Knowledge

If Jameson’s iconic taste and smoothness had a formula, the holder of it would be Head of Whiskey Science, David Quinn. A figure whose passion for Irish whiskey stems from his interest in the complexities of flavour and mood that make up the spirit, David joined the Midleton team over thirty years ago, and is now recognised as one of the most integral ingredients in the Distillery’s mix. Although based in science, David’s role also requires knowledge of the craft that goes into making Jameson. He analyses the very highest standards of pot still whiskey, while researching and developing the distillation process behind it.

So says our Master Cooper, Ger Buckley, a self-confessed tool obsessive, and a man whose knowledge of wood grows far beyond his professional life. A true craftsman in the purest form of the word, Ger is a fifth generation Midleton Cooper who uses the same methods and tools as his grandfather. His passion stems not only from his family’s lineage, but also from his fascination with the varied attributes his preferred source material allows.

Master Blender Billy Leighton epitomises the spirit of a serious whiskey that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

With almost a decade of experience as Head Blender behind him, Billy’s precision can be traced back to his first role, as a trainee accountant at Irish Distillers’ Old Bushmill Distillery. When given the opportunity to move into production, Billy went from calculating VAT to the Vatting House, where he prepared the whiskey for bottling. As the years went by, his duties grew, eventually encompassing blending, warehousing, maturation and expanding further into distilling. Today his role sees him marrying together a range of notes, ages and grain types, creating a palette of tastes that combine to make up the entire Family of Jameson Whiskey.

“We’re a serious whiskey but from a family atmosphere – whiskey is at the heart of that family.”

Responsible for maintaining the quality of all new pot and grain distillates produced at Midleton, Kevin oversees the production process from brewing to distillation, and holds the position of tasting all whiskeys daily, to ensure the correct flavours and that pot still spiciness is present. Kevin is also tasked with sourcing the casks used for maturing the raw spirit, smooth running of the maturation process and finally tending to the product as it matures in cask, including working with the 150-year aged wood from Northern Spain. A brand ambassador across the globe, Kevin represents Irish Distillers on an international scale. Kevin is a master craftsman having started his career in Midleton in 1998, working as a distiller under the tutelage of Master Distiller Emeritus Barry Crockett. From there he moved to Maturation where he honed his skills under then Master of Maturation Brendan Monks before assuming the role of Master of Maturation on Brendan’s retirement in 2007. He was appointed to the role of Master Distiller in 2020.