IRISH DISTILLERS AND MITCHELL & SON REUNITE THE SPOT FAMILY WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF BLUE SPOT
– Highly anticipated Blue Spot has been reimagined at cask strength, paying homage to the bonding tradition from which it was born
– Launch marks the reuniting of the original Spot whiskey family for first time since 1960s
Irish Distillers, maker of some of the worldâs most enjoyed whiskeys, has once again joined forces with the Mitchell family to unveil its reimagined Blue Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.
With the most recent existing record of Blue Spot dating back to 1964, the launch will signal the end of a 56-year wait among the global whiskey community for the re-introduction of Blue Spot, reuniting the historic Spot Family for the first time in over half a century.
The story of the legendary Spot Irish whiskey range began in the early 1900s when celebrated wine and spirits merchants, Mitchell & Son, began maturing whiskey from the local Jameson Distillery in Bow Street in their underground cellars in Dublin City Centre. Blue Spot takes its name from the blue daubs or âspotsâ of paint that the Mitchells used to mark the barrels to signify that the whiskey in those casks were to be matured for a minimum of seven years.
Building on the foundation of bourbon and sherry casks, the reimagined Blue Spot includes whiskey aged in Madeira casks, inspired by the historical inventory of Mitchell & Son and typical of the Spot style of whiskey. The Midleton masters, in collaboration with the Mitchell family, were influenced by archive documents dating back to 1935 showing Madeira wine casks imported to Ireland which, once emptied, would have been used to mature whiskey.
The team at Irish Distillersâ Midleton Distillery have been sourcing Madeira wine seasoned casks for over 20 years. These casks are carefully handcrafted in a cooperage in the north of Portugal and then sent to the island of Madeira. Once seasoned, the casks are shipped back to Midleton and filled with pot still distillate and left to mature, allowing the Madeira wine influence to impart wonderful flavours of stewed apples, hazelnuts and sweet spices. These Madeira casks, along with ex-Bourbon and ex-sherry casks are then hand-selected and married together to achieve the perfect flavour balance. Bottled at cask strength, the result is a luxuriously rich and characterful whiskey.
Kevin OâGorman, Master Distiller at Irish Distillers, comments: âIt is with absolute pleasure that we reintroduce Blue Spot and bring a piece of Dublinâs rich whiskey history back to life. Over the years I have had the honour of collaborating with the Mitchell family, who for generations have celebrated the influence of fine wines on Irish whiskey, as we have reintroduced expressions to the beloved Spot range. I am incredibly proud to celebrate with Jonathan and Robert Mitchell on this historic day as Blue Spot takes its place alongside Green, Yellow and Red Spot, reuniting the whole family once again.â
Jonathan Mitchell, Managing Director at Mitchell & Son, continues: âItâs been a privilege to shed light on the history of whiskey bonding in Ireland and the role our family had to play in it as we relaunch Blue Spot. The inclusion of whiskey aged in Madeira casks adds flavours that would have been originally introduced into Irish whiskey by the Mitchell family. As the full Spot range comes back to life, we find ourselves bursting with pride for the role our family played in the creation of this treasured range of whiskeys.â
A non-chill filtered, cask strength release that will see ABV varying annually, Blue Spot is available from this month at the RRP of âŹ80 in Ireland, UK, France, Canada, Northern Ireland and Global Travel Retail, and in the USA from February 2021.
Tasting notes:
Nose: A light mix of pineapple, kiwi, green banana and lime zest followed by Pot Still spices, baked apple, hazelnut and toasted wood.
Taste: A smooth mouthfeel with a subtle mix of fruit, a hint of clove oil and cracked black peppercorns. Sweet spices, vanilla and cinnamon add to the woodâs nutty contribution.
Finish: A lasting and distinctly palatable balance of exotic fruits and spices.
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Notes Â
About Blue Spot
Blue Spot was originally produced by the Mitchell family who commenced trading in 1805 at 10 Grafton Street in the heart of Dublin city as purveyors of fine wine and confectionery. Seven generations later, the company is still in the wine and spirits business under the stewardship of Jonathan Mitchell and his son Robert.
The Mitchell family expanded into the whiskey bonding business in the early 1900s, whereby they sent empty wine and fortified wine casks via horse and cart to the local Jameson Distillery which were then filled with new Pot Still spirit and returned to the Mitchellâs maturation cellars. There, the whiskeys matured for many years under bond until they were ready to be bottled and sold.
About Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers is one of Irelandâs leading suppliers of spirits and wines, and producer of some of the worldâs most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the worldâs bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 8m cases in 2019. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 70 of those experiencing double or triple-digit growth.
Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over âŹ400 million to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.
We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of âŹ9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantineâs, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-JouĂ«t champagnes, as well Jacobâs Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricardâs brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Groupâs decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of âCrĂ©ateurs de ConvivialitĂ©.â As reaffirmed by the Groupâs three-year strategic plan, âTransform and Accelerate,â deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricardâs strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), âWe bring good times from a good place.â In recognition of Pernod Ricardâs strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nationâs Global Compact LEAD company.
Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.
