Yellow Spot 1999 23 Year Old Malaga Cask Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Yellow Spot 1999 23 Year Old
Malaga Cask Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

57.5% ABV
$705-$850
Website
Yellow Spot 1999 23 Year Old Malaga Cask Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

What the Retailer Says

This exceptional whiskey takes everything we love about the classic Yellow Spot to new heights. At 23 years old, it’s a perfect example of cask and spirit working in harmony. Following initial maturation in bourbon barrels, this fruity pot still whiskey was filled into a single sweet Malaga cask. Over the years, the influence of this Spanish fortified wine has imparted a luxurious roundness to the palate along with notes of sultana, vanilla and warming oak. Limited to just 564 bottles, this unique Yellow Spot is available Exclusively at The Whisky Exchange.

Cask Number: 60075
564 Bottles
Non-Chill Filtered

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich and intense fruitcake with vanilla icing, cinnamon, toffee and green tobacco.
Palate: Stewed pears, apples, peaches and figs with honey, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg and allspice.
Finish: Long and drying with fading fruit notes and baking spices.
Comments: This is a damn fine pour – with the flavor intensity you hope for given the age and ABV. Really love the ABV for this age too! A bit of water doesn’t hurt it one bit, bringing citrus notes forward on the nose and a bit of honey, and on the palate amps up the honey while giving a nod to orange liqueur (like someone added a couple of drops of Grand Mariner). Delicious on every level, although the price point is challenging. The fine folks at The Whisky Exchange have done some stellar Irish picks (Redbreast 19 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask and Green Spot 1991 26 Year Old Marsala Cask were both exclusives, and amazing). This is similarly priced to that Green Spot 26 yr old, although I enjoyed that one a bit more.  For my tastes, this reminds me that matured, cask strength Irish can be some of the finest whiskey you can find.

Rating: Must Try

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Redbreast 18 Year Old

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Redbreast 18 Year Old
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

46% ABV
$180-$280
Website
Redbreast 18 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The World’s Most Awarded Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is delighted to unveil a new permanent addition to its esteemed family: Redbreast 18 Year Old. A bold expression made even more unique by the addition of cream sherry casks in the aging process.

Matured by our Master Blender in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and casks seasoned with the finest oloroso sherry, cream sherry and ruby port to elevate Redbreast’s Single Pot Still Whiskey to new heights. Bursting with berry fruit aromas, hazelnut chocolate tones, and caramelized stone fruit sweetness, our latest addition introduces a captivating array of new flavors that complement that signature Redbreast taste.

Tasting notes
The tantalizing addition of cream sherry casks from the esteemed Antonio Páez Lobato cooperage, rarely seen before in Redbreast whiskey, along with the portfolio’s more traditional cask profile, promises a tasting experience both new and familiar.

NOSE: Delectable berry fruit aromas of ripe blackcurrants and raspberries accompanied by sugar glazed cherries and dried fig. Indulgent tones of hazelnut chocolate and caramelized stone fruits with warming and fragrant notes of toasted almonds and cinnamon, nestled alongside polished oak and worn leather.
TASTE: Full-bodied and rounded, with the oak tannins complementing the decadent sweetness of sun-kissed grapes and autumnal fruits. Vibrant spices of freshly peeled ginger and hints of liquorice weave amongst the wine seasoned oak influences of dried fruits, dark berries and orange peel.
FINISH: Rich and lasting. The pot still spices, fruit and oak slowly fade harmoniously, showcasing the balance of this wonderfully complex whiskey.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, fruit salad with pears, apples, peaches and cherries; almond biscotti and pot still spice notes.
Palate: Jammy with blackberries, raspberries and cherries; caramel glazed coffee cake, nutmeg, bit of ginger, pepper spice and a hint of grapefruit.
Finish: Moderately long with fruit notes, oak and trailing spices.
Comments: Redbreast was my first Irish whiskey crush, and the 12 year cask strength still holds a special place in my heart to this day. This is a lovely, nuanced, mature dram. While it doesn’t need any water, adding a couple of drops brought out some floral notes on the nose, and on the palate tamped down the pepper spice and ginger a bit. While I really enjoy this, I’d bet that at a higher ABV this would knock it out of the park (but if you read many of my reviews, this will not be a surprise!)

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Gold Spot The Generations Edition 13 Years Old

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Gold Spot The Generations Edition 13 Years Old
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

46% ABV
$175-300
Website
Gold Spot The Generations Edition 13 Years Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The latest addition to the Gold Spot’s series is a thirteen-year aged whiskey, once again championing the use of wine casks in whiskey, transcending tradition, and demonstrating the harmonisation of heritage and innovation. The extraordinary expression marries Gold Spot’s established use of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, with a unique maturation in Valpolicella Riciotto Italian wine casks for 16 months. This final maturation elevates Gold Spot’s subtle spice notes, with the red wine adding layers of dark fruits, berry compote and creating a softly textured sweetness, finishing with a touch of oak and sweet wine. This special whiskey, the perfect balance between Irish whiskey and Italian wine, celebrates the exceptional story of seven generations of the Mitchell family, guardians of Spot Whiskey and one of Ireland’s premier wine families.

Matured in casks sourced from the Secondo Marco winery of Italy, which infuses this Gold Spot expression with distinctive floral and wine-driven notes.

