Irish Distillers and Mitchell & Son have released a new Gold Spot whiskey. (Photo: Irish Distillers)

Irish Distillers and Mitchell & Son — Ireland’s oldest wine and spirits merchant — on Friday announced the release of a new expression, Gold Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.

This limited-edition whiskey pays tribute to 135 years of the Mitchell family’s whiskey bonding business, which began in 1887 when the bonders sent empty wine and fortified wine casks to a local Jameson Distillery to be filled with new single pot still spirit for maturation. Once filled, the wine casks would be marked with a “spot” of colored paint to signal its age, with blue, green, yellow and red spots respectively indicating the 7, 10, 12 and 15 years.

Thus, Mitchell & Son marked this new release with a gold spot. The Mitchells chose gold because the color symbolizes “quality, prestige, specialness and celebration,” according to a news release.

“It has been a privilege and a joy to work with the renowned Mitchell family as they took us on a journey through the rich history of their business, handed down through seven generations,” said Katherine Condon, distiller at Irish Distillers. “Gold Spot truly is a liquid time capsule with the wine-driven casks treading a beautiful balance of tradition and innovation and marking their 135-year history of whiskey bonding in Ireland. We cherish these opportunities to collaborate with the Mitchell family and look forward to welcoming even more whiskey fans to taste a piece of whiskey history within the Spot family.”

The new release is aged for at least nine years and builds on the foundation of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks — typical of the Spot whiskey style — married with Bordeaux wine casks and port pipes. The inclusion of port casks is a first for a modern iteration of Spot whiskey.

“As the oldest family run wine and spirits merchants in Ireland, we’re delighted to continue the legacy of the Spot family, and our family’s historic role in Dublin’s whiskey bonding era,” said Jonathan Mitchell, managing director at Mitchell & Son. “It has been fascinating to once again collaborate with Katherine Condon and the talented team at Midleton to celebrate the colourful story of our family business, utilising casks that would have been originally introduced to Irish whiskey in the late 1800s. We’re excited to see what the future holds for this wonderful family of whiskeys.”

Unveiled at Whiskey Live Dublin, Gold Spot is bottled non-chill filtered at 51.4% ABV. The whiskey will be available online from www.spotwhiskey.com and at Whiskey Live Dublin starting June 10, and from Mitchell & Son stores and all established retailers starting June 14, at a recommended retail price of €120 ($126). It will be available to buy in Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and Global Travel Retail. It will be released in the U.S. in mid-July.

Gold Spot Whiskey Tasting Notes

Nose: Opens with a bouquet of autumnal berries that develop into notes of apple and pear before evolving into rich stone fruits. These are intertwined with layers of wood spices, vanilla and perfumed wine undertones.

Taste: Rich pot still spices with vibrant fruits enhanced by the delicate oak tannins and wood spices. While The sweet influences of the charred and toasted oak deliver a character that embellishes the unique mix of wine-seasoned casks.

Finish: Rich and lasting with the intricate nature of the wine casks and pot still spices lingering.

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