Irish Distillers, makers of some of the world’s most enjoyed whiskeys, together with Mitchell & Son, Ireland’s oldest and most distinguished family run wine and spirits merchant, have launched a Red Spot 19-Year-Old Single Cask, hand selected and finished in Marsala casks.
This limited-edition expression with only 603 bottles in the release is exclusively available from Mitchell & Son, and lands on the shelf just in time for the Christmas festivities to offer customers a truly special liquid.
The Spot family of Irish whiskeys is a range embedded in the colourful history of the Mitchell’s whiskey bonding business, which started in 1887. At that time, the bonders sent empty wine and fortified wine casks to the local Jameson Distillery in Bow Street to be filled with new single pot still spirit.
Once filled, the fortified wine casks would be marked with a daub or ‘spot’ of coloured paint, to determine the age potential with Blue Spot, Green Spot, Yellow Spot and Red Spot, respectively indicating the 7, 10, 12 and 15 years of the celebrated expression within the Spot range.
Working in collaboration with the Mitchells, the team at Midleton Distillery was inspired by the influence that the Marsala fortified wine cask has on Red Spot, picking out this particular cask to showcase its complexity in this 19-year-old single cask offering.
Having been triple-distilled in 2004 and initially filled into a combination of Bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, these whiskeys were married and re-casked into this Marsala wine cask in 2008 to continue aging, culminating in this Red Spot 19-Year-Old Single Cask release.
This rare and characterful expression is full-bodied and exquisite, as the Marsala wine seasoned oak complements the pot still spices, creating vibrant notes of liquorice and cracked walnut. The influence of the Marsala adds a layer of complexity, alongside a taste of history.
David McCabe, Master Blender at Irish Distillers, comments: “It is always a joy to work with Mitchell & Son on the Spot family range of whiskey, one of the most colourful stories in Irish whiskey. Red Spot 19-Year-Old Single Cask is a liquid with a unique character and the age of this whiskey offers a delicate complexity with flavours of stewed fruits, cinnamon spice and herbal notes.”
Robert Mitchell, Managing Director adds: “We are thrilled to launch this latest single cask expression; Red Spot, matured for 19 years. We are continuing the legacy of the Spot family and our family’s historic role as purveyors of the finest wines and spirits in Ireland. It has been a pleasure working with the talented team at Midleton and we’re excited to continue our long-standing relationship to release some of the finest Irish whiskeys.”
Red Spot 19-Year-Old Single Cask Tasting Notes
Nose: Opens with rich and warming notes of freshly stewed fruits with cinnamon and light dustings of nutmeg, while earthy and herbal aromas, accompanied by tobacco leaf, add further depth and complexity. The pot still spices are complemented by the Marsala wine seasoned oak, creating vibrant notes of liquorice and cracked walnut.
Taste: Fruits to the fore with fresh apricot and cooked apple along with delicate herbal undertones of freshly picked garden mint. Sweet notes of crème brûlée and honeycomb give balance to the delicate oak tannins and robust pot still spices.
Finish: Lasting finish which sees the influence of the wine seasoning and pot still spices linger for a time while the oak is the first to gently fade.
Red Spot 19-Year-Old Single Cask is bottled at 58.5% ABV and will be exclusively available in-store at Mitchell and Son and online at mitchellandson.com at the RRP of €670.
Slán go fóill.