Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Single Pot Still

Nose: cat’s pee on wet cobblestone, Morning after fire pit. Taste: chocolate brownie, roast duck, herbes of Provence.

Strawberries and French vanilla; smooth

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #3 Nose: Dusky floral notes (orange petal and violet potpourri), mixed berry preserves, light honey, buttered brioche. A warm, comforting cereal nose lifted by berry aromas. Palate: A rich but subtle (slightly restrained?) semi-sweet arrival focused on cereal and nuts (you can taste the un-malted barley component). The development brings out berries, red fruit and vanilla notes. The texture is creamy and slightly oily. Finish: Medium. A particularly nice finish with a sweet cereal character that gains a mildly drying chocolate bitterness in the aftertaste. The character of standard Green Spot is transformed by the wine casks into a softer form here, to create what is essentially a variation on a theme. So, is it worth paying 50% more than the cost of standard Green Spot for this expression? Well, it depends on how much a fan you are of wine-finished whiskey. If it’s a treatment that you find compelling (and it certainly can be in the right circumstances) then this is a fine example. I liked this whisky but it was clearly overshadowed by the next 3 whiskies in the tasting flight on the night, two of which were the same price. For me it was just a little too shy and retiring. I'm giving it the same score I gave the regular Green Spot. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)