Description

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The Jameson 5 Star is an exceptionally rare bottling of historical Irish whiskey. Distilled in Dublin around 1900, it was imported to the United States by W.A. Taylor & Co., Jameson's sole American agent before the onset of Prohibition in 1919. In the 1990s, a six-bottle crate of this whiskey was discovered hidden in a subterranean tunnel beneath the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado, only three had a good fill level. The cache had been smuggled there around 1919 by the hotel’s wealthy owner, Spencer Penrose, to bypass dry laws.



While Jameson of that era typically bore a three-star label, the"Five Star" designation is highly unusual. The discovered bottles were wrapped in straw and paper within their original wooden crate, secured by patented lead capsule seals from Betts & Co. of London featuring the importer’s logo.



Decades later, Irish Distillers Ltd. (IDL) were contacted to verify its authenticity. David Quinn, Jameson's Master of Whiskey Science, extracted a minute sample through the ancient cork and conducted a spectrographic analysis, confirming the liquid’s authentic "Jameson DNA".



One of the bottles was opened and a tasting revealed a dark amber, "broad-shouldered" whiskey with a "heavy" pot still character and strong sherry cask influence. The tasting notes described it as remarkably smooth and complex with an exceptionally long finish. This bold flavor profile reflects early 20th-century distilling preferences, which contrast with today's lighter spirits. Based on a 1915 mail-order guide, the case originally cost $19.10, confirming it was a premium 12- to 15-year-old product. Completing a historic 110-year, 10,000-mile roundtrip, A bottle was presented to IDL for permanent display at the Old Jameson Distillery. This is one of only two remaining in private hands.

LOT No. IWA: 65794916