See what we’re up to!

Search
Close this search box.

See what we’re up to!

green spot

Green Spot – A History of One of Ireland’s Last Bonded Whiskies

Green Spot is the premier example of an Irish bonded whiskey. That is, it is a whiskey that is distilled by a single distiller for a single season and then aged for a specific amount of time controlled by law. Unfortunately, it is one of the last true bonded Irish whiskies, part of a family of whiskies that make up nearly the entirety of bonded Irish whiskies today. How Did Green Spot Come to Be?

 

It all started when the Mitchell family opened a bakery in the heart of Dublin in 1805. Called Mitchell & Son, the bakery soon gained a reputation as the place to go when you were on Grafton Street to get the finest teas, candies, cakes, and baked goods. However, as the years went by, Mitchell & Son decided to try their hands at other businesses and began importing wine. In those days, wine was imported in large, fortified casks and soon, the Mitchells realized that they would be the perfect containers to mature whiskey.

 

The Mitchell family sent these empty wine casks to a distillery called Jameson Distillery on horse-drawn carts. They were filled with whiskey and then returned to the Mitchells, where they were aged for many years under the cobbled streets of Dublin. Green Spot got its name when the family decided to mark barrels of whiskey meant to age for ten years with a spot of green paint. Now, Mitchell & Son produce four distinct whiskeys, including:

 

Green Spot

Today, Green Spot is still aged for 7 to 10 years in bourbon and sherry casks and distributed exclusively by Mitchell & Son. It is known for its spicy body with hints of fruit and topped off by a lingering barley flavor. Anyone who enjoys whiskey should make time for Green Spot— there’s a reason it’s been popular for well over a century.

Blue Spot

Just like Green Spot’s maturity time was marked with green paint, Blue Spot was marked with blue, indicating that it would be aged for no less than 7 years. This whiskey has a hint of tropical fruits, as well as vanilla and cinnamon. Tasting notes come from Blue Spot’s extensive aging in bourbon, sherry, and Madeira casks.

 Yellow Spot

Yellow Spot has an array of unique spices owing to pot-still production and aging in Malaga wine casks, as well as bourbon and sherry casks. These include nutmeg, red bell peppers, green tea, and clove oil as well as notes of honey. This is also a choice for a whiskey drinker who wants to experiment with more exotic and spicy flavors.

Red Spot

The top tier of the Mitchell & Son whiskey is Red Spot whiskey, which is aged over 15 years in bourbon, sherry, and Marsala wine casks. The care that goes into this whiskey is apparent in its taste, including hints of black cherries and baked apples. The long maturation time means that the fruits and spices have plenty of time to infuse perfectly with the whiskey.

 

At Payless Liquors, you can find all these Mitchell & Son whiskeys and more Irish, Scotch, Canadian, and American varieties, as well as whiskeys from all over the world. Browse our website to pre-order for pickup or stop into our store to discover why this whiskey has lasted for generations.