Midleton Green Spot Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir Casks
46% ABV - Ireland
Nose: Candied apple, grasses, and vanilla. Soft orchard fruits. Whipped cream and berries on shortbread.
Taste: Fresh fruit juice, red apple, spices, fresh wood, and a floral character.
Finish: Fading sweetness, spices and light oak. Medium-length.
One of the first whiskies that I bought was the Green Spot from the Midleton distillery… back in the day when I could count the number of bottles on only one hand. Suffice to say, that I’ve had a soft spot for the Green Spot ever since.
When this release came out I was really excited—the Quails’ Gate winery is roughly a 4-hour drive away! I couldn’t believe that an Irish whiskey would have collaborated with a winery from British Columbia. Full disclosure, I had not actually had any Quails’ Gate wine until this release came out… the next time we were in the Okanagan I made sure to pay a visit. We tasted the Pinot Noir, which this whiskey is finished in, and we also tried the Old Vines Foch—that one being used by the Shelter Point distillery to finish Canadian whisky!
Dollar for dollar, I’d probably be happy with the regular release of Green Spot, but it is nice that this release has kicked up the ABV to 46% (from 40%).
Details (Official): Green Spot Quails’ Gate is the third edition in the Wine Geese series. Matured in American oak and ex-sherry casks, the liquid was then finished for 16 months in Pinot Noir casks to impart a delicate red wine bouquet to the nose, with notes of ripe cherry and juicy raspberries.
Tasting Notes (Official):Nose: Vibrant oak fused with notes of ripe cherry and fresh, juicy raspberry, elevated by the wine seasoning. These aromas are in balance with Green Spot’s signature orchard fruits of apple and sweet pear. The earthy, woodland spices lend themselves to the deep and complex characteristics found interwoven amongst the sweet vanilla and red wine bouquet. Taste: It begins with a silky and sweet mouthcoating texture, with the wine’s soft tannins gradually showing their presence. Notes of dried cranberries and red apple follow, adding to the ever expanding array of fruits in this wonderfully complex whiskey. Clove spice and grated nutmeg work in balance with the succulent fruits, seasoned oak and crisp barley. Finish: The toasted wood and pot still spices gently fade, with the fruits and red wine seasoning taking the final bow.
Tasted 26 September 2023. (Posted 23 November 2023.)
