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Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Single Pot Still
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed
February 7, 2019 (edited February 8, 2019)
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)
150.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@Scott_E I saw the Red Spot in some stores here now..range is $130-150. Kinda pricey. I think I’ll wait till it drops or I can buy a pour
@cascode I would think Pinot Noir is a bit overpowering for a finish. Any of the high tannic, full body reds—-Malbecs, Pinot Noirs, and Bordeaux.
@PBMichiganWolverine I used to dislike wine cask finishes but I've come to appreciate them more over time - and/or maybe the distilleries are getting better at using wine casks! Yes, a light and fruity distillate does seem to work well with wine (Bruichladdich certainly does) but this is the only Irish wine-finish I've tried. I have noted that some wine barrels can give a rather "plywood" aroma to the nose, but I've noticed that mainly on Australian whiskies, so it might be something to do with the type of wine. They use pinot noir casks frequently out here and I don't know that it's a good match for whisky.
@dubz480 @cascode. I don’t think I’ve had these, but to me it seems as if Irish whiskey would take a wine finishing really well. Would complement the fruity flavors.
@cascode it's another wine finished Green Spot. It's a famed Napa Valley CA Cabernet. My local is selling for $82 USD, hence my curiosity on the comparison! Great review as always by the way. Sounds like an interesting tasting all around
@Whiskey_Hound Method & Madness Single Malt, Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, and Connamara Turf Mor, in that order. I'll be reviewing each in a day or two (the Redbreast was the outstanding expression of the evening).
Great review as always. What else was in this flight if you don't mind my asking?
@dubz480 No, I’m not familiar with it.
Have you had the Montelena Cask as well? Similar?