Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Single Pot Still

Interesting: I've sampled the Green Spot Chateau Montelena. I've now tried the Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton. I've never actually had the standard Green Spot. My impression is that this whiskey is superior, finished in wine casks, Zinfandel and Bordeaux respectively, but it also feels somewhat pretentious drinking whiskey finished that way (Leoville Barton sounds like the affluent, popular individual with the sports car whom you would have liked to strike in high school). However, I don't mind consuming something that sounds pretentious. The crucial element is the whiskey's actual flavor, and both the Montelena and the Leoville Barton are good. But which is superior? I can't definitively say. Individuals who have tasted them side-by-side seem to prefer Montelena. That one also appeared on the Whisky Advocate Top 20 a few years ago, but I'm not convinced that's my assessment here. Admittedly, I had Montelena last year, and I have a glass of Leoville Barton before me now, and my preferred spirit often tends to be the one I'm currently drinking. But based on memory, I believe your preference will depend on whether you favor berries (Montelena) or citrus (Leoville Barton). The aroma here, while containing a hint of vanilla custard, is also abundant with mango, orange sherbet, and creamsicle. I also detect Bellini. Primarily, there is a citrus character with a custard undertone. Not predominantly orange, but orange cream. Regarding the flavor, I'll note that this has been open for about a month and half the bottle is consumed. The aroma hasn't evolved much from being open, but the taste has mellowed. There was an initial sharpness on the tongue that has dissipated with time and aeration. The creamsicle notes continue with tropical fruit and marmalade. The finish isn't particularly long, and there's a touch of spice resembling candied orange. It's enjoyable but not entirely traditional. Don't misunderstand me, this is excellent liquid. Among the better Irish whiskeys I've encountered, and it might surpass Montelena. It might not be as good. But I wish I were more enthusiastic. If I like it more than Montelena, I'm still reducing the rating by a quarter star. Time changes one's palate, so that might also be a factor. It's good Irish whiskey and at $65, it's a reasonable value, but for the $100 I've seen it elsewhere, I'd advise saving your money. The market is becoming irrational, and we're overpaying for good whiskey masquerading as great. As I've stated: $65, Green Spot, don't increase the price. You're getting its current value now.

Nose: Heavy and ripe orchard fruit dripping with dew. Honey, caramel, toffee and overripe red fruit swirl together. Vanilla and red wine. Splash of oak. Milk chocolate. Dash of mint and spice. Palate: Red wine, chocolate, coffee, plum, dates. Vanilla and cinnamon spice. The fruit on the nose is present but much more subdued - generally in the background, but a juicy, ripe peach note occasionally stands out. Big, oily mouthfeel that leaves a hot baking spice taste/feel coating your tongue. This has some of the bitterness found in Yellow and Red, but that I don't recall from the other Greens (or the Blue, for that matter). That bitterness leads into the finish, which has some grassy, herbal notes plus baking spice and a bit of mint/menthol. All of that sits atop a still very big and rich malt roundness - caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Red fruit or red wine mingles with pot still spice and lingers for a long time. The final impression is a different bitterness - this feels like French oak tannin and dry red wine. It reminds me quite a bit of The Glenlivet 14 Year, which is aged/finished (not sure exactly which) in French Limousine oak. The character of the wood notes is similar, although this is more nuanced, subtler, better. Excellent. This feels a bit more substantial and intriguing than the Chateau Montelena version. It fits nicely into the Spot range between the Greens and the Yellow. This essentially presents a more mature version of Green Spot, which is very welcome at times, but it's also simply not worth the cost at other times. I still believe the brightness, accessibility, quality, and excellent value of regular Green Spot make it the overall top choice of the Spot lineup, but I would say this is a not-far-behind second place. It's easy to consider purchasing this bottle again. Special thanks to a friend for encouraging me to buy this one back in March. I purchased it two weeks after their review. Savored it slowly until tonight.

