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Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

March 25, 2025 Ireland

Name: Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

Color: Light yellow

Nose: Cream, green grass, malt, lemon

Taste: Malt, flowers, citrus, white fruits

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey is produced by the Old Bushmills Distillery located in Bushmills, County Antrim, North Ireland. The distillery was founded in 1784 but the bottle states 1608 because of when the license was granted. Some historian note that it could be as far back as 1276. Today in 2021, Case Cuervo owns the brand.

Bushmills Original is tripled distilled, 100% malted barley (blends), and bottled at 40% abv. I am not a big fan of Irish whiskey due to the creamy finish that most of them have but this one is surprisingly decent. The whiskey is light and has a fresh taste. It reminds me of Famous Grouse in lighter body flavor and the cost per bottle.

Other expressions: Black Bush, Red Bush, 10-year, 12-year, 16 year, 21 year, and 1608. I plan to move onto reviewing more Bushmills this year for future Irish reviews in March 2025.

Priced around $35 and good for a summer slugging whiskey, party gift, or a train ride in Ireland.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Blue Spot

March 20, 2025 Ireland

Name: Blue Spot

Color: Copper

Nose: Malt, cream, white fruits, light oak

Taste: Malt, sweet cream, oak, flower, citrus/white fruit finish

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Blue Spot Irish Whiskey is a recent re-release by Mitchel & Sons of their 7-year-old cask strength expression. The whiskey is triple distilled, bottled at 57.8% abv, and aged for 7 years in bourbon, sherry, and madeira casks.

I have been searching for Blue Spot for three years since I learned it was back on the market. I have sampled Yellow Spot at an Astor Wines in NYC, Green Spot at Harrod’s in London, and Red Spot at the Brandy Library Bar in NYC. I could not find Blue Spot until I landed in the Cincinnati Airport and walked past a bourbon bar. I was about to order a bourbon when I saw the bottle on the bottom shelf next to the Tito’s vodka. The bartender told me he had never served it so he needed to confirm the price and he had to call someone to find out what to charge. I waited and it was worth the wait. At $10 per drink, I requested a double.

The “spot” name comes from the paint color that marks the cask to identify the age of the whiskey.

Price updates form 2024 NYC area based:

Green Spot = NAS (7-10) years at $70+
Yellow Spot = 12 years at $90+
Blue Spot = 7 years at $270+
Gold Spot = 9 years at $225+
Red Spot = 15 years at $150+

Of all the expressions when you compare flavor and cost, Blue Spot is the winner. It is very smooth for the cask strength and a little water enhances the flavor tremendously. It is the best of the four I have sampled when you compare the flavor profile vs. abv vs. price.

Priced around $225 and hard to find, but very good if it fits your budget.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Green Spot Irish Whiskey

March 19, 2025 Ireland

Name: Green Spot

Color: Gold

Nose: Barley, green fruit, vanilla

Taste: Apple, cream, light sweetness

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Green Spot is a single pot still Irish whiskey from the Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland. The original Green Spot was aged 10 years and the new version is a now a non-aged stated (NAS) whiskey. It is matured in combinations of new and re-filled bourbon casks and sherry casks.
Cork, Ireland located in Map below (dark green):

The name Green Spot comes from the practice of marking casks of different ages with a daub or big dot of paint. Green= NAS, Yellow=12 years, Blue =7 years and Red=15 years. The was Blue and Red Spot have recently returned to the retail market.

Sales of Green Spot started in 1887 in a small grocery store. Over the last few years the Irish whiskey rebirth has been in full swing and Midleton Distillery is producing plenty of various whiskeys. I found data online that states that only 12,000 bottles are produced a per year. I cannot confirm this statistic, and I do not believe it. I see Green Spot on the shelf of all the higher end whiskey stores in NYC and other states. I would not worry about not finding a bottle in you are looking for one, but shop in a decent store.

I am not a huge Irish whiskey guy but I like Green Spot. In general, I find the cream finish in Irish whiskeys off putting and not to my style. I met an Irishman on cruise once and we got to talking about whiskey flavor. He was the opposite of me, he cannot stand the rough taste of scotch. It is all a matter of opinion when it comes to taste.

Priced around $60 it is a good Irish whiskey at a good price

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson Cold Brew

March 13, 2025 Ireland

Name: Jameson Cold Brew

Color: Dark Brown

Nose: Coffee, nuts, cocoa, chemical notes

Taste: Coffee, nuts, little chemical finish

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

This review is going to be short…..not a good sign for a whiskey here at NYC Whiskey Review.

