Blue Spot 7 Year Cask Strength Single Pot Still

ST. PATRICK’S DAY IRISH WHISKEY SHOWDOWN Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition Redbreast Cask Strength Blue Spot Cash Strength I have developed a strong interest in Irish Whiskey over the last two years, significantly influenced by a good friend, with whom I've sampled many over that time. Redbreast in all its variations. The Spots in all their forms. Teeling in its numerous expressions. Multiple bottlings of Clonakillty. And several others. What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with some excellent Irish Whiskey? My preference leans towards the high-proof options, so I selected three to honor the saint who rid Ireland of snakes. Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition Vanilla and sweet oak are immediately apparent on the nose, alongside tropical fruit notes of papaya and guava, as well as black cherry cola, mulled apple cider, and spice cake. It has a viscous mouthfeel with similar notes on the palate. Spicy cinnamon on the finish. Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition can be purchased online for approximately $130. It is made exclusively for the US market. Would I buy it again? Absolutely. 50.5% ABV. Redbreast Cask Strength As anticipated, there's less oak and vanilla compared to the similarly named Missouri Oak Edition. The nose and flavor profile are perhaps leaner and less complex, more focused. Chocolate-covered cherries, pomander, dark caramel, fruitcake. It's not quite as viscous as the Missouri Oak Edition. There's no overwhelming burn on the finish, but the expected high-proof intensity is certainly present. Lingering flavors bring to mind vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Redbreast Cask Strength is available online for around $100. Would I buy it again? I already have. I have at least one bottle in my collection, in addition to this one. Batch B1/22. 58.1% ABV. Blue Spot Cash Strength This is one of my preferred whiskies, whether Irish or not. Notes of honey, vanilla, hot candied cashews, ginger, warm brownies, espresso, banana bread. It displays controlled extravagance. If you possess it, show it off – and Blue Spot certainly does. This is not cheap stuff, but you might need a high tolerance to appreciate it. I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this since late 2023. At that time, I had only tasted it at a restaurant, but I have since obtained several bottles, including a couple brought back directly from Ireland by a friend (it can be found there for about $US 120 compared to ~$300 here). Would I buy it again? Yes, at either price. I already have a backup bottle in my collection. It's among the best. 7-Year age statement. Non-chill filtered. 58.9% ABV. Side-by-side tastings are invaluable – even for whiskies that might seem dissimilar or not part of a similar group. Context influences taste perception. These three are Irish, and two are from the same producer, yet each is quite distinct in ways that might go unnoticed when sampled individually at different times. I appreciate cask-strength whiskies. Let's not even discuss the economics of diluting with water. Anything less than cask strength or barrel proof is essentially a water-diluted version of what was in the barrel. This has nothing to do with what tastes "best." If that were the criterion, there wouldn't be a minimum standard (40% ABV / 80 proof), nor would there be so many common ABVs (43%, 45%, etc.). If I had to rank these three whiskies, it would be Blue Spot, Missouri Oak, and 12-year Cask Strength. This is surprising to me, as I greatly enjoy the latter (and still do), and the second one is more diluted. Each of these are indulgent and thought-provoking whiskies, Irish or otherwise. Cheers!

Review # 200. Pulling out the biggest guns. This bottle will be finished tonight. Nose: An absolutely intoxicating aroma of mature red wine, pear, peach, coconut milk, and toasted almonds. Crisp red apple, vanilla, caramel, and cookie dough. Tropical floral notes. A boozy apple cider and cinnamon scent. Rich, heavy, utterly delightful. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, spiced coconut, cinnamon, wood. Apples and dried leaves - evoking autumn. Cherry and bread pudding. Ample baking spice in the mid-palate - ginger, more cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut flakes, cardamom, cumin. Worn leather and some earthiness. Then another hint of ripe orchard fruit, surprisingly. Mineral notes, slightly bitter, lead into the finish. A hot and chalky finish with sweet pear and green apple teasing the sides of the tongue. More of the aforementioned baking spice lingers for an extended period. Then something akin to a raisin cookie emerges after several seconds. Exquisite dram. An incredible taste comparable to almost anything else I've experienced (likely top 5) and certainly a top 2 in the Irish category. The only Irish I can liken this to is Redbreast Cask Strength. The batch of that I tried was absolutely divine and marginally better than this. This is deeper, richer, more complex and actually makes the RB seem somewhat plain in comparison. However, I appreciated that simplicity and I paid $67 for the RB compared to $300 for this (a moment of weakness after a negative COVID test). It's truly impossible to justify that price difference. But then there's the batch variation in RB. Perhaps Blue Spot will exhibit significant batch variation - too early to tell - so that could balance out. It's hard to declare a winner. Bottom line: a bottle of this at the approximately $85 retail price would be the ultimate Irish whiskey, but that's simply not the reality of the whiskey market today. Still, I believe the RB was (or is) underpriced and this is overpriced (thanks to the secondary market:-/). I would likely repurchase this (two bottles, in fact) for $150 or less. I'd be tempted at $200. If your budget permits the indulgence, acquire this one. Price notwithstanding, it is an excellent whiskey.

