Review #260: Green Spot

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 40%

AGE: NAS (7-10yr whiskey per distiller)

COST: $65 SRP for 750mL bottle

When I was coming back home to the states from Ireland earlier this year, I made an obligatory stop into the Dublin duty-free store and picked up a 4 pack of mini bottles showcasing Midleton single pot still Irish whiskies. I had considered getting this exact pack while at the Midleton Distillery but ultimately passed because I was already concerned about my luggage weight due to some other bottles I was going to try and pack back home. But now that my bag was checked and I was past security, this mini set could fit in my backpack without any issue. As all things would have it, when I got home, I tucked this set away in a drawer in my bar and forgot about it until I uncovered it late last week.

Up next we have Mitchell & Son’s Green Spot. Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Light gold (0.6), thin, but slow, legs.

NOSE: Orchard fruit sweetness dominates. Fresh, crisp green apple and nectarines blended with vanilla wafers. Persistent hints of clove. The longer I sip this the more I start to get a slight grainy note as well.

PALATE: Buttery mouthfeel. The sweetness continues onto the palate with green apple simple syrup and butterscotch. There’s a definite spice present, but it’s hard to pinpoint the exact spice. It leans a little more peppery than baking spice.

FINISH: Short finish and not much lingers other than a slightly sweet grain note similar to breakfast cereal but a little earthier.

RATING: 5.7/10

OVERALL: This is a perfectly mediocre pour. It has a good nose and decent mouthfeel for 40% abv, but the tasting notes were straight forward with little complexity and a practically non-existent finish. I could see this being an easy introduction into whiskey with no bite, straight forward sweetness, and no complexity. However, it’s not something I would waste my time with too much with its lack of complexity. I think even for a daily sipper there would be a lot of other bottles I would reach for before this.

1 | Disgusting | see my 1/10 ratings

2 | Poor | see my 2/10 ratings

3 | Bad | see my 3/10 ratings

4 | Sub-par | see my 4/10 ratings

5 | Good | see my 5/10 ratings

6 | Very Good | see my 6/10 ratings

7 | Great | see my 7/10 ratings

8 | Excellent | see my 8/10 ratings

9 | Incredible | see my 9/10 ratings

10 | Perfect | see my 10/10 ratings