Nose: Red apples and dark fleshy fruits at first, accompanied by fragrant blossom notes with sweet and woody undertones. Spices of clove and light dustings of nutmeg along with subtle hints of almond slowly come to the fore, complementing the fruits.
Taste: Luscious and sweet with generous servings of red berry compote, toffee apple and raisin. The wine seasoned casks and oak continue to impart delicate tannins, working in tandem with the pot still spices and fruits, while the sweetness adds further intricate flavours, balancing this wonderfully intriguing whiskey.
Finish: Lingering finish which sees the oak slowly fading, allowing the sweet wine and pot still spices to have the last word.

What Gary Says

Nose: Grains, apples, sultanas, honeysuckle, subtle baking spices and notes of sweet (ice?) wine.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with caramel, dried fruits (especially berries), butterscotch, honey, oak, nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon.
Finish: Moderately long with honey, spices, wine notes and oak.
Comments: A completely solid Irish whiskey, where the wine cask maturation is quite evident. Nothing objectionable other than the price. For my palate, Irish whiskey often is more subtle and nuanced (although then when you get one that’s intense – it really stands out), and this fits into that bucket. A delightful dram to sip and ponder.

Rating: Stands Out

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Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

50.5% ABV
$200
Website
Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition single pot still Irish whiskey

What the Distillery Says

From The Heart Of The Ozarks
Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition, the latest addition to Redbreast’s esteemed American Oak series, seamlessly blends the signature Redbreast single pot still whiskey profile, aged in sherry and ex-bourbon barrels, with the unique and distinctive influence of Missouri Oak. The whiskey was meticulously finished for ten months in Virgin Missouri Oak barrels, the oak sourced from the esteemed Ozark Forest, to bring a captivating twist to the renowned Redbreast liquid.

Tasting notes
NOSE: Generous waves of sweet toffee apple and vanilla at first, closely followed by ripe blackcurrants and black cherries. The American oak enhances the pot still spices with additional notes of cinnamon and ground ginger, while nutty undertones akin to pecan pie linger gently in the background.
TASTE: Rich with oak tannins that slowly subside, giving way to the luscious and creamy texture of this wonderfully balanced pot still whiskey. The sweetness continues to build in tandem with spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and black peppercorns along with rich berry fruits and vanilla cream.
FINISH: Satisfyingly long, with the nuttiness and pot still spices lingering for a time before finally yielding to the oak.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Honeysuckle, vanilla, floral with berries, currants, cereal malt, leather and tea.
Palate:  Chocolate, apple, cherry, caramel, cinnamon, honey, vanilla and oak.
Finish:  Moderately long with pot still spices and honey.
Comments:  This is a solid, delicious Irish whiskey. I found that giving it more time in the glass helped it quite a bit (poured and nosed neat, it was fairly plain). My challenge is the price tag on this one. I get it – the days of my buying Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength for $65 are long since over, but for a non-age stated Irish that doesn’t blow me away (like the 12 year cask strength reliably does), it would leave me wanting.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Cask Strength

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey
Single Barrel Cask Strength

53.5% ABV
$70
Website
Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Pure Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Cask Strength
We would like to thank Stoll & Wolfe Distillery and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Stoll & Wolfe recently released one of its most intriguing expressions to date: a single barrel Pure Rye Rye Whiskey that acts as the distillery’s unique interpretation of the historic Monongahela style. Crafted from a 100% rye mash bill of 80% Rosen rye and 20% malted rye, this whiskey is truly a must have offering for a number of reasons.

The all rye mash bill, rooted in historic, pre-Prohibition rye traditions, draws its locally grown Rosen rye from the Kline Family Farm, a 1741 heritage farm sharing direct family ties with the distillery team. Made through a sweet mash fermentation process, the art of crafting Pure Rye calls upon carefully considered production methods emphasizing spice, structure and grain character.

“Our Single Barrel Pure Rye is our homage to the historic Monongahela style,” said Erik Wolfe, co-founder and distiller at Stoll & Wolfe, “reflecting the methods and spirit of Pennsylvania rye, with a focus on bold spice, balance, and a distinctly regional character.”

Aged for approximately 34 months in a new, charred American oak barrel built from the finest in air-dried staves, this single barrel whiskey is bottled at a cask strength 107 proof. It showcases bold rye spice balanced by dark fruit on the nose, leading to a palate rich in black cherry, cocoa, marzipan and baking spices. The finish is dry and very well structured.

Priced at $70 per 750 ml bottle, the Stoll & Wolfe Pure Rye Whiskey is available now from the Stoll & Wolfe website, or available for pickup in the distillery’s tasting room. Future releases of this whiskey will be made available down the line when the distillery team feels they are ready to bottle.

What Gary Says

Nose: Figs, grilled peaches, mint, vanilla, a hint of tarragon and cloves.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel with figs, cherries, dark chocolate, pepper, cinnamon, mint, cloves, honey and vanilla.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with baking spices and cocoa.
Comments: I’ve long been a fan of 100% rye mashbills (and not a ton of them out there), but this is rather unique with 20% malted rye (not to mention the sweet mash; again – not a lot of that out in the market!) This is fruity, but not with the citrus lean that you often associate with rye. Only 34 months old, I enjoyed each sip and hope that they’re keeping some back to mature further. If you’re a rye fan, and looking for a unique pour – would recommend seeking a chance to try this!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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