Rebirth of a legendary whisky from the 1960’s: Red Spot 15yo Irish whiskey. This bottle has reappeared in 2018, after Mitchell & Sons passed the old recipe down to Midleton distillery. The Green Spot and Yellow Spot bottles have also reappeared, with a release of Blue Spot due on the horizon. This release is a blend of whiskey that was matured for 15 years in a combination of ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry and Marsala wine casks. It’s bottled at 46% and runs about $115. It’s amber and warm copper in color (natural) and has oily, thin legs and watery drops. The nose begins slightly nutty and roasted with a hefty waft of cinnamon breakfast cereal creeping in immediately after the pour. After some time, toffee and light oak mingle with apple skins and beeswax. There’s no real hint of heat, even at a robust 46% ABV. The palate sings of all spice, cinnamon and spicy barrel notes. Hints of smoked, ginger marinated beef jerky provide the crux of the flavors on the tongue, with some vanilla and light citrus cooling things off on the back end. It’s moderately rich with a mouth coat that seems thin at times, while oily at others. The finish is long and steadily warming, with cinnamon and caramel leading the charge. Lingering cereal notes keep the flavors balanced, although maybe a little boring, at the very end. It ultimately entices you to go back in for another sip- which is usually a sign of a wonderful whiskey...and this one certainly is. Overall, this is a fine product. The recipe has been recreated wonderfully and it makes me want to taste an old pour of the Red Spot from the 60’s. Good luck finding that, I know, but damn I really want to. Thanks to my buddy, @Scott_E from Long Island, for this generous pour. I went out and bought a bottle several months ago and I think it’s going to be a losing battle if I try not to open the entire Spot range of bottles. This stuff is fantastic. 4.25 stars, although I’d love to see this bottle drop a little in price (again, good luck I know) as I’ve noticed Irish whiskey is finally getting caught up in the whiskey craze and driving prices northward. This seems like a no brainer at $80-85, but I had to pay $117 for my bottle and that’s quite expensive for a 15yo bottle of whiskey. But, I still highly recommend finding a pour, at least, and experiencing this one for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Cheers.