Single pot still whiskey contains a varying proportion of unmalted barley, lending it a unique character. And yet this wasn’t down to a skilled distiller’s ‘eureka’ moment – distillers in the 1800s were so dismayed at the escalating taxes on their malted barley that they started using a bit of unmalted to save money.
Single pot still used to mean Redbreast – although you can taste it in blends such as Jameson and Powers – but there are now a growing number of examples on the market, from the precise and fresh Green Spot to the richly elegant Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy. Look out too for new age expressions of Redbreast – and its superlative 12-year-old Cask Strength.
€75Original price was: €75.€69.99Current price is: €69.99.
The first ever single pot still Irish whiskey finished in Bordeaux casks! The choice of Bordeaux wine is also significant – Ch. Léoville Barton is not only a highly-regarded grand cru Château, but one that takes it’s name from the Irish ‘Wine Geese’ winemaker Thomas Barton. In fact, Léoville Barton is still run by his descendants to this day. This bottling is a celebration of shared Irish heritage.
Matured initially in a mixture of ex-Oloroso Sherry, fresh American oak and ex-bourbon barrels, this Green Spot whiskey is then finished in the ex-Château Léoville Barton Bordeaux wine casks for 12 to 24 months.
€67Original price was: €67.€58Current price is: €58.
A delicious edition of Green Spot Irish single pot still whiskey which has been finished in casks that previously held Zinfandel wine from Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley, California. It’s the second in ‘Wine Geese’ series, all of which feature whiskey finished in casks from wineries run by Irish winemakers around the world – the family currently running Chateau Montelena was originally from Waterford!
Green Spot is a fabulous single pot still whiskey and much loved by the critics. This Irish whiskey has come far from the days when it was only sold in Mitchell’s grocer shop in the heart of Dublin, though its flavour profile is still just as robust. The whiskey has matured in a combination of first and second fill bourbon casks as well as sherry casks.
Red Spot is reborn! Mitchell & Son’s Spot Whiskey range dates back many moons, but over time a few expressions have disappeared from shelves, including Red Spot – but those days are over. The relaunched Red Spot is a 15 year old single pot still Irish whiskey, comprised of three different whiskeys aged separately then blended. One is matured in Oloroso sherry casks, one is aged in bourbon casks, and the final one is initially aged in bourbon casks before being finished in Marsala wine casks.
€55Original price was: €55.€47.50Current price is: €47.50.
A delightful single pot still Irish whiskey, Redbreast 12 Year Old is highly praised by Jim Murray and a host of other notable critics. Distilled at the Midleton site from malted and unmalted barley, it’s then matured in a combination of American oak bourbon barrels and Spanish oak Oloroso sherry butts. We can’t get enough of this multi-award-winning whiskey.
Big, bold and complex, this single pot still Irish whiskey was matured for 12 years in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks before being bottled at cask-strength. There are tropical fruit aromas with mango and banana, leading to apricot, candied sultanas and baking spices on the nose.
A cask-strength edition of the beloved single pot still Irish whiskey, Redbreast 12 Year Old. Triple distilled in copper pot stills from a combination of malted and unmalted barley, the whiskey matured in a combo of American oak bourbon barrels and Spanish oak oloroso sherry butts before being bottled at cask strength, amping up all that classic, rich, rounded Redbreast character.
€94.90Original price was: €94.90.€89.90Current price is: €89.90.
A beautiful pure pot still whiskey (or “single pot still” as it’s now officially known). Redbreast 15 is a rich, thick, sweet, pungent whiskey with loads of flavour and complexity – really good stuff!
This sumptuous Irish whiskey offers a new twist on the classic Redbreast style thanks to the addition of cream sherry casks, alongside ex-bourbon, oloroso sherry and ruby port casks. This combination of casks has created a whiskey that is bursting with juicy berry flavours, hazelnut chocolate and caramelised peaches, sweet baking spices and polished oak notes throughout the palate.
€75Original price was: €75.€69Current price is: €69.
The Lustau edition from Redbreast highlights the use of sherry casks on the Irish spirit. This was finished in first-fill oloroso-sherry butts for a year, resulting in a creamy whisky with notes of liquorice, marzipan and dark fruits.
Colour: Rich gold. This is supported by official producer tasting notes.
Nose: Mown hay, cracked black pepper, red bell pepper, nutmeg, clove oil, green tea, honey, and peaches. This is supported by official producer tasting notes, with the peach sweetness specifically linked to the Malaga casks.
Palate: Honey sweetness with pot still spices, fresh coffee, creamy milk chocolate, red apple, and toasted oak. This is supported by official producer tasting notes.
Finish: Long and complex, with lingering sweetness, oak spice, and soft fruit richness. This is an inference based on the official palate and nose profile, together with the three-cask maturation style.