Jameson Cold Brew has a very strong coffee noses with a lot of chemical taste. It is not for straight drinking. It is a mixer for a coffee. If you want Irish Whiskey for an Irish Coffee, buy something else. Maybe Jameson Crested.

Priced around $35 and tastes Holy Fuck Balls dipped in dog shit.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition

March 12, 2025 Ireland

Name: Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition

Color: Golden Brown

Nose: Jameson, beer barley, citrus, lemon grass

Taste: Beer flavor, Jameson, lemon finish

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition is a 40% abv, aged 3+ years, and finished in ex-bourbon and ex-IPA casks. The beer casks are provided by Eight Degrees Brewing from Cork Ireland. Eight Degrees bottles look familiar to me from my trips overseas to the United Kingdom, but I have not drank their brew. If you are not familiar with what “IPA” is let me help you out.

IPA beer is defined as: Hoppy beer styled pale ale and is an export style of pale ale. It was developed in England around 1840’s and became popular with East India Company traders because the brewery location was near their ships docks. Hence it became known as “India Pale Ale”.

At first sip the whiskey is nice and a has a smooth finish. It is medium bodied and surprising decent, but not amazing but good. As of this tasting this is the only Jameson I have actually enjoyed drinking. I am not a fan of Jameson Whiskey flavor profile. I prefer Scotch over Bourbon and Japanese Whiskey fights for second place with Kentucky mash. I have met many Irishman/women who do not like to drink scotch as it is too rough for them. To each their own.

Priced around $45 and decent stuff for Jameson at the price. These expressions are basically Jameson doing something to add more product to the market. I do not see them lasting forever in the market place.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jameson Irish Whiskey

March 11, 2025 Ireland

Name: Jameson Irish Whiskey

Color: Light Gold

Nose: Grain, alcohol, citrus

Taste: Light, malt grain, light wood

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Yes, its is that time of year again in NYC. It’s St. Patrick’s Day this month, so let’s all go out and get shit faced and not really understand what Patrick did to become a Saint.

I am not a big fan of Jameson Whiskey. This whiskey has no special nose, a rough finish, and tastes cheap. Jameson is a triple distilled blended whiskey and it is what it is, a baseline product to be used in other version the distillery produces.

Everyone in NYC knows Jameson because regular bars offer it at $4-5 a shot (a very small shot) which makes it one of the most drank whiskey in NYC based on recent statistics on Facebook. Let us assume Facebook news is accurate with this statement, and it probably is because a few years ago, Bloomberg News ran a story about Jameson was ramping up production to match Jack Daniels. Today it appears to be true as Jameson is on the shelf of almost every bar in America.

Jameson is very affordable but nothing that special. It goes good in Irish coffee, in mixers, or if you want to get drunk affordably. If you like Jameson I would recommend you increase your budget and purchase one of their aged stated whiskeys or their Red Breast 12 Year Old.

Priced around $35 and I am not a fan of this expression from Jameson.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Teeling Pot Still Whiskey

March 6, 2025 Ireland

Name: Teeling Pot Still Whiskey

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Malt, white fruits, flowers

Taste: Malt, apples, white pepper

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Teeling Pot Still Whiskey in one of several expressions from the Teeling Distillery which is located Dublin, Ireland. The distillery was started by Jack and Stephen Teeling in 2012 and was the first new distillery in the City of Dublin in 125 years. The founders are the sons of John Teeling who started the Cooley Distillery. Cooley produces Kibeggan, Connemara, The Tyrconnell, and 2 Gingers whiskey. I am not a fan of nepotism, but in starting a new distillery, in a major city, it works nicely.

Pot Still Whiskey has a nice malt flavor profile with little creamy finish. The whiskey has a 50/50 mix of malted and un-malted barley, non-chilled filtered, non-age stated, bottled at 46% abv, and aged in American Virgin Oak, bourbon, and sherry casks.

Other expressions are: Small Batch, Single Grain, Single Malt, Spirit of Dublin, The Revival 13 Year, Vintage Reserve 24, and Vintage Reserve 33.

I am a fan of Teeling and I look forward to trying more expressions. If you know someone that likes Irish Whiskey, or you want to upgrade a gift bottle I would recommend Teeling.

Priced around $70 and is a little overpriced but has a very nice flavor profile. Thanks to Frankie for the free tasting!

