Green Spot Review

There’s a style of Irish whiskey that most people have never heard of. It’s called single pot still, and it’s made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley in a pot still. Green Spot is one of the best-known examples.

The name comes from a bit of Dublin trading history, and it’s more interesting than it sounds.

Spots and wine merchants

Green Spot was historically bottled by Mitchell & Son, a wine and spirits merchant in Dublin. They filled casks with whiskey from the Jameson distillery and aged them in their cellars, and marked the casks with a dab of paint. A green spot meant a seven-year-old whiskey. There were also blue, yellow and red spots for other ages. Only Green Spot and the Yellow Spot still exist.

Today the whiskey is made at the Midleton distillery in County Cork by Irish Distillers, which is part of Pernod Ricard. It’s single pot still, which means a mix of malted and unmalted barley, all distilled in pot stills at a single distillery. The unmalted barley adds a spicy, creamy character. It’s matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, and bottled at 40% in most markets.

A different kind of Irish

This is not the Jameson style. Jameson is a blend with a lot of grain whiskey. Green Spot is all pot still, which makes it richer and spicier. As someone who likes Jameson, I’d approach this one with curiosity: it’s Irish, but it’s a different animal.

Trying it

I tried this neat next to Jameson. I’d read it’s a different style, and I wanted to see how. It’s creamier and spicier.

Nose: Green apple, vanilla and a bit of cereal, with a gentle spice. It smells fresh and slightly spicy. No harsh edges.

Palate: Creamy and spicy, with fresh fruit and honey. A hint of oak at the back. It has a richer texture than a standard blend, and the spice adds interest without being sharp. It’s smooth and easy to drink, and I like that it isn’t just sweet.

Finish: Medium, spicy and slightly dry. It fades cleanly. A drop of water softened the spice a little.

The pot still family

Redbreast 12 is the well-known sherry-influenced sibling, from the same distillery. Yellow Spot is the older version, aged twelve years in three types of cask. Powers John’s Lane and Midleton Very Rare are other pot still releases. Green Spot is generally seen as the lighter, fresher one of the group.

Value

A 70 cl bottle usually costs about £46 in the UK. That’s a fair price for a single pot still, though a lot more than Jameson.

The price is usually a notch above standard Irish blends, in line with the other pot still bottles. At 40% it isn’t the strongest, but the style is distinctive.

Who it is for

It’s for people who like Irish whiskey and want to explore the pot still style. It’s also a good bottle for anyone who finds Scotch too smoky or too sharp.

A different kind of smooth

Green Spot is smooth in a different way from Jameson. It’s creamy and spicy, and the texture is a bit thicker. I noticed it more on the second glass, and the spice never got sharp. It’s a more interesting whiskey, and still easy to drink.

The sweet spot in Irish

For me it’s the sweet spot in the Irish range. It’s more interesting than the blends, cheaper than the older pot stills, and less intense than the sherried ones. If I were buying a gift for an Irish whiskey fan, this would be a safe pick.

It’s an easy bottle to recommend, and I’d happily keep one on the shelf.

Last word

Green Spot is a whiskey that tastes like it was made by people who care. It’s a gentle, creamy bottle, and it has a bit of spice that makes it more interesting than a plain blend. I’d say it’s one of the best Irish whiskeys you can buy for the money.

If you like Jameson, I’d say this is the one to try next. It’s the same family in spirit, with a bit more depth. I’d buy it again, and I’d gladly give it as a gift.

Verdict

Yes. It’s smooth, fresh and has a character I enjoy. I’d buy it again.