| Whiskey | Red Spot Irish Whiskey |
| Distillery | Midleton Distillery |
| Region | County Cork, Ireland |
| Type | Irish Whiskey |
| Mash Bill | 100% Barley (Malted and Unmalted) |
| Proof / ABV | 92 Proof / 46% ABV |
| Aging | 15 Years in three separate batches – 15 Years in Ex American Bourbon Barrels – 15 Years in Ex-Sherry Butts – 15 Years in Ex-Marsala Wine Casks These batches are then vatted together to create this final whiskey |
| Filtration | Chill Filtered |
| MSRP | $200 |
| Release Year | 2024 |
Red Spot Irish Whiskey Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Golden Honey
Nose: Rich red fruits, honey sweetness, vanilla, apple, light citrus, vanilla, toasted oak, chocolate, earthy malt, baking spice
Palate: Sweet honey, delicious dark red fruits, black cherry, plum, apricot, vanilla, almond, toasted oak, oaky tannic spice, chocolate notes, malt grain, hints of clove
Finish: Rich bold finish full of oaky tannic spice, deep red fruits, and a nice peppery spice on the tail end
Is Red Spot an Approachable Whiskey?
Red Spot Irish Whiskey packs a bit more flavor than some of your cheaper Irish Whiskeys and boy is it delicious.
It has a little more pepper and spice on it than other Irish whiskeys due to being aged for 15 years and being non-chill filtered, but that is what makes it special.
This is a whiskey everyone will enjoy – beginners and whiskey connoisseurs alike.
Is Red Spot Complex?
Red Spot is extremely complex and has an incredibly rich depth of flavor.
The nose is packed with bold red fruit notes balanced with oak, vanilla, chocolate, and baking spice.
The palate is where this whiskey shines.
Right away you get extremely rich red fruits like dark cherry and plum that are some of the richest I have tasted in any whiskey (including Scotch and Bourbons).
In addition to the delicious red fruits, you also get notes of apricot and bits of citrus.
Behind the bold fruits, you have an excellent layer of oak which adds a nice oaky tannic spice to the flavor profile.
I would explain this as almost the backbone of the whiskey and feel like it is the reason this Irish whiskey in particular has such a solid structure to it with multiple layers of flavor.
It is no surprised that this whiskey has such depth of flavor because it is matured and finished unlike any other whiskeys I have reviewed.
Rather than maturing one full batch of whiskey in a American Ex-Bourbon Barrels and then finishing it in Sherry and Marsala Wine Casks, this whiskey is split into three separate batches where each batch is fully matured for 15 years in its respective barrels.
Then, after 15 years of aging, those three batches are blended into the final product which results in the unique Irish Whiskey that is Red Spot.
It also helps that this bottle is non-chill filtered which means it has all the original oils that many other distilleries filter out of their whiskeys.
Since it still has all the oils, this bottle has a better structure and texture to it that really coats your entire mouth for an enhanced finish.
It is a real delight to drink.
What are Red Spot’s strongest attributes/flavors?
I usually ask this question because more often than not a whiskey has singular a distinguishing factor that makes it stand out.
I like to think of this as the quick elevator pitch I would tell a friend if I was trying to sell them on tasting this bottle or buying it in the store.
Red Spot is one of the few whiskeys where I cannot even solo out one distinguishing factor.
It is easily the richest Irish whiskey I have ever tasted, probably even more so than the cask-strength Blue Spot, and is probably my favorite Irish Whiskey in my collection.
Is Red Spot a go-to whiskey?
Red Spot is absolutely a go-to whiskey.
If this bottle weren’t $200, it would be a bottle I drink all the time.
However, since it is pricey and completely unavailable in my home state of Pennsylvania, I am stuck reserving this bottle for special occasions until I can find myself another bottle.
Is Red Spot priced accurately to its quality?
Red Spot is one of those bottles that I always wanted to find.
In my state of Pennsylvania, I have never seen it on the shelf even once.
We have gotten the Green Spot, Yellow Spot, Blue Spot, and even the Gold Spot, but I have never once seen this bottle here.
The only time I got to taste this bottle was at one of my favorite local Pizza shops in my area called Bado’s.
They had the absolute best white pizza and unfortunately, the time I found Red Spot behind their bar was for their last week in business before they shut down.
I went with my parents and when I saw a bottle of Red Spot, I just had to get a pour.
I believe they gave me a 2 oz pour for something around $30 or so and I had heard so much about it that I knew I would give it a taste.
I was impressed with it back then and I was on the lookout for a bottle for probably 2 years before I finally found one on a trip to Ohio.
I snatched it up the moment I saw it and I honestly wish I bought myself a backup.
So all of that to say that this bottle is absolutely worth its price tag.
It’s one of best Irish Whiskeys you can find and is probably my favorite Irish Whiskey in my collection.
Conclusion for Red Spot Irish Whiskey
Overall, Red Spot is a must have if you are a fan of Irish Whiskey.
Even if you’re not a fan of Irish Whiskey, this is a bottle I would recommend everyone to buy if you see it on the shelf.
Even as I’m tasting it for this review, I find myself reaching back for the bottle for a few additional pours which is one of my biggest signs of a delicious whiskey.
Do yourself a favor and get a bottle of Red Spot if you can get it.
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