Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Review — Score & Tasting Notes

Green Spot is a whiskey with one of the most endearing origin stories in spirits. The Mitchell family of Dublin, wine merchants since 1805, would send casks to be filled at Midleton Distillery, then age them in their own cellars. Each cask was marked with a coloured spot to indicate its intended age—green for the youngest, yellow, red, and the ultra-rare blue for the oldest. Today, the Spot range survives as one of Ireland's most cherished whiskey families, and Green Spot is the perfect introduction.

Matured for seven to ten years in a combination of first and second-fill bourbon and sherry casks, Green Spot is a 100% pure pot still Irish whiskey. The mashbill of malted and unmalted barley creates that distinctive pot still spiciness that distinguishes Irish single pot still from all other whiskey styles.

The nose lies in exactly the right spot—malty honey, peppermint, and toasty vanilla are evenly balanced. There's elderflower and honeysuckle, ripe red plum, and nectarine adding a fruity dimension that's uniquely appealing. It smells like spring in a glass.

On the palate, Green Spot delivers a full spicy body with cloves, fruity sweetness of green apples, and toasted oak. There are hints of smoke, pears, caramel, butterscotch, and menthol with light spice. The mouthfeel is creamy—distinctly, pleasantly creamy—in a way that only pot still Irish whiskey achieves.

The finish is malty, smooth, and long, with dark sweets, oak, and fruit. The spice eventually leads to a lingering, enjoyable close filled with cloves and other warm spice notes.

At approximately $65, Green Spot is the single pot still Irish whiskey that converts curious drinkers into devoted fans. It's approachable enough for newcomers yet complex enough to reward the experienced palate. The spot on this one? Decidedly green—for go.

Green Spot is the Irish whiskey I reach for when I want to demonstrate that pot still whiskey is its own category, not a subcategory of Scotch or bourbon. The combination of malted and unmalted barley creates a spiciness and creaminess that no other whiskey tradition replicates — it's neither the cereal richness of Scotch nor the corn sweetness of bourbon, but something entirely its own. In blind tastings with whisky-experienced drinkers, Green Spot consistently provokes the most interesting conversations because it defies easy comparison.

The Spot family provides a natural exploration path: Green for the introduction, Yellow for additional age and sherry influence, Red for further complexity. But at $65, Green Spot also competes directly with Redbreast 12 — the other essential single pot still — and the choice between them is genuinely difficult. Redbreast leans richer and more sherry-forward; Green Spot is fresher and more fruit-driven. Beyond Irish whiskey, Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask ($75) shares Green Spot's tropical fruit character from a completely different tradition, and Bunnahabhain 12 ($50) offers comparable maritime complexity from unpeated Islay.