Review #273 - Yellow Spot 12 Year

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Review #273 - Yellow Spot 12 Year

From Mitchell & Son, we have the colorful range of Spot whiskies. Named for the paint spots that were traditionally added to the barrels, which indicated the sort of maturation and target age the liquid in an individual cask was destined for, the core range consists of Green Spot, Blue Spot, Yellow Spot, and Red Spot. Traditionally, they were matured in underground cellars in the city of Dublin.

This triple distilled Yellow Spot bottling boasts a 12 year age statement, and instead of finishing the liquid in the various wine casks, this whisky takes a different approach: full 12 year maturations are completed separately in the ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Malaga casks, before it's blended back together for the final product.

Malaga casks, seasoned using wine that originates in Malaga, Spain, are relatively unusual in whisky maturation. Malaga wine is generally a sweet, fortified dessert wine, made from Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Moscatel grapes. It comes in a few varieties, though, with red, white, and rose variations.

Yellow Spot 12 Year

Ireland - Single Pot Still

Current Locally Available Price: USD 135 (2024)

Age Statement: 12 Years

Strength: 46% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon barrels, ex-sherry butts, and ex-Malaga casks

Details: Not chill filtered

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 years; bottles at 40%, 50%, and 100% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Full-bodied, a plethora of fruits: orange, fig, juicy prune, and savory apple. Full oak flavor, and it brings lots of baking spice, especially cinnamon. Balanced, maybe leaning a bit sweet, and there's are hints of floral notes and grain character with more time to open up.

Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel, full of dried fruit and spices. Mild pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg add a bite; blood oranges, green apple candies, raisin, seedy fig, and grape add a sweeter side. Warm bread, cardamom, and vanilla add a sort of cake flavor; later on, the spicy cinnamon gets stronger.

Finish: Medium length - interesting and layered. Nice cozy warmth, still balanced, with savory apple and nutmeg, like a baked apple pie. Warm biscuits, bready, just a hint of grain in there; brown sugar, and then dark fruits like raisin arrive in the aftertaste.

Final Note: A very good whisky, and those full maturation Malaga casks definitely added a rich 'sweet and spicy' side. A very cozy, pleasant sipping experience, and it has a great mouthfeel for its strength of 46% ABV. It does come at a cost, however - this isn't an easy bottle to find here in the US, and prices reflect that. Around us, it costs more than $130, which is asking a lot.

Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.03

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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