached and sure enough, he was picked for the tasting along with two others of the group. It might have been luck or maybe that the tour guide was young and female, either way, he was in. We took the tour through the building and listened to the process of making Irish whiskey (with an e). Each room is a different step in the process and the air is redolent with the smells of fermenting grain. It moves along quickly and is interesting and well done. It is difficult to take pictures as it is very dark with spot lighting.

At the conclusion you come out into the bar area. It is large with a warm wood and brick feel. Josh sat down with the others and everyone was handed a small glass of Jameson's. The lucky three were able to taste several kinds of whiskey from Ireland, the US and Scotland. The process and tastes were described and favorites were chosen. Josh picked Bushmills as his favorite. At the conclusion, diploma's were handed out to the tasters. Karen was chosen last time we were here, so we're keeping it in the family. We adjourned to the gift shop (through the exit door, how clever) and they relieved us of a fair amount of cash for clothing and liquid product. We picked up a bottle of Murphy's whiskey for our Irish language teacher that he had mentioned he liked. We didn't see it anywhere else, so it is a good thing we grabbed it there!

Price is about 7 euros a person adults, and appropriate for all ages. There are group and family rates. The tour is about 45 minutes long and runs consecutively all day until about 5:30pm.

Housed at the old Jameson factory site, the slick Distillery tour unfolds over an hour or so as a truly self-masturbatory look at the history and success of the Jameson brand throughout the years. After the aforementioned film ends, you’re whisked through a recreated Jameson factory, following each step of the whiskey-making process from malting to bottling. It’s only at the end, before passing through the obligatory gift shop, that you’ll whet your whiskey whistle.

In the first room, make sure to keep an eye out for Smitty the Cat, who reputedly caught upwards of 20 mice a day in the original Jameson Distillery… back when he still had working organs. Yes, he’s stuffed, and yes, it’s a little creepy, but boy does he look cute in that little outfit!

As you follow the path of Jameson whiskey righteousness, your tour guide will almost certainly drone on like a looped recording, hammering home such points as "and that’s how we make smooth, refreshing Jameson whiskey." Yes, yes, Jameson is the best whiskey ever made, I get it! We were also repeatedly educated on the differences between Irish whiskey and their competitors in Scotland—namely, that Irish whiskey is distilled three times, boys and girls, not only twice like those evil, clueless Scots.

Despite the tiresome, over-the-top marketing schmaltz, the tour is rather entertaining, and even a bit educational as far as whiskey-making goes. At one stop we learned about Jameson’s most exclusive whiskies (and how to get one for yourself in the gift shop downstairs, of course), while in others the distillation process was clearly demonstrated and explained. In the gristmill room, don’t forget to rub the old millstone, which apparently gives you 10 years of good luck… or, at the very least, some smooth, triple-distilled Jameson whiskey, Mr. Tour Guide?

The tour comes to a close in the Jameson Bar, and it’s here where raising your hand at the beginning of the tour pays off. While the rest of us are left with one complimentary shot or so of whiskey, the volunteers are given one healthy shot each of six different whiskies brewed in Ireland, Scotland, and the United States. Each person then performs a taste test, indicates which are their favorites, etc. As the guide hovers over them, explaining which whiskey was from where, he made sure to drop playful-but-not-so-subtle-reminders to remember we were in Ireland, not Scotland. After the sampling was done, our guide returned with an official Taster’s Certificate for each participant, as well as yet another glass of whiskey based on which (Jameson brand) they had chosen as their favorite.

And so, I remind you once again... if you’re up for six shots and a glass of whiskey, make sure to raise your hand.

This is a fully guided tour that takes you from the old cobbled courtyard, in the shadow of the mighty distillery chimney and next to an original copper still. A 10-minute audio-visual presentation shows the history of Jameson, the distillery, and the surrounding area. Then our guide gave a thorough explanation of whiskey distillation with a close examination of original equipment. We were walked through the grain store and shown the malting, milling, and mashing processes; the fermentation, distillation, and maturation; and finally, the vatting and bottling procedures.

For the group of us lovers of fine malts, it was intriguing. And then we wanted to understand the differences between Scotch and Irish. We knew there was an extra "e" in the Irish version, but we were surprised to learn that the Irish claim "first production" through the auspices of the church and St Patrick. We were told that the barley-drying process has a real impact on the end product, and Irish grain is dried through clean, warm air, whilst Scotch is smoked over peat. This, our guide was quick to report, results in a far smoother taste. "But what about the fact that Irish whiskey is all triple-distilled?" I asked. "Well," the guide smiled benignly at me, " the real point of triple distillation is that we want to give you the best product, so we need 2 B sure, to bee sure, to be SURE". A round of applause followed, and I just knew that I was not the first, nor would I be the last, to ask that question.

At the end of the tour, there’s a chance to sample some of the different blends, and if you’re quick to volunteer, you’ll get extra samples at the "specialist tasters" and a "qualification certificate". The bar is open for some of the more expensive tots, and we "shared" a measure of a 35-year-old Jameson and a 12-year-old "special". They were both incredibly smooth, and the merest dash of water opened up the flavours beyond belief. Additionally, the bar had a full range of old Jameson marketing posters and memorabilia.

Our wives had stayed round the coffee-and-souvenir shop, and at the end of the tour, we had a good mooch round, deciding as a group to buy a bottle of Jameson’s for an absent friend. A bottle labelled with his name on the front -- a great gift for a whiskey lover!

Overall, we were impressed with this value-for-money tour. We were whiskey-lovers and are now fans of whiskey!

You have to go around with a guided tour, which costs 7 euros. The tour was very informative, as the group was taken into rooms in the order of the distilling process and the process was explained and demonstrated. It took in everything from soaking the grain to the final bottling. As we went around, various historical tales were told, and we learnt of the differences between Irish and Scottish whiskeys. It was interesting to see the vast vats of grain, the gleaming distilling machinery, and the reconstructions of the roles of the workers. We also learnt some things on working conditions at the time.

Then, the real highlight began. I volunteered to do a tasting session. All participants got a free drink -- either whiskey or a soft drink. The measure of whiskey that everyone got was very generous.

For the tasters, it was even better. There were five small tasting glasses -- three Irish whiskys (Jameson's, Paddy's, and Black Bush), one Scottish whisky and 1 American whisky. To begin with, we had to smell and have a small sip of the Irish whiskys. They were surprisingly different in taste. Then, we had to smell and taste the Scottish whisky, and then sample the Irish ones again, and repeat this with the American one. The guide asked the tasters which Irish whiskey they liked best. I chose Jameson's, my long time favourite brand. The guide returned with a certificate for all of the tasters and a large measure of the whisky they liked best. I left the distillery with my head swimming.

It was a great experience and I learnt a lot. The entry fee is very good value for money as the sample of whisky that you get is a good pub measure. The gift shops were well stocked with a good selection of whiskeys -- a bottle of 26-year-old Middleton Rare could be yours for 500+ euros. My budget was more modest! A bottle of Bushmills 10-year-old went for around 35 euros. Miniatures of Jameson's 12-year-old went for around 3.50 euros. Ordinary bottles were much cheaper. In addition, there was a good range of books, T-shirts, glasses, etc.