Go for gold: Blended whiskey with a complex nose and a rich, smooth palate

Jonathan and Robert Mitchell, the sixth and seventh generations of wine merchant Mitchell & Son, were both present at the launch of Gold Spot, the latest in the Spot series of Irish whiskey. This release, limited to 3,000 cases, celebrates the 135th anniversary of the first time Mitchell sent used empty wine casks to the local Jameson distillery in Bow Street.

There they were filled with new unaged single pot still spirit. The casks were then returned to Mitchell’s bonded warehouse in Fitzwilliam Lane, where they were stored under the watchful eye of Customs and Excise. After a few years, each cask was tasted and categorised according to ageing potential and quality. Those daubed with a spot of blue paint were destined to be aged for seven years, green for 10, yellow for 12 and red for 15 years, before being bottled and sold through the Mitchell & Son shop at 21, Kildare Street, in Dublin 2.

These days the spot whiskeys are produced by Irish Distillers in conjunction with Mitchell. Gold Spot has been matured for a minimum of nine years and includes some 17-year-old whiskeys. It is made from a blend of whiskeys aged in Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry, Bordeaux and Port wine casks.

Gold Spot has a complex nose of dried fruits and toasted wood; the palate is rich and smooth with honey, cassis and plums, and spice coming through on the lengthy finish.