Spots Star At Cork Whiskey Festival.

Spots Star At Cork Whiskey Fest

Taking us to the high Spots at Gallaghers is Midleton Whiskey Ambassador Ger Garland

I met three of the Spots at the inaugural Cork Whiskey Festival, all part of a stellar masterclass in Gallaghers Gastro Pub where Midleton Legend Ger Garland and Brand Ambassador Matthew Smith guided us through the selection along with  some of their finishing wines.

My conclusion? That Green Spot is amiable, ideal for chillout moments if rather innocent and playful (a morning sip said Matthew). Yellow is more grown up, a little edgier (just a tad). Red is smoother, more sophisticated. By the way, if someone said to me "you can have the Green only" I would not be at all disappointed. 

And that 12-year old sherry turned out to be an unexpected favourite! Perhaps not that unexpected as Lustau is my favourite sherry.

The line-up at Gallaghers

The story of the Spots began under the hustle and bustle of cobbled Dublin streets in the early 1900s where a single pot still Irish whiskey brand was quietly making a name for itself. The first of the branded spots didn’t appear until the 1920s.

Mitchell & Son matured their whiskey in casks in a network of underground cellars. When the fortified wine casks were filled (exclusively with new make spirit from Bow St. Distillery) and brought back to Mitchells, they were marked with a daub or ‘spot’ of paint which identified how long they would be matured for. Blue for 7 years, green for 10 years, yellow for 12 years and red for 15 years – hence the name Spot Whiskey.

Matthew

These along with the Green Spot Wine Geese series as well as limited editions such as Gold Spot make up the full selection of Spot Whiskeys. At Gallagher, we enjoyed the Green, the Yellow and the Red.

Back in the days when distillers sold barrels of whiskey direct to customers who finished them in their own way, there was a lot of variation in the market, according to Matthew.

The bonding business thrived for decades but was on the way out in the 1960s when the few remaining distilleries, consolidated in Midleton as Irish Distillers, refused to continue the supply barrels. But, as often happens in Ireland (and presumably elsewhere), someone knew someone and through that insider track, Mitchell had their supply continued.

While sherry and fortified wines are often quoted as being the difference makers in the Spots, credit is not always given to the influence of the Spanish oak in which these wines have been matured. This oak (from Galicia), Matthew told us, is spicier, drier and with more astringency, than other oaks.

And there are also different influences as we move from Spot to Spot though all are Pot Still. The first difference is ABV: 40% for Green, 46% for Yellow and Red. The second is age, 10 years for Green, 12 for Yellow and 15 for Red. All are matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks but there is a third cask used in the case of Yellow (Malaga wine) and Red (Marsala wine from Sicily). All these factors add to the variety in Irish whiskey even if Spot, though well-loved, is not a large share of the overall market here. Prices too go up as you move from Green to Red!

Ger 

Green Spot with its light and delicate nose and flavours and silky mouthfeel is, like all the Spots, produced in Midleton. It weighs in at 40% ABV but the Cask Strength version, that we also tasted, has a hefty 59.1%. Ger said it is quite potent and hinted that you may need to add a drop of water!

Ger was very much taken with the 12-year old sherry and so was I. “Amazing with Gubbeen smoked cheese or their smoked sausage,” he advised. “With its nutty nose and rich flavours, it is a nice interlude on our whiskey journey today.”

Now we were on to Yellow Spot. Matthew: “Moving to a sweeter basis. The 12-year statement on the bottle means that the youngest whiskey in the product is 12 years old, it will also contain older.” He indicated that those with a sweet tooth will prefer the Yellow over the Green. And Ger confirmed that the Malaga wine is very sweet and syrupy, a dessert wine.

Matthew enthused over the Red saying it was fantastic,  with that dessert wine influence now from the Marsala "..darker.. more complex…sweeter..” For me though, it was also smoother than the Yellow. 

While Ger was enthusiastic about the Marsala, I didn’t really fancy it on its own - it was also part of the tasting. But it certainly seemed to do the trick with the Red Spot.

Time now to leave the packed room and head out into the city rain and prepare for another day on the whiskey trail tomorrow. And the good news, after a hugely successful opening night and a string of well attended events on the first day, that insiders are already forecasting that the Festival will be back again next year.

Like to know more about the Spot Series? Then please click here.  

And Single Pot Still? Single Pot Still whiskey is unique to Ireland in general and is regarded as the quintessential style of Irish whiskey. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills, Pot Still whiskeys are characterised by full, complex flavours and a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel. In order words, your Spots are very good to begin with.