Green Spot Irish Whiskey

[Motomag]

I have wanted to try green spot for a while now.Is green spot whiskey imported to the US market? I would I go about getting a bottle.

[barturtle]

I don't think it's imported. La Maison du Whisky is likely your best bet.

[sku]

I have wanted to try green spot for a while now.Is green spot whiskey imported to the US market? I would I go about getting a bottle.

[Gillman]

I have seen it regularly at Park Avenue Liquors in NYC, although I don't know if it's currently available there.

Gary

[JohnHansell]

It's not "officially" available in the US. I have loved this whiskey for 15 years, have promoted it often, and even tried to get it imported to the U.S.

I hooked up the brand owner with a passionate importer but, from what I can gather, the producer of the whiskey (Irish Distillers/Pernod) feared it might compete with Redbreast which was imported to the U.S. about the same time. (BTW, both whiskeys are made at the same distillery--Midleton--and is the only distillery in Ireland selling Single Pot Still whiskey at the moment.)

[DeanSheen]

Canada

uhh I take that back. Looks like they stopped carrying it. Right after I typed that i went to the LCBO to look it up and I don't see it there.

Well that sucks. I got some from there last year.

[ThomasH]

I still have some of mine. If you want to throw a bug in Pernod's ear, tell them to send some Crested 10 to the USA. Jamesons aged in sherry barrels sounds good to me!

Thomas

[Gillman]

It's not available currently at LCBO but seems to re-appear regularly after a hiatus. I liked it best 10 years ago when it had a fruity tang (spearmint gum-like), latterly the oak seems to have more of a say. I prefer (regular) Powers by quite a margin.

Gary

[Stu]

It's not "officially" available in the US. I have loved this whiskey for 15 years, have promoted it often, and even tried to get it imported to the U.S.

I hooked up the brand owner with a passionate importer but, from what I can gather, the producer of the whiskey (Irish Distillers/Pernod) feared it might compete with Redbreast which was imported to the U.S. about the same time. (BTW, both whiskeys are made at the same distillery--Midleton--and is the only distillery in Ireland selling Single Pot Still whiskey at the moment.)

John,

Are you saying that Bushmills no longer makes a single malt pot still? and are you waying that Cooley no longer makes Connemara, Michael Powers, Seine Fe, etc.?

Thanks,

Stu

[JohnHansell]

John,

Are you saying that Bushmills no longer makes a single malt pot still? and are you waying that Cooley no longer makes Connemara, Michael Powers, Seine Fe, etc.?

Thanks,

Stu

I didn't type the word "malt" there anywhere. What was previously called Pure Pot Still is not called Single Pot Still. More detail here.

[Motomag]

That's disappointing. Thanks for all the information everyone. I guess I will try the Redbreast 12.

[unclebunk]

That's disappointing. Thanks for all the information everyone. I guess I will try the Redbreast 12.

Redbreast 12 is a classic Irish whiskey and every bit as good as Green Spot with the added benefit of being easy to find and much less expensive. Buy a bottle and enjoy!

[Gillman]

What Green Spot has, and Redbreast 12, is 100% pure pot still whiskey. Powers has 70%, so for all practical purposes, it is a big-bodied traditional Dublin whiskey. I'd get that one pending obtaining Green Spot - plus, irrespective (partly) of the pot still component, it tastes great, and is about 1/4 the cost of Green Spot.

Gary

[Lab Walker]

Not to change the subject, but we [in PA] just got in John L Sullivan. I don't know anything about it other than the label says it is smooth.

My go to is Bushmill's and if it is like Jameson's, I'll pass. Anyone tried it?

[tmckenzie]

Not to change the subject, but we [in PA] just got in John L Sullivan. I don't know anything about it other than the label says it is smooth.

My go to is Bushmill's and if it is like Jameson's, I'll pass. Anyone tried it?