The wine cask treatment on the Chateau edition took an already fantastic base Green Spot to even greater heights. Naturally, I had to try this one next. The Leoville Barton adds about 1-2 years of Bordeaux cask aging to Oloroso, American oak, and bourbon casks--bottled at 46% like the Chateau edition. Let's give it a try. Nose: Immediate notes of vanilla, toffee, and banana. Tastes like peaches and cream. Raspberry, strawberry, apricot, and orange/nectarine. These last few aromas get stronger over time in the glass. Raspberry especially. A hint of plum is in the background. Floral notes. Smells like vanilla pudding and roasted chestnut. Develops further with even more time. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. A wonderful nose. Palate: Tastes like Gala apple, pear, apricot, and banana. Vanilla pudding and toffee. Caramel and chocolate-covered raspberry. Honeydew and kiwi. Blackberry and plum. Shortbread/sugar cookie notes are in the background--usually, those would be front and center in an Irish whiskey. Brown sugar and roasted chestnut. Walnut too, and a bit of cinnamon. Like the nose, this is fantastic. Finish: The honeydew and kiwi from the palate carry through. Apple, plum, raspberry, blackberry, and cranberry. Orange and nectarine. Cinnamon and oak carry this to a medium/long finish. A smooth finish. Wow. This one lives up to the hype--and more. It's incredible at every stage. I couldn't recommend this more highly-- to any whiskey enthusiast, regardless of whether you prefer Irish, Bourbon, or Scotch. This is amazing. It's hard to say any whiskey is worth $120 when I enjoy many whiskies that cost a quarter of that. But if you can afford it, this is worth every penny. It is truly unique and I don't expect it to be replicated based on everything else I've tasted so far. And I have tried many whiskies. Purchase with confidence.

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #3 Nose: Dusky floral notes (orange petal and violet potpourri), mixed berry preserves, light honey, buttered brioche. A warm, comforting cereal aroma lifted by berry scents. Palate: A rich but subtle (slightly restrained?) semi-sweet arrival focused on cereal and nuts (you can taste the un-malted barley component). The development reveals berries, red fruit and vanilla notes. The texture is creamy and slightly oily. Finish: Medium. A particularly pleasant finish with a sweet cereal character that gains a mildly drying chocolate bitterness in the aftertaste. The character of standard Green Spot is transformed by the wine casks into a softer form here, creating what is essentially a variation on a theme. So, is it worth paying 50% more than the cost of standard Green Spot for this expression? Well, it depends on how much you appreciate wine-finished whiskey. If it's a treatment you find compelling (and it certainly can be in the right circumstances) then this is a fine example. I liked this whisky but it was clearly overshadowed by the next 3 whiskies in the tasting flight on the night, two of which were the same price. For me it was just a little too shy and retiring. I'm giving it the same score I gave the regular Green Spot. “Good”: 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Tasting neat. Color is golden brown straw with strong coating legs in the glass. The nose presents dry grain and musty grapes, sweet plum stone fruit and strawberry. A faint whiff of ethanol and grass in the far background. Sweet, rich fruit and vanilla on the palate, feeling soft and coating. A touch of char oak tannins and ethanol bloom, but kept in check by the wine influence and caramelized sugar sweetness. The finish is ripe fruit, orange peel, a little grassy spice, soft and very long. Among the Green and Yellow Spots I've sampled (and tasting the Yellow Spot side-by-side with this Leoville Barton barreled Green Spot tonight), this one is softer and more mellowed by wine. It's richer, thicker, more complex (which is significant given how excellent the Green and Yellow are), less astringent, and more wine-coated. However, I might still favor the Yellow, which is less opulent in its wine flavors, but... that's like picking favorite children... which we all secretly do. That doesn't diminish my affection for this LB Green Spot. I'm going to enjoy this bottle.

The aroma is sweet and rich, dominated by vanilla pudding, complemented by graham cracker, fig, white grape, and bread yeast. There's no wood influence whatsoever. Ethanol is completely absent. It's not highly complex, but it's pleasant. The palate offers vanilla cream, rich butterscotch, floral honeysuckle, berry compote, orange zest, generic tannins, and a subtle hint of beet or turnip. The flavors are gentle and delicate yet harmoniously combined. The finish is quite dry, medium in length, and presents some spice like nutmeg and clove, alongside oats, more vanilla, cotton candy, and a hint of almond. If you're seeking wood presence, this isn't for you. The mouthfeel is unexpectedly thick for its delicate profile, almost fudge-like, and is a true highlight. This bottle took considerable time to reveal its full character, so don't judge it from the initial pour, but once it did, it truly won me over. A delightful Irish whiskey, though I can find expressions I prefer from the Redbreast line at a lower cost (Lustau, Port Finish). At $104.99, it's just shy of a repurchase.