Irish Whiskey

Blue Spot
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Aged 7 Years Cask Strength

58.7% ABV
$100
Website

What the Producer Says

Blue Spot’s name was derived from the Mitchell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of whiskey with a mark or daub of coloured paint to determine the age potential of the whiskey. Blue Spot was a 7 year old whiskey, Green Spot (10 year old), Yellow Spot (12 Year Old) and Red Spot (15 year old).

As a colourful history would have it, this revered Blue Spot remained underground until now and its introduction reunites the historical Spot Family for the first time in over 56 years.

Embodying the unmistakable qualities of Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Blue Spot is matured for no less than 7 years in Bourbon casks, Sherry butts and Portuguese Madeira casks all bottled at cask strength for you to enjoy!

Nose: A light mix of pineapple, kiwi, green banana and lime zest followed by Pot Still spices, baked apple, hazelnut and toasted wood.
Taste: A smooth mouthfeel with a subtle mix of fruit, a hint of clove oil and cracked black pepper corns. Sweet spices, vanilla and cinnamon add to the wood’s nutty contribution.
Finish: A lasting and distinctly palatable balance of exotic fruits and spices.

Non Chill Filtered

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and fruity with pineapple, mango, apple, hint of apricots, freshly toasted oak and baking spices.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, fruity with toffee and vanilla, sharpens with cinnamon, pepper and a bit of clove.
Finish:  Moderately long and damp with fruit and spice notes.
Comments:  Affirms my belief that cask strength and non-chill filtration should be the standard. This has a lovely intense flavor and rich mouthfeel, and takes water nicely which smooths out the edges (as the nose neat is just a tad hot). Dangerously drinkable, and while there isn’t a lot of cask strength/non-chill filtered Irish single malt here in the US – the price point on this one is tough (considering one of the first such drams I ever had was Redbreast 12 yr Cask Strength, which even after a few price increases is cheaper!) I did a side-by-side with that, because age isn’t everything. Both are distilled by Midleton Distillery, and both are lovely drams – but the Redbreast 12 yr Cask Strength had more complexity, with fruit notes tending more towards a sherry hue, and a more balanced dram overall. Despite that, I’m glad to see more entrants into the market bringing the higher proof and leaving that chill filtration where it belongs – in the rear view mirror!

Rating: Stands Out

Finest Irish Single Malt 22 Years

51.8% ABV
$200
Website

What the Bottler Says

Retro Label The Whisky Exchange Exclusive
Launched at The Whisky Show in 2015, this is a hugely fruity single malt whiskey from Ireland. It doesn’t stop there, with Gummi Bears followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and deep herbal notes – a complex whiskey that was a huge hit at the show.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Heather, hay, peat, malt, glazed donut, honey, hint of grapefruit and menthol with earthy/mineral undertones.
Palate:  Creamy sweetness with honey, vanilla, sponge cake, bright peat, subtle citrus notes, slightly nutty with hints of vitamins.
Finish:  Moderately long, wet with honey and peat.
Comments:  Unfortunately the label doesn’t include many details (name, proof, age – that’s it). In scouring the internet, this is likely Cooley distillate based on the flavor profile & age (keeping in mind that the number of Irish single malt distillers that COULD have made this is a very small number!) It is nicely balanced between the sweetness you’d expect from an Irish single malt and the unexpected peat notes. Some water kicks the honey up a notch and tamps the menthol (another note I don’t get often). The vitamin/mineral notes remind me of Dickel in a way (which isn’t to say this tastes like Dickel – it doesn’t; but that vitamin/mineral note is part of what I’d call their “house style”).

Rating: Stands Out

Writers’ Tears Red Head
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

46% ABV
$55*
(as of this review, this product isn’t being sold in the United States)
Website

What the Producer Says

This exquisite, triple-distilled single malt is matured only in select handpicked Spanish sherry butts which have previously been seasoned with the finest Oloroso sherry. It is the influence of these scarce butts that give this expression of Writers’ Tears its signature rich, ruby hue and hence the moniker – ‘Red Head’. The expression is distilled without chill filtering as nature intended and at a distinctive 46% ABV.

Colour: Rich Ruby Red
Nose: Orange peel, dried fruits and sherry plums
Taste: Nutty Oloroso, Spicy Raisins and creamy oak
Finish: Long and wonderfully complex with a flourish of orange. An unhurried journey.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Orange blossom, malty cereal/grain, hints of cherry, raisins, oak.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, dark fruit sweetness with cinnamon and pepper spice, just a hint of orange.
Finish:  Moderately long with cinnamon and orange zest with fading pepper spice.
Comments:  The nose screams young whiskey, with the grainy/cereal notes. I do appreciate the ABV and non-chill filtering, which help given the likely young age of the whiskey. The finish is longer than I’d expect as at this age.  I’d love to try some older version of this, but at the end of the day – this is a pretty tasty and dangerously easy to drink whiskey.

Rating: Stands Out