I have not had it, but it is from Cooley i bet, which means it is malt, and probably good malt. But it is a far cry from pure pot still. I like redbreast but it is not nearly as good as powers. On a side note. We at FLD are releasing this fall a green label Mckenzie whiskey. It is what would be pure pot still from Ireland. Aged in used barrels, some sherry finish. It tastes amazing. Has a lot of the tastes of Powers. It is 90 percent unmalted barley, the rest is malt.

[JohnHansell]

I have not had it, but it is from Cooley i bet, which means it is malt, and probably good malt. But it is a far cry from pure pot still. I like redbreast but it is not nearly as good as powers. On a side note. We at FLD are releasing this fall a green label Mckenzie whiskey. It is what would be pure pot still from Ireland. Aged in used barrels, some sherry finish. It tastes amazing. Has a lot of the tastes of Powers. It is 90 percent unmalted barley, the rest is malt.

I think it is yet another one of the seemingly endless private label whiskeys with Cooley malt in it. This one (like many others, Tom) is a blend if I remember correctly. (I have a bottle but it is not at my house at the moment.) As I recall, it is good, not great or bad.

[unclebunk]

I like redbreast but it is not nearly as good as powers. On a side note. We at FLD are releasing this fall a green label Mckenzie whiskey. It is what would be pure pot still from Ireland. Aged in used barrels, some sherry finish. It tastes amazing. Has a lot of the tastes of Powers. It is 90 percent unmalted barley, the rest is malt.

Redbreast not nearly as good as Powers? Hmm, I'm guessing you'd be in the minority on that one, though I agree Powers is an excellent whiskey and much more affordable. Looking forward to your green label release this fall.

[Motomag]

Thanks for the recommendation of powers. Is everyone talking about the powers gold label or the powers 12 year?

I take it the powers 12 is just the older expression of the gold label.

How is the powers 12 compared to the redbreast 12?

[Gillman]

I was referring to the regular Powers Gold Label. This is the classic version. I've tried the Powers 12 years old version and found it a little too woody, of course some people like that.

In my view again, recent bottlings of Redbreast 12 are somewhat lacking, not woody but thin and blandish. The Redbreast 15 years old, harder to find, reminds me more of what Redbreast 12 was in the past, heavy and oily.

Personally there are three Irish whiskeys I return to: regular Powers, regular Jameson and Connemara.

Gary

[DeanSheen]

Gary,

Regular Jameson is such an amazingly consistent product. I know I'm in trouble when I find myself in a bar and they don't have at least Jameson. That has happened it PA before and I suddenly realized that all the bottles were plastic!

[Gillman]

Well that's interesting Robert! But it's also got a great flavour. About 10 years ago it went IMO through a pallid period (like Picasso's blue period maybe ) but for some years it's been a solid performer with a good mix of minty pot still character and smooth grain whisky qualities.

Gary

[unclebunk]

Some folks knock Jameson because it's so common, for lack of a better word. The fact that you can find it in nearly every decent bar in the US shouldn't dissuade anyone from trying/enjoying it. Jameson is great Irish whiskey and for many Irish drinkers remains the benchmark by which all others are compared. Obviously, there are better (and more exciting) Irish whiskies out there, but for good standard fare it's hard to beat.

[Jonny.Applebury]

Just the other day I heard from a friend who is in Europe. She's bringing me a bottle of Green Spot! I can't wait to try it side-by-side with my Redbreasts. :slappin:

Jon

[Jono]

Well that's interesting Robert! But it's also got a great flavour. About 10 years ago it went IMO through a pallid period (like Picasso's blue period maybe ) but for some years it's been a solid performer with a good mix of minty pot still character and smooth grain whisky qualities.

Gary

I came across a review on another site and the individual gave it relatively low marks of "70" due to a generally uninteresting experience. The dominate quality was "pear" so this makes me wonder if the bottle came from the "pallid period" you note?

[Gillman]

No I don't think so, the current one has a pear quality I would say plus a refreshing, minty note. Tastes differ, to me it is a superb product.

Gary