Whisky: Green Spot Irish Whiskey
Producer: Pernod Ricard (Irish Distillers Ltd)
Distillery: Midleton
Bottled by: Mitchell & Son
Whisky Type: Single Pot Still
Mash Bill: Undisclosed mash of malted and unmalted barley
Age: Non-Age Statement
Region: County Cork, Midleton
ABV: 40%
Aged in Cask: Ex-bourbon, re-fill bourbon, and ex-sherry oak
Price Range: $$
Green Spot is a classic Irish Whiskey aged and bottled by whiskey bonder Mitchell & Son. The business started in 1805 as a confectionary bakery and transitioned into a wine & spirits merchant in 1887.
Mitchell & Son is Ireland’s oldest independent drinks merchant, now in its seventh generation of family ownership. The business is based in Dublin and is famous for its spot whiskies, sourced with Jameson whisky since the 1880s.
The company made a reputation for purchasing quality wines and fortified wine (i.e., Oloroso sherry) casks from Europe and filling them with new make spirit (unaged whisky) from Jameson distillery on old Bow St. Dublin. Casks would rest in a cellar warehouse underneath Fitzwilliam Lane in the same city until the whiskies matured according to the family specifications.
The spot whiskies take their name from the practice of marking the casks with a daub or ‘spot’ of paint to identify the number of years of maturation. The spots whiskies were classified based on age as follows:
- Blue Spot 7 years
- Green Spot 10 years (the most popular)
- Yellow Spot 12 years
- Red Spot 15 years
The wine and spirits merchant is one of the few whiskey bonders that survived the decline of the Irish Whiskey industry that started in the late 19th century thanks to the commitment of Jameson distillery (now Midleton distillery) to supply the wine merchant with a triple distilled spirit.
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Single Pot Still whiskey is a style of whiskey unique to Ireland made of at least 30% malted barley and at least 30% un-malted barley, made in pot stills by one distillery.
Now the tasting notes for Green Spot Irish Whiskey.
Green Spot is a non-age statement Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey aged for ten years. The whiskey has matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, re-fill bourbon and ex-sherry casks.
Nose: Nice aromas of fruit and spices and toasted wood.
Palate: The arrival is sweet and fruity. Apple is a dominant flavor, rounded off with toasted oak. Lingering flavors of spices and cereal notes from the malted barley. Delicious!
Finish: Medium. Creamy sweet notes of fruit with a hint of oak.
Conclusion: A delicious Irish classic with a creamy texture and fruit notes and spices, so approachable that even a non-whisky drinker will enjoy. A must-try for whiskey enthusiasts. Top 10 Irish Whiskey on my shelf. Slàinte!
Awards for Green Spot Whiskey:
- Gold-Irish Single Pot Still – Super-Premium – 2020. The Irish Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)
- Gold-Irish Single Pot Still – Premium – 2017. The Irish Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)
Score: 4/5 ⭐
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