Besides the special wine cask Green Spots, this latest purchase finished my Spot Whiskey vertical collection. I was informed Blue Spot reigns supreme among the Spot Whiskies, and it certainly better satisfy the anticipation, as being the best of this group is a high benchmark. Immediately, the aroma suggests a higher proof, yet the ethanol burn does not overwhelm the faint traces of baking spice and ginger. Caramel and hazelnut mingle with black peppercorn. This definitely presents a more pungent scent than the others. The immediate impression is its exceptionally rich and smooth texture on the palate. Sweet milk chocolate dissolves on your tongue upon the initial taste. As it descends, spicy peppercorn intensifies, then is agreeably supplanted by incredibly smooth vanilla. Amazing... for a brief instant, it's akin to a vanilla milkshake. Near the end of the taste profile, toasted hazelnuts appear, a truly ideal complement to the vanilla. The finish is enduring and maintains its spiciness. As anticipated from a cask strength offering, the finish does become somewhat dry. Alongside the persistent nutty vanilla flavor gradually receding from the palate, some drying oak tannins emerge, while the peppercorn tingle initially experienced slowly dissipates. Alright... I admit it. Blue Spot is excellent. However, I am personally undecided between Blue Spot and Gold Spot for the top spot in the Spot lineup. Both are astonishingly, absolutely, and completely delightful Irish Whiskies. And if you know someone who dislikes Irish Whiskey, as I once did, let them sample this or Gold Spot. It's guaranteed they will see Irish Whiskies in a new light. I certainly do now and have fully embraced this category.

During a virtual gathering with friends, we sampled remarkable drinks, beginning with this Blue Spot 7 year old blind. It was followed by Cally 40 year, Lock Stock and Barrel 18, and Springbank 8 year. The initial aroma is rich shortbread, followed by a blend of berries (raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries) and orchard fruits. This transitions to a light minerality and chocolate-covered raisins, fading into gingerbread cookies with a moderate alcohol burn. The taste has a rich, mouth-coating texture, starting with caramel shortbread. It then moves to a mix of berry stew (raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries) and orchard fruits, leading to a medium spice that gradually softens into a light minerality and chocolate-covered raisins. It concludes with gingerbread cookies and light oak, accompanied by a medium-high alcohol burn. The finish is lengthy, featuring caramel apples, orange zest, dried mangoes, chocolate-covered raisins, subtle minerality, and light baking spices. My first impression was of an island or coastal Scotch due to the sherry notes and what I perceived as sea salt minerality. I was surprised to discover it was the elusive Blue Spot. This is not a typical Irish whiskey; it delivers big, bold flavors with a nice combination of berries, orchard fruits, well-integrated sherry, and light oak. I'm very grateful to a friend for sharing this. While the drinks were excellent, the conversation was the highlight of the evening.

Aroma profile: cereal grain, shortbread cookie, light toffee, vanilla cream, green apple, orange, yogurt-covered raisins, mango, lemon meringue, fig, sweet dough, powdered sugar, caramel corn, cinnamon, dry herbaceous notes, moderate ethanol burn. Flavor profile: shortbread cookie, caramel, vanilla, lemon oil, grapefruit, ginger, chili pepper, cinnamon, allspice, orange zest, milk chocolate, pineapple skin, green apple, mint, bitter herbaceous notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with shortbread cookie, lemon, and sour tropical fruit flavors. During a recent virtual tasting with some friends, I had the rare opportunity to taste this elusive Irish whisky. The nose is classic Irish, but cranked to eleven. Buttery shortbread cookie, sherried fruits, lemon, and some sweet tropical fruits. Juicy, effervescent, and sparkling come to mind with the palate. It’s richly citrusy, tropical, buttery, and fruity. This is great Irish whisky. Some of the best I’ve tried. The closest comparison I have is Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength. I like this slightly more, but it’s in the same category of tastiness for me. It’s absolutely worth the ~$100 retail price, as was the Redbreast, but good luck finding this unicorn. Don’t pay the secondary markup for this. It’s a great example of the category, but it’s not mind-blowingly good. A massive shout-out to a friend for sharing this. It’s inspired me to dedicate my next few reviews to knocking out the small backlog of Irish whiskies I’ve accumulated.

Ever receive a sample blind, make an assumption, and then it turns out to be something completely unexpected? It reminds me of grad school. I was dating someone from a strict, middle-class Indian-American family, excelling academically. She had significant disposable income for luxuries like $300 purses and $2000 watches, while I was struggling to buy groceries. My assumption was wealthy parents. However, after meeting her parents and seeing her home, they didn't seem affluent. I wondered if they had ample cash despite a middle-class lifestyle. But no... it turned out she was a stripper in Indianapolis, earning thousands weekly, tax-free. My perception was one thing; the reality was another. That brings us to tonight's sample... This was one of four samples we sampled this evening during an online tasting (with friends). It was a blind sample I provided. Of course, it wasn't blind for me; that would be foolish. I anticipated it would resemble other Spot releases – somewhat fruity and light. Instead, it was more like a Highlander: robust, meaty, full-bodied, almost oily. I added a few drops of water, which seemed to help. It's good—likely the best of the Spot series. However, the exorbitant prices and scarce availability are unwarranted. $100-110 is a reasonable price; anything higher is just price gouging.