Got a word in for Irish!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-jameson-dis ... TDMHxxbm3Q

I would have joined you in the tasting. Well done for putting yourself forward for that. I wonder if the Guinness distillery nearby does free tastings too?

They do (at least they did when I toured it in 2008). They have a station where you can compare tastings of various beers made by Guinness, but I don't think it's always operating. And then, of course, you get a free pint in the bar at the top (well, not so much "free" as included in the admission price).

The Guinness Storehouse is actually a much better tour, to my mind, as it's self-guided (so you can take as much time as you want), and they've made use of current technology to make the displays really interesting and informative.

Redwolf

I saw in your review you mentioned the video was very cheesy and geared towards the American tourist market.

That sort of thing will put me right off. That Quite man image of Ireland makes me want to throw up or hit something.

Old Jameson Distillery crossed off the list.

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Bíonn rudaí maithe mall

I didn't say it was "geared toward the American tourist market." I said it featured an American journalist visiting the distillery. The video was set in the 19th century, and the journalist met with John Jameson and his son, who told him how the whiskey was made. The problem with it was, as I said, it's just plain cheesy...the acting and scripting are truly pathetic.

There was no "Quiet Man" thing going on...just bad acting.

Redwolf

I have to say too that, while I probably wouldn't bother to do it again, that doesn't mean that it's not worth visiting, if you have the time and are curious about the way whiskey is made. If you can only choose one of the two, though, I'd do the Guinness Storehouse, as it's just a better presentation, and you have the time to explore the displays at your leisure. I'd visited the Guinness Storehouse before, and just had a few hours to kill before grabbing some dinner and heading back to Temple Bar for the start of the trad music pub crawl (which I highly recommend), so at that time and place it was worth doing.

I'm a bit weird in that I actually love factory tours (informational tours of any kind, really. One of my favorite memories of a Mexican Riviera cruise we took once was an architectural tour of Puerto Vallarta that started with a tasting in a tequila distillery!). I really enjoy seeing how things are made.

A friend told me that you can also do tours of the actual working Jameson's distillery in Cork, and if I have a few extra days the next time I'm in Ireland, I may spend some time in Cork and visit that, along with other places of interest in that city. Actually, the two cities that are highest on my list of "Irish cities I'd like to visit that I haven't seen yet" are on opposite ends of the island: Cork and Belfast.

Redwolf

Belfast is well worth a visit. Very interesting city with its rather colourful history - literally! Plenty of Irish around if you hang out in the right places too. I think I heard somewhere that Belfast has the highest number of Irish speakers per head of population out of all the urban areas in Ireland.

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I've heard that as well! I'd love to visit it. I've been to Derry twice, and it's a fascinating city as well, but I'd love to see more of the north.

BTW, should you find yourself in Letterkenny, I have a wonderful restaurant to recommend!

Redwolf

I can return the favour when you go to Belfast.

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Caidé an bhialann a mholfá i mBéal Feirste a Shaoirse?

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Ultach mé agus Gaeilg Uladh a labhraim go measardha maith!