Time for another new-ish Irish pot still whiskey, this time the older brother of Yellow Spot, and Green Spot (check out our double guest review here). The whiskey has been released a few months back by Irish Distillers. This is actually a comeback as the whiskey was available in the mid-1960s.
Crafted from an old recipe handed down by the Mitchell & Son family of wine merchants, the creators of the original Spot Whiskeys range in the early 1900s, the re imagined Red Spot is a triple-distilled, single pot still Irish whiskey that has been matured for a minimum of 15 years in a combination of casks pre-seasoned with Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and Marsala fortified wine. The Mitchell family worked closely with the craftsmen from Midleton Distillery throughout the collaboration. As part of the process, Marsala fortified wine casks were procured from Sicily in the early 2000s and then, in 2004, were filled with a five-year-old Bourbon matured single pot still Irish whiskey.
If you’re asking yourself why name it ‘red spot’? The answer is quite simple : The Red Spot name was derived from the Mitchell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of whiskey with a daub of colored paint to determine the age potential of the whiskey; with a Blue Spot, Green Spot, Yellow Spot or Red Spot indicating 7, 10, 12 or 15 years respectively.
Bottled at 46% ABV and without chill-filtration, Red Spot is re-introduced and available from this month at the RRP of €115 / £105 .
Red Spot 15 year old, 46% abv , £105
Nose: sweet pot still goodness mixed with cooked red fruit, apricot and buttered apple, cinnamon and candied mango, hints of lather and a slight red wine tannin here and there, on top of candy floss and leather. There’s also a slight nutty touch, and some mint that adds a freshness.
Palate: A lot sweeter than the nose, with a nice sweet and fruity entry : ripe strawberry, cherries and apricots, with sweet Marsala wine, which is quit evident. Wood notes, pepper and more wine tannins, and fruit leather.
Finish : Bitter and tannic with the wine notes, some more fruit and spice, and wood, dry towards the very end.
Conclusion: A rather good whisky indeed! the Marsala casks and sherry work well togerher creating a nice fruity whisky, with quite some wood as well. Not cheap though at over 100 quid.
Score: 86/100
Available at Master of Malt for £105