Green Spot Irish Whiskey Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Middleton Distillery, Co.

Name: Green Spot

Make: Single Pot Still Irish whiskey

Extra Info: Green Spot whiskey was originally sold as an independent bottling of Dublin-based family merchants, Mitchell & Son, who began purchasing distilled spirit from nearby Jameson’s Distillery to age in their own casks in the late 1800s. The site of the original Mitchell & Son store in Grafton Street, Dublin, is now home to a McDonalds. The name ‘Green Spot’ comes from the practice of marking casks of different ages with spots of coloured paint; green paint was used to mark 10 year old whiskey, which proved to be the most popular of the four varieties, Blue, Green, Yellow and Red Spot. Now, only Green Spot and the 12 year old Yellow Spot are sold, which are among the few Single Pot Still Irish whiskeys currently available.

Why did I buy it?

In my opinion, Single Pot Still is the quintessential Irish whiskey so I am keen to try what little of it is available. Having tried Redbreast, Green Spot was a natural followup and I will no doubt track down a bottle of Yellow Spot in the not too distant future.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Bottled in a simple clear bottle, Green Spot has a great looking label with a blot of paint that mimics the green spot that historically marked the whiskey casks. It is clean, iconic, meaningful and immediately recognisable. Bottled at 40% ABV.

Appearance: Bright gold in colour and considering the low ABV, more than likely contains some caramel colouring and has been chill filtered to standardise the final product. This practice is not uncommon and there is nothing on the label to indicate otherwise.

Aroma: Fruity notes up front, malty cereal sweetness, stewed apple with a hint of banana and a citrus zing.

Flavour: Full bodied, oily mouthfeel. Very spicy with some menthol freshness, similar to a rye whisky.

Finish: Fading spice that tingles inside the mouth with a slightly bitter yet fresh aftertaste that lingers.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, Green Spot is one of the more affordable Single Pot Still Irish whiskeys and is a great place to start if you have never tried this variety of whiskey before. It is not as moreish as Redbreast but it is still a great whiskey and worthy of your time and money. I would definitely shell out a little more for Green Spot rather than settle for one of the cheaper, unremarkable and perhaps more well known Irish whiskeys on the market.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.