Irish By Nino Kilgore-Marchetti / June 9, 2015 Green Spot whiskey from Ireland finished in Bordeaux wine casks – do I have your attention yet?I imagine I do if you even remotely love this Irish liquor heavily favored among whiskey drinkers. One doesn’t expect you would see much variance in a popular offering like this, but there’s no doubt here Pernod-Ricard is tinkering with the formula a bit. Will it be a good thing or not? That remains to be seen, but wine cask finishing with whiskey is a growing trend, so apparently even the likes of Green Spot are up for consideration around this.The new Green Spot Château Léoville Barton, bottled at 46% ABV, is a non-age statement expression that was “initially matured in a traditional mix of ex-Oloroso sherry, new Bourbon and ex-Bourbon barrels. The whiskeys were then transferred into ex-Bordeaux wine casks for between 12 and 24 months.” These former wine casks herald from Léoville Barton, a Grand cru château known for producing “world class wine” that is set in the heart of the Saint Julien appellation in Bordeaux. “Maturing Green Spot in the Château Léoville Barton wine casks provided a fascinating assortment of floral and wood characteristics on the nose and palate,” said Kevin O’Gorman, Master of Maturation at the Midleton Distillery, in a statement, “which give way to a long, spicy finish reminiscent of the terroir in France and Ireland.”Should you want to seek a bottle out, it should be available soon for £42 (around $65 USD).
