Here you go: the first single cask Red Spot whiskey ever created, as well as the oldest release to date, and it’s exclusive to The Whisky Exchange. This 1991 single pot still whiskey matured in bourbon casks and then went into a Marsala cask from Sicily.
TWE also had a Green Spot 1991 Marsala cask some time ago. I wonder why one is green and the other red as both are effectively sister casks.
Mitchell & Sons have a long history as importers of fortified wines and they’ve used this connection for their Spot whiskeys before. In 2018 they created Red Spot, a 15 year old combination of bourbon casks, sherry butts and Marsala wine casks from the famous producer Florio. When they presented Red Spot I could already try a cask sample of one of these Marsala casks and found it to be rather stunning. Let’s hope this single cask is able to repeat this experience.
Red Spot 31 yo 1991 (57,6%, OB for The Whisky Exchange 2023, Marsala cask #50768, 516 btl.)
Nose: a complex mix of dark plums, raisins, raspberries and blackcurrant jam. Some orange peel, nice vineyard peach and pot still spice in the background. Pepper, cinnamon and eucalyptus bark. Then some leathery notes and tobacco leaves. Mossy undertones. Nice sweet and sour balance. Really good and aromatic, reminiscent of these old Redbreast single casks from sherry or Port casks.
Mouth: well yes, excellent. Plenty of plums and prunes again, along with forest fruits and ripe peaches. Boiled cherries. Tropical echoes of mango and guava. Then some eucalyptus and leather, as well as aniseed. This gets rather cognac-like at times, with nice rancio notes. The Marsala also adds a darker hint of cocoa with earthy undertones. Tobacco and a few drops of herbal liqueur.
Finish: long, with hints of cigar boxes, cinnamon and a few drops of herbal extracts.
A very rich Midleton spirit with lots of dried fruits but also the typical brighter juiciness. The Marsala cask comes close to the better known sherry casks at times, but it adds a specific darkness and spiciness. Really good – not cheap but worth checking out. Exclusively available from The Whisky Exchange.