Three new Irish whiskies with a Greek influence

Three new Irish whiskies were unveiled at a World Whiskey Club event in Dublin earlier this week. All three are single cask releases finished in barrels used by Greek producer Boutari for various Greek wines. The brainchild of Serghios Florides of Irish Whiskey Magazine, they are made using ten-year-old Single Pot Still Green Spot whiskies produced by Irish Distillers in Midleton. The result is three unique and delicious whiskies, available in tiny quantities in three different outlets. 

The Mitchell & Son Green Spot Single Cask was finished for 8 months in a seventeen-year-old ex-Vinsanto wine cask. Vinsanto is a traditional Greek sweet wine which imparts (very seductive) flavours of raisins, prunes and honey. 312 bottles were produced, available exclusively from Mitchell & Son in chq and Sandycove for €295 a bottle. There is a limit of one bottle per person.

UK online retailer MasterofMalt.com has the second cask, aged in eleven-year-old Vinsanto casks. The whiskey is fresher, seemingly sweeter with cinnamon and spice on the finish. Apparently 300 bottles are available through their website, although I couldn’t locate them.

Lastly the Irish Whiskey Magazine cask is finished in barrels used to mature Ampeliastos, a sweet wine from Santorini, for sixteen years. It is a lovely whiskey, rounded and fruity with chocolate and toasted oak.  The cask yielded 240 bottles, available for €295 initially to Irish Whiskey Magazine subscribers. Check their website for details.