Country: Ireland Distillery: Midleton
Type: Single Pot Still
Age: NAS
Cask: Ex-Bourbon, Oloroso, Red Wine Casks
ABV: 46%
Proof: 92
Price: $100
Nose: Orange zest, caramel, cherries, toasted oak, vanilla, nutmeg, condensed milk
Palate: Orchard fruits, soft, vanilla, custard, melon, banana pudding
Finish: Lingering, long, cinnamon, rice pudding, earthy dryness
I feel so good about the Irish whiskies I have tasted in 2020. All the Waterford, Bushmills, Powers, Glendalough bottles did an excellent job of increasing my love for the category. Of course, there should be a whiskey from the Midleton Distillery, Green Spot Château Léoville Barton.
This whiskey is a meeting of Irish with French! Green Spot is a brilliant single pot still whiskey which is aged in a mixture of ex-bourbon (75%) and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks (25%) between 7 to 10 years.
With this expression, the classic Green Spot is further finished in world-famous red wine barrels from Château Léoville Barton, which is located at the very heart of Saint Julien appellation. We are talking about more than 300 years of winemaking tradition! The barrels that are sourced from Château Léoville Barton, were taken back to Ireland to be filled with Green Spot and aged for a further 1 to 2 years in these barrels.
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton
How Does It Taste?
The nose starts with a hit of orange zest and immediately drives to a fragrant character with caramel, raspberries, cherries, toasted oak, vanilla, nutmeg and condensed milk.
The palate is incredibly creamy. A mouthful orchard fruit with intense vanilla, custard, melon, banana pudding. Incredible palate with a joyful lead to the finish.
The finish is lingering, long, fresh with cinnamon, rice pudding. It also has an earthy dryness with oak spices. While tasting Green Spot Château Léoville Barton, I also tasted some classic Green Spot I had. The finishing in the wine barrel couldn't impact in a better way.
Visualize yourself at a good whisky bar with hundred bottles of good whisky and call that Green Spot feeling. Tasting this whiskey after the classic feels like entering the bar's speakeasy section which has 100 more vintage whisky bottles. It is simply opening new depths of flavors.
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton is one of the best examples of how wine barrel finishing can amplify the complexity in a good way.