A croze is the tool a cooper uses to cut the grooves at each end of a barrel for the head to fit into, and few coopers handle a croze better than longtime Midleton Distillery cooper Ger Buckley. Ger helped create this expression for Jameson’s Whiskey Masters Series, and the nose is sweet and fruity with green apples, peaches, soft oak, straw, dried flowers, a hint of linseed oil, and muted spices in the background. The taste is thick with a good spicy buildup of clove, white pepper, and allspice notes with touches of honey, butterscotch, peaches, and vanilla. The finish is nice and long with peaches, oak, vanilla, and lingering spices. (August, 2016)