Blue Spot Irish Whiskey

Blue Spot is the most recent revival in the legendary “Spot” range from Mitchell & Son, one of Ireland’s oldest wine and spirits merchants. Originally introduced in the early 20th century, the Spot whiskies were once a familiar sight in Dublin, each named for a coloured mark daubed on the cask to indicate its age. Blue Spot, which returned to the market in 2020 after a decades-long absence, represents the vibrant, cask-strength heart of the range, offering a bold and uncompromising example of single pot still Irish whiskey.

The history of the Spot range begins in the late 1800s, when Mitchell & Son purchased casks of new-make spirit from the Jameson Distillery at Bow Street, Dublin, and matured them in their own wine cellars. Each age statement had a corresponding “spot” of paint: Blue Spot for seven years, Green Spot for ten, Yellow Spot for twelve, and Red Spot for fifteen. Blue Spot disappeared from shelves in the mid-20th century as Irish whiskey production contracted, making its modern return a significant event for enthusiasts.

The new Blue Spot stays true to the style of its predecessors while appealing to today’s drinkers. It is a single pot still whiskey, Ireland’s signature style, made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills at Midleton Distillery in County Cork. This combination of ingredients and distillation produces a spirit that is both rich in texture and complex in flavour.

Blue Spot is bottled at cask strength, typically around 58–59% ABV, without chill filtration, preserving maximum mouthfeel and flavour intensity. Its maturation is a carefully balanced marriage of three cask types:
• First-fill bourbon barrels, lending vanilla, honey, and spice.
• Sherry butts, adding dried fruit, nutty richness, and depth.
• Madeira casks, contributing red berry sweetness, tropical fruit, and a subtle winey complexity.

The flavour profile is vibrant and layered. On the nose, Blue Spot bursts with orchard fruit, tropical pineapple, toasted oak, and baking spice. The palate is oily and mouth-coating, with green apple, ripe mango, ginger, vanilla, and roasted almond, underpinned by a robust pot still spice. The finish is long, warming, and slightly drying, with lingering fruit and spice in perfect balance.

Because it is bottled at natural cask strength, Blue Spot offers versatility, some drinkers enjoy it neat for its full power, while others add a splash of water to open up the aromas and soften the intensity. Either way, it retains a signature freshness and energy that distinguishes it from its older, more rounded siblings in the Spot family.

Blue Spot’s return also underscores the renaissance of Irish whiskey over the past two decades, as heritage brands and historic styles have been revived for a global audience. For collectors, it offers both nostalgia and novelty, a link to Dublin’s whiskey history and a modern, high-strength statement of pot still craftsmanship.

Our Blue Spot Irish Whiskey selection delivers the distillery’s vivid, flavour-packed style straight from the cask. Whether you’re exploring Irish whiskey for the first time, a fan of the Spot range, or a seasoned pot still enthusiast, Blue Spot offers a lively, uncompromising expression of one of Ireland’s great whiskey traditions.