Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
was released in the United States in 2015 in extremely limited quantities. The
whiskey was named “Irish Whiskey of the Year” by Whisky Advocate in 2016,
in addition to winning Gold in the Wizards of Whiskey competition that same
year.
In 1805, the Mitchell & Sons Wine Merchants Company
was established in the heart of Dublin, Ireland. By the turn of the 19th
century, the Mitchells sold a range of Irish whiskeys under the name
"Spot." This name originated from the company's practice of marking casks of different
ages with a spot of colored paint. As a result, Mitchell & Sons sold
whiskies named Blue Spot, Green Spot, Red Spot and finally Yellow Spot, which
was last seen in the mid-to-late 1960s.
Today, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey continues to be crafted in
the heart of Ireland. The whiskey is made from malted and unmalted barley,
which are milled and mashed before being triple-distilled through a traditional
pot still. Following distillation, the whiskey is matured for 12 years — the
Yellow Spot brand was always aged for this amount of time — in a combination of
American Bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. The
inclusion of the single pot still spirit aged in Spanish Malaga casks gives
Yellow Spot its famously sweet character. After the various casks have been
blended together, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is bottled at 92
proof, just a bit higher than other traditional Irish whiskies which are
bottled at 90 proof.
"Pot Still Whiskeys define the traditional flavor character of Irish
whiskey and we have seen a renewed interest and growth in the category over the
last few years," says Brian Nation, the master distiller at Midleton Distillery, which makes
Yellow Spot Whiskey. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has an aroma of
red bell peppers, nutmeg, green tea and sweet peaches from the Malaga casks. On
the palate, there is a honey sweetness accented by cloves, baked apples, milk
chocolate, coffee and creme brulee. The finish is dry and complex, with notes
of toasted oak, red grapes and barley.