Have just tried ... Green Spot

Green Spot is a premium Irish whiskey that is distilled by Midleton, the largest distillery in Ireland. It is one of the rarer whiskies in production with only around 5000 bottles released each year. Midleton is located in County Cork and is owned by Pernod Ricard, a large international drinks firm. They also produce other famous brands such as Jameson, Tullamore Dew and Paddy there. They use a mixture of malted and regular barley (this is common in Irish whisky distillation, see explain about ... the difference between scottish and irish whiskies) and it is then triple distilled in a pure pot still. This still is large, squat and bowl shaped and is made of copper, lending the spirit it's unique Irish character. The whisky appears light in colour and no age is given on the label. It is actually a mixture of seven and eight years old pure pot still whiskies with some of it being matured in sherry casks.

On the nose there is the malted barley coming forward but beneath this is some dried fruit sweetness (raisins and sultanas). This was a surprise on the palate. Normally Irish whiskies are light, fresh and smooth due to the triple distillation but this one is quite rich, full bodied and a bit rough. The maltiness and sweetness from the nose are present along with something strange and tangy (which I couldn't place) and a definate sherry influence. It burns a little so I added some water. This didn't really do it any favours and just diluted what was already there rather than revealing some new characteristics. The finish was dry and again rough with raw spirit plus an interesting note of menthol. I was disappointed by this. Numerous people rave about Green Spot but it didn't deliver the smoothness and freshness that I expected or wanted from an Irish whisky. This retails for around £35 a bottle.