Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still

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.”

Yellow Spot is abnormally complex for an Irish Whiskey or even a 12 year old whiskey. Every review and even the bottle itself give different opinions of what you can expect while experiencing this dram. It felt like I had taken a really intelligent, talented girl on a date, and throughout the evening she kept revealing new things that alternately shocked and intrigued me. I had 2.5 generous pours of Yellow Spot while I tried to sort out my feelings. Attraction, certainly. Nothing unpleasant, except a little confusion about why she’s content to be out with the likes of me. I got different things with each dram. Predominant I suppose was the sherry-soaked chocolate cake on the nose with cherries, apples and some kind of spicy heat. The palate is sweet summer fruits with bitter spices asserting themselves a bit hesitantly. It’s alternately oily, spicy and nutty, and now all three together. The finish is long and complex. I’ve had a great time. I think she’s interested in coming back to my place, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if she refused. She’s not really playing a game, she’s just not revealing everything she’s thinking. And I respect that.

You know what's great about Spot whiskies? Although they CAN cost a lot, they are still relatively easy to come by. Its like the hipsters haven't stumbled across this pot o' gold yet. An interesting mix of red fruits and hay hit your nose with a bit of a twang but then open to baking spices, honey, hazelnut and the faintest hint of some brine. Its just enough to tickle the nose. The front of the palate has a wonderful salty/sweet thing going for it. Hazelnut cream with roasted peanut with Creme Brulee create a lovely taste.. enough for you to want the whiskey to linger a moment or two before taking it down. As the taste goes down, tannic oak sweeps in with a bit of tart red apple and citrus zest. The finish dries up quite a bit, bringing in once again - tannic oak that stayed from the end of the taste but with it just a bit of tongue tinging peppercorn. I'd say the finish is just about as far removed from the front of the taste as possible without going peated. Another fantastic Irish by Mitchell and Son and most definitely a bottle I will be keeping on hand at all times.

Rich golden brown in the glass with medium coating legs. Got this in July in NV for a steal at 80. Tasting this neat. Nose is sweet grain and red grapes. Mouth blows up with sweet red fruit and cereal, nuts and raisins. Then spicy grass and cooking spices show up in the finish. Sweet grain, soft and pleasant aftertaste. Little alcohol heat. Ice leaves the grain and raisin sweetness but blands the toasted cereal and spice complexity. On the other hand, this makes an elegant Whiskey Highball with soda. Oh yeah! Very different from other Irish. Less iodine, more fruit than Redbreast 12. A softer fruitier version of the Green Spot, which I really like. I'm going to enjoy this bottle all the way to the bottom..

Had this after fish & chips dinner so senses make be askew. That said immediate nose was isopropyl alcohol. Not what I expected or wanted! Gave it a sip and things started returning to normal. After regrouping my senses, it has a nice fullness. If you recall the caramel bullseye candys, that is the sensory memory being triggered for me. If not, I can best describe as a creamy caramel. A bit more bite than the red spot, although they are the same proof. I'm pleased with each of the green spot, yellow spot, and red spot offerings. They each are distinct but well worth sipping and enjoying time together with friends.

Nose: apple, honey, golden raisin, stone fruit, butterscotch Palate: oak spice, cloves, butterscotch, pear, sherry and wine dark fruits. Finish: short, sweet honeysuckle, wine/grape astringency Low heat, a step above entry. Definitely hit with those sherry notes. Like Redbreast 12 finished in sherry. Not sure worth for $80. Irish characteristic is heavily masked by the wine casks. Enjoyed, but wont buy again.