I really like Green Spot, a relatively premium NAS Irish whiskey. It's probable we first tried it in Ireland on our 2015 trip there, though honestly I can't remember. For ~$60, it's a smooth and sweet high quality tipple you can find just about anywhere. The bottle and cork are personal favorites as well.
But this review isn't (just) about Green Spot. The bottle and dram in front of me are Yellow Spot, a whiskey up a tier with a 12 year age statement. After going through a couple Greens the last few years I sprung for a Yellow for what I thought was a reasonable price. Both are made by Irish Distillers at the New Midleton distillery, just like Redbreast. Once again it's a 'single pot still' whiskey, a style distinct to Ireland that includes malted and un-malted barley in the mash and triple distillation. Produced in much smaller quantities than Green Spot, Yellow is harder to find though I also wouldn't call it rare. Separating it is both years and maturation. I haven't heard of another whiskey that spends time in Malaga casks.
Unlike any other Irish whiskey the Spot whiskies are made specifically for and sold by an independent wine merchant (Mitchell & Son) in an unusual arrangement. The history of the names goes back to when the Mitchell family aged whiskey themselves and painted colored spots to note ages on the barrels. Green was originally 10 years (though is no longer) and yellow 12. Green Spot ended up being their only continuously available expression through leaner years in the whiskey industry. With its more recent comeback, M+S re-introduced Yellow Spot in 2012 after a ~60 year hiatus.
As with most higher-end bottles I acquire, this one remained stashed and untried for a while. The catalyst for finally cracking it was the whiskey trade not long back. And, obviously, once the seal was broken I wanted to try some myself. I've had it a few times since and now's as good a time as any for a review. Let's Irish up this, um, whiskey.
ABV - 46% (92 proof)
Maturation - American Bourbon, Spanish Sherry and Spanish Malaga casks
Age - at least 12 years
Location - Midleton, Ireland
Price - ~$100, likely a little more
Tasting Notes:
Smell - Delicate and complex, no sting on inhale, sweet fruit (apple?) with baking spices
Color - Pretty light, more so than pictures show, amber with a hint of red
Taste - Definitely lush apples then woody, spices and more, like some kind of dessert
Finish - Super smooth and creamy, very little remains except a bit of warmth and spice
Final thoughts:
Based on the flavors and sensations I'm describing, you'd expect a rant and a rave like I've done in most of these reviews. But my immediate thought on trying it the first time (weeks ago) was unshakeable disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a great whiskey and one I'm appreciating more as I slow down and really taste it. I just don't think it's worth the $40 up-charge from Green Spot. Higher cost bottles demand higher standards when you pay for it. I may even prefer the Green head to head. In the future I'll stick to the cheaper bottle instead of stepping up to Yellow or even newer Red (15 year, ~$150). In the meantime though, it won't be hard to enjoy this one when craving some Irish.
This from the official Yellow Spot page (link above - 'Stats') kind of cracks me up:
“If I had to choose between the two I think the Yellow Spot might just pip it against the Green.”
Exactly. Why pay the difference?
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