Nose: Apricots, cherries, red berry juice, wine, brandy, red apples, caramel, spiced butter cookies and a hint of sandalwood. It’s a warm and fruity nose with baking spices in support. Water strengthens the caramel note. Palate: Oily barley with forest-fruit jam, cookies and fortified wine in the arrival. In the development I got oak spice, tannin, black pepper and walnut skins but the red-fruit character is king here and never subsides. A dash of water amplifies the fortified wine note even further and makes the texture softer and more silky, but also emphasizes the pepper spice. Finish: Medium. Oak, spices, fortified wine and red fruit. There is a familial similarity between all the “spot” whiskies that I have tried, but this Red Spot shows the most defined fortified red-wine influence. It has an interesting fruitiness that is compelling and both subtle and intense. It could easily be a wine-dominated train-wreck of a whisky but it somehow avoids disaster while maintaining a vigourous potency of character. I think it's the oily pot-still spirit that is key here - it probably wouldn't work as well with all malted barley spirit. I don’t know what type of marsala casks they use for Red spot but I’d guess they held sweet red marsala, but it could be a mix of casks. I’ve never been that partial to Green Spot but I am a devotee of the 12 year old Yellow Spot with its full-bodied malaga wine influence and I prefer it to this whisky, however that is very much a personal taste thing and I can see how a different palate would prefer Red Spot. In fact, on a different day I might prefer Red Spot myself. It's a bit like choosing between sauternes or port wine for dessert after a good meal ... both are great choices. I’m also basing this review on a single bar-pour and I’d prefer to get to know Red Spot better, but my gut feeling is that these are different but related versions of Midleton distillate that have been very skillfully crafted to appeal to different palates. The age difference is not that great but the maturation process for Red Spot is more costly and complex, hence its much higher price. It's a lovely whisky, and something suitably special for my 1,200th review. I’m giving it the same rating I gave Yellow Spot. Tasted as a 25 ml pour at Midleton Distillery Bar, 20 May 2024 “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)