Jameson
Midleton, County Cork, Ireland
Blend of triple distilled pot still and column-distilled grain whiskey, bottled at the 40% minimum. Plain caramel colouring is the only permitted addition.
- Aging
- Wooden casks, 3 year legal minimum
- Grains
- barley, corn
- Congeners
- Moderate
- Histamines
- Moderate
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Low
- Tannins
- Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Low
- Calories
- 98
- Sugar
- 0g
14g ethanol at 40% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓Light blend with a lower congener load than most bourbon or scotch
- ✓No flavouring permitted beyond caramel colouring
- ✓Bottled at 40%
What to watch
- !Barley in the mash means gluten, so it cannot be labelled gluten-free
- !Caramel colouring permitted
Factor by factor
Congeners Moderate ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Moderate ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Jameson is the volume leader of Irish whiskey and a good baseline for the category. The grain whiskey in the blend keeps it light, and most of the maturation happens in used casks, so the barrel load is modest.
Jameson questions
How many calories are in a shot of Jameson? ▾
About 98 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 40% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Jameson have sugar? ▾
No. Jameson has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Jameson gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Jameson is distilled from barley, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What is Jameson made from? ▾
Jameson is made from malted and unmalted barley pot still whiskey blended with grain whiskey.
What proof is Jameson? ▾
Jameson is 80 proof, which is 40% alcohol by volume.
Does Jameson give you a bad hangover? ▾
Jameson scores 5/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 6/10 for irish whiskey overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Jameson vegan? ▾
Yes. Jameson is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.