Review: Blue Spot Irish Whiskey 7 Years Old

We thought that we had diligently kept up with Midleton’s “Spot” whiskeys over the years, but we completely missed the youngster in the lineup. This 7-year-old release got quite a bit of buzz when it relaunched in 2020. And rightly so. It had been over five decades (!) since the last Blue Spot release, and its triumphant return marked the reunification of the entire Spot Family. What’s more, it was the first release in the lineup to be bottled at cask strength. Before that, however, Blue Spot spends its short life in a mix a bourbon and sherry casks, as well as Madeira barrels, a nod to the Mitchell family’s history of importing Madeira wine to Ireland in the 1930s (and likely using the empty casks to age their whiskey). Let’s see what the fuss is (was) all about, shall we?

Blue Spot Irish Whiskey 7 Years Old Review

The aroma is fresh and light, not exactly what you’d expect from a cask strength pot still whiskey. Early notes of dusty grain, honeycomb, and a healthy dash of earthy spice are restrained and a bit austere, but complexity blooms with time delivering vanilla cream, apple slices, peach skin, currants, and gentle pie spice.

The palate showcases a creamy, round mouthfeel and is packed with cask strength energy, practically humming with bright fruit and dark spices. Top notes of caramel candies, candied lemon peel, and clove give way to juicy tangerine and roasted nuts on the midpalate, which is punctuated with a generous warmth and peppery pot still spice. The finish is silky and generous, dissolving in notes of cinnamon sugar, flamed orange peel, and cherry ice cream. Impressively complex and well-developed for such a young Irish whiskey. Perhaps my new favorite in the entire lineup.

118.2 proof.

A / $90

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