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Teeling Single Malt Whiskey

March 5, 2025 Ireland

Name: Teeling Single Malt Whiskey

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Pear, white fruits, green grass

Taste: Barley, almonds, pear, sweet wine

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Teeling Single Malt whiskey is a 100% malt whiskey aged in five wine casks and gives the spirit a unique flavor profile. These casks include; Sherry, Port, Madeira, White Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Single Malt is a non-aged stated, 46% abv, and no chill filtration whiskey. The Teeling Distillery states it contains whiskey up to 23 years old to make this expression, but I do not buy that statement. If it is true, then it is fractional amount of 23-year-old whisky. The more I sample of Teeling the more I become a fan. For my previous Teeling review click here.

As I tasted this expression from Teeling I kept getting a reminder of white burgundy wine. In my college days in the late 1990’s I worked a few summers as a sommelier and I sold (and drank) a lot of white burgundy. That was the best job I ever had…… Why did I become an engineer?

Anyhow, Teeling Single Malt is a great example of what a good whiskey can be an at a good price. It has a nice balance of flavor, body, and not being too Irish or creamy or sweet. It’s got enough body and taste while being light enough to drink in warm weather. It is a good summer scotch and I doubt it will last another 30 days on my bar.

I am glad I picked this one up on a chance instead of the Red Breast Lustau I was planning on purchasing.

Price around $60 and well worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Teeling Small Batch – Rum Cask Finish

March 4, 2025 Ireland

Name: Teeling Small Batch – Rum Cask Finish

Color: Yellow

Nose: Sweet Rum, apples, wheat

Taste: Oatmeal, apples, rum sweetness

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

I am not a huge fan of Irish whiskey, but I liked this release from Teeling. I joke about the Irish and their whisky because I am half Scottish but truth be told, the creamy finish on most Irish drams is not appealing to me. However, with Teeling Small Batch Rum Cask Finish I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the flavor profile.

Small Batch is non-chilled filtered with a blend of 35% malt and 65% grain and aged between 4 to 7 years. After the aging, it is finished in rum barrels for 4-6 months. The rum casks are supplied by Flor de Canan (“Sugar Flower”) Rum from Nicaragua. At the time of writing this review, Teeling states that it is the only distillery in Ireland that uses rum barrels to finish their whiskey. The black bottle made me think I was getting something heavier but I thought wrong. It is a lighter flavor and fresh tasting.

I recommend this whiskey for scotch and bourbon drinkers. I strongly recommend it for those who think Irish whiskey is $5 shots of Jameson here in NYC with a beer. I cringe every time I walk by a bar in Manhattan that as a black board with white chalk writing advertising Jameson shots. There is more to Irish Whiskey than Jameson.

Teeling Small Batch is a good Irish whiskey at a good price. Great stocking stuffer, good to bring to a party, or drink in the office.

Priced around $45 and worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Italian Cocktail – The Negroni

February 26, 2025 NYC

Name: Italian Cocktail – The Negroni

Color: Red

Nose: Gin, sweet syrup, medicinal spices

Taste: Gin, sweet syrup, medicinal spices, cirtus notes

The Negroni cocktail is said to originate in Italy in the 1940’s. Some records show it originating in France in the 1920’s, but I choose to believe the it came from Italy due to the use of Campari. Wherever or who ever created it, you have done a benefit to society, my thanks to you.

The Negroni is simple cocktail made with dry gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. It is served in a rocks glass over ice and with a twist. There are other versions of the Negroni, but I prefer the classic. This cocktail is not for everyone for three reasons. One, more people drink vodka than gin. Two, most people do not drink Campari. Three, sweet vermouth has never been as popular as dry vermouth. It is a sad truth, I never really see people ordering Negroni’s in the NYC area.

What I like best about a Negroni is it has some bite to it. It has a medium heavy, slightly syrupy, and has a sharp finish of Campari. It is an excellent substitute for a whisky on the rocks on a hot summer day.

How make a Negroni:

1/3 Dry Gin
1/3 Sweet Vermouth
1/3 Campari Bitters
Stir and Strain in rocks with ice
Add twist of orange or lemon

Negroni Tip:

Make sure you use a quality dry gin. Fruity, earthy, or experimental gins will not blend well with the other mixers. Trust me I have tried it. For the “Anthony Bourdain “Big Ass Negroni” use an 8-ounce rocks glass, one big ice cube, and 3x the measures of booze.

I recommend you try one this summer. They do taste better in Italy for some strange reason.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

Blue Spot

Green Spot Irish Whiskey

Jameson Cold Brew

Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Teeling Pot Still Whiskey

Teeling Single Malt Whiskey

Teeling Small Batch – Rum Cask Finish

Italian Cocktail – The Negroni

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