RANDOM IRISH WHISKEY SHOWDOWN CLONAKILTY PORT CASK FINISH IRISH WHISKEY LIMAVADY SINGLE BARREL SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY YELLOW SPOT 12-YEAR SINGLE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY This “random Showdown” review is a bit incongruous. The Clonakilty and Limavady are both NAS, while the Yellow Spot carries a 12-year age statement; the Limavady is a single malt, while the Clonakilty and Yellow Spot are blends (the former sourced from different distilleries, and the latter a single-sourced blend of various cask finishes). The Clonakilty and Limavady are marketed at similar price points, while the Yellow Spot is typically triple that. The common denominator is the fact that each is a proper Irish Whiskey—and any common denominator is good enough for another Showdown. The purpose of these Showdown reviews is not to declare a winner per se, but rather to better understand some of the subjectivity of whisk(e)y appreciation as a function of context and comparison. CLONAKILTY PORT CASK FINISH IRISH WHISKEY Burnt-orange amber in color, the second darkest (or lightest) of the group, akin to Pantone 144. Fruity nose shows apples, peaches, sweet cherries, a little honey, and some vanilla. The palate is sweet and gently creamy—a little like strawberry ice cream—while remaining light on its feet. There’s a touch of bitterness on the back end—adding complexity rather than negativity—before transitioning to a dash of white pepper and lingering honey and vanilla on the finish. I’ve never had Clonakilty before—I’d never even heard of it—and it was a pleasant surprise (no, I’m not channeling Emily Dickinson with all of the em dashes). From the label, I was expecting something heavier, given the port finish. The whiskey has a little weight, but overall it’s quite fruity. This Clonakilty expression (there are several) can be found for $50-55. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. 43.6% ABV. Non-chill filtered. Batch # 038. 7,000 bottles produced. Unclear if E150a coloring is added. LIMAVADY SINGLE BARREL SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY In the glass, shows as dried hay and light amber, and is the lightest in color of the three whiskies in this Showdown (Pantone 143). Initially, there’s an brief herbaceous aspect (parsley? Bell pepper?) which blows off. Distinct banana chip note, along with Circus Peanuts marshmallow candy, some Cheerios cereal, and after much back-and-forth between the three whiskies in this Showdown, some butterscotch. There’s also a dank, damp wood note that is not offputting per se but rather conjures up notions of Irish Whiskey aged in underground cellars. Some nice oiliness on the palate, with more of the circus peanuts, before a peppery note kicks in along with the same Circus Peanuts, some not unpleasant bitter espresso, and a touch of toffee on the finish. The Limavady is the only single-malt, single-barrel Irish whiskey in this group. Subjectively, it comes across as “tighter” than the other two—and concomitantly, more intellectually challenging to describe. The single-barrel designation means there can be bottle variation from year to year, and even intra-year. One cannot plot a trendline against a single data point, but my experience with this data point will coerce me to seek out another data point in due time. At $40-50, the Limavady is a relative value, especially considering its uniqueness. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.5+ on the Distiller scale. As a side note: take a look at the picture accompanying the review. The Limavady has the most difficult stopper cap that I’ve ever experienced in any ingestible this side of a child-proof prescription cap. It is solid glass with a silicone seal ring, and requires the supplicant to work his or her ass off to get to the internals. I had to hold it in both hands, and then push up on the ventral side with both thumbs in order to free it. Distinctive, but very high maintenance. So I checked the website, which states that the bottle is “paying homage to the original 1750s design…Featuring an old-school ‘blob top.” I’m an old-school guy myself, but the perceived beauty of this so-called blob top is analogous to the skinned-knuckle aesthetics of a Ford Model A hand crank. 46% ABV. Barrel # 0143. Bottle # 746 of 846. Unclear if E150a coloring is added, but this one is the lightest of the three. YELLOW SPOT 12-YEAR SINGLE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY Color is a deep burnt orange, the darkest of the three (Pantone 159). Tasted alongside the others, the nose is like a cozy blanket. It evokes orange oil, sandalwood, fruitcake, mulled cider, sandalwood again, some vanilla, and something strawberry—think Strawberries Romanoff at Sparks in NYC (which has Grand Marnier in the whipped cream). This whiskey is soothing and calming, like an olfactory deep-tissue massage. The palate is viscous and coats the tongue; it is slightly woody, with vanilla, yellow raisins, and a reemergence of the orange oil on the nose. The proof is nicely integrated, with a gentle reminder of its presence on the back end, finishing with a pleasant woody vanilla note. As soon as the Yellow Spot touches your lips, there’s little doubt that you’re drinking something special. I’ve now had the Green, Yellow, Blue, and Red Spot Irish whiskies. Yellow Spot is delicious, and it should be, given the price (around $150—when it can be found). It’s expensive. But as good as it is, in my book, it only ranks third in that list (Blue #1, Red #2, Yellow #3, Green #4), which is a testament to the entire line. Would I buy it again? (This was a gift). Yes. I’d like to always have all the Spots (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red) on hand. 4.5+ on the Distiller scale. 46% ABV. Non-chill filtered. E150a coloring added. CONCLUSION This was an enlightening Showdown. Each whiskey has distinct attributes that were reinforced in the presence of the others. The Clonakilty is the fruitiest and sweetest; the Limavady a bit tigther and more focused, in the same way that a young cabernet sauvignon can be (though whiskey, of course, will not soften with age as a cab would). The Yellow Spot is in another class: it is confident and authoritative and grabs your attention, in comparison to the other two. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass. N.B.: The entirety of this review was written while listening to Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out.” on Apple Music. I saw Dave Brubeck in concert about 35 years ago, either before or immediately after their tour of the USSR—which (much to my chagrin) dates me as no spring chicken. But I do recall tapping my feet in 5/4 time to “Take Five.”