Mitchell & Son Gold Spot 9 Year Old

Hi folks long time no see, I could make excuses but instead, here's a review. I figure I should upkeep the tradition carried by @talexander & @Ol_Jas before me but alas I find myself without a bottle of Lagavulin 16 in this currently "swelled' times and with the prices it's commanding now that's not likely to change. See I'm right back to old habits a Canadian complaining about whisky prices on Connosr :)

Ok what I do have on hand courtesy of Spirit Of Toronto's online Masterclasses is a sample of Mitchell & Son's newest baby, this was released this year to celebrate their 135th anniversary of entering the whisky bonding business. Which if you want to know about is a pretty unique thing that was specific to Irish whisky but I will try and stay on track.

So again this is Irish Pot Still whisky from Midleton following the usualy permutations they would for the rest of the Spot line-up. I think this may be the first time they've transgressed their own Modus Operandi of recreating historic recipes from Mitchell's Bonding history (they did all the old colors green, blue, yellow & red) but you know the marketing team's gotta earn their keep. Who knows maybe we'll get purple spot next?

This one has the particularity of being 9yrs old and a mix of Bourbon barrels, Sherry butts, Bordeaux Wine Casks & Port Pipes

Nose: Spicy, pain au chocolat but with nutella instead of dark chocolate, honey covered nuts, dry cereal grain & hay. There's some red fruits, like a mix of redcurrant, cranberry and raspberry but instead of getting cloying the mineral notes really reign it in. Waxpaper wrapped sweets in the pocket of an old leather jacket.

Palate: Real lovely entrance, oily, thick, bready and sweet. This pours over your tongue like warm honey, yes there's a little tingle from the ABV but it only helps delivery the spices (ginger, nutmeg). A great unsweetened bread dough filled with quality candied fruits, Lemon peel and a hint of chocolate. All the while there's just malt & sunflower oil notes on the back end.

Finish: The mineral side of Irish pot still here comes off as a mix of grape stem, bee pollen & hay. The tannins definitely leave their mark, have you ever eaten boiled maple sap poured over snow onto a birch stick? That moment where the sweet goo and tannic wood meet but it pulls back before its too much.

Notes:The mix of casks isn't jumbled as one might suspect, it creates a rich harmony, with elements popping in and out but always keeping it moving. The waxy, linseed oil, grainy notes managed to keep everything grounded. The proof is perfect here, it holds up to water but really doesn't need it.

This is the whisky Yellow Spot wishes it could be...the blending is agile and truly worthy of a special edition...there was a Redbreast 27 yrs old in the same tasting kit and it didn't stand a chance. I don't know if they are employing the same trick they did with the first batch of Blue Spot where a small amount of older whisky was used against the much younger one but if so, that is the winning combination fort this style.

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