Blue Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey’s Return Likely On The Near Horizon

The Spot line up of pot still Irish whiskeys has long been a favorite among drinkers of this style of whisk(e)y. The collective family of expressions has a rich history to it, as we took note of when we reviewed the Red Spot whiskey after its return the market in 2018 from a 50 year hiatus. With Red’s return, the only one missing from the original family was Blue.

Now, it looks as if that one will be coming back to market soon, if the recent approval of a related bottling label by the TTB is followed through upon (bottle labels are approved by the federal government prior a product’s planned release, but sometimes distilleries cancel said offering for one reason or another after the fact).

The planned Blue Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, according to the information that appears on the approved label, is aged 7 years (historically the Spot was derived from the label’s owner, Mitchell & Son, who had a 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) and is cask strength. It is also non-chill filtered.

Blue Spot, like its siblings, sees aging in a range of cask types, which is befitting of the Mitchell’s origins as wine merchants (the whiskey today is distilled by Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard). What you have in this particular case is triple distilled whiskey from a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, sherry butts and madeira casks.

Distilled at the Midleton distillery in County Cork, Ireland, this whiskey is bottled at 118.4 proof (59.2% ABV). Assuming Blue Spot does come to market, we will provide more official information from the brand once it is released. For now, we will leave you with some tasting notes from the back label.

• 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.