Blue Spot completes a set that was broken for over half a century. The Spot whiskeys take their name from a practice at Mitchell & Son, the Dublin wine and spirits merchants established in 1805, who marked their maturing casks with a daub of coloured paint to indicate how long each one should be left to rest. Green marked ten years, yellow twelve, red fifteen, and blue seven. Blue Spot vanished from the market and stayed gone for more than fifty six years before Mitchell & Son and Irish Distillers brought it back, reuniting the full Spot family for the first time in generations. It is the only member of the range bottled at cask strength, and that decision defines it. Where the other Spots are proofed down to a fixed strength, Blue Spot goes into the bottle undiluted and non chill filtered, so the alcohol level shifts slightly from batch to batch and the texture stays thick and oily rather than being stripped back for clarity. Underneath the strength it is unmistakably single pot still, the distinctly Irish style built from a mash of both malted and unmalted barley and triple distilled, which produces the creamy body and green, peppery spice that no other whiskey category quite replicates. Maturation runs for a minimum of seven years across three cask types working in concert: bourbon barrels for vanilla and soft wood, sherry butts for dried fruit and nuttiness, and Portuguese Madeira casks for a brighter, almost tropical sweetness that lifts the whole thing. The result is young in years but nowhere near thin. Nothing is added and nothing is taken away. Add water a few drops at a time and it opens dramatically.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
Varies by Batch |
| Proof |
Varies by Batch |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
Ireland |
| Category |
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey |
| Expression |
Blue Spot, Cask Strength |
| Age |
7 Years (minimum) |
| Mashbill |
Malted and unmalted barley |
| Distillation |
Triple distilled |
| Distillery |
Midleton Distillery, County Cork (Irish Distillers) |
| Bonder |
Mitchell & Son, Fine Wines & Spirits, Dublin, Est'd 1805 |
| Maturation |
Bourbon barrels, sherry butts and Portuguese Madeira casks |
| Filtration |
Non chill filtered |
| Additives |
None |
Tasting Notes
Color: Bright golden straw, natural.
Nose: A light tropical mix of pineapple, kiwi, green banana and lime zest, followed by pot still spice, baked apple, hazelnut and toasted wood.
Palate: Smooth and oily in texture despite the strength. Soft fruit throughout, with clove oil and cracked black pepper, then sweet spice, vanilla and cinnamon against a nutty oak base.
Finish: Long and balanced, closing on exotic fruit and lingering pot still spice.
FAQ
Q: What is single pot still Irish whiskey?
A: A uniquely Irish style distilled in pot stills from a mash of both malted and unmalted barley. The unmalted portion gives the category its signature creamy texture and green, peppery spice.
Q: What is the proof?
A: 117.4 proof, 58.7 percent alcohol by volume. Because it is bottled at natural cask strength, the figure can shift slightly between batches, so check the label on your bottle.
Q: What do the colours in the Spot range mean?
A: Mitchell & Son marked maturing casks with coloured paint to indicate ageing potential. Blue was seven years, green ten, yellow twelve and red fifteen.
Q: Who actually distils it?
A: It is distilled and matured at Midleton in County Cork by Irish Distillers, and bottled for Mitchell & Son, the Dublin merchants who own the Spot brand heritage.
Q: How should I drink it?
A: Neat first to judge the strength, then add water a few drops at a time. At cask strength it changes considerably with dilution.
Q: Where can I buy Blue Spot 7 Year Cask Strength online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
