Whiskey

In 1805, the Mitchell and Sons Wine Merchants Company was established in the heart of Dublin, Ireland. By the turn of the 19th century, the Mitchells sold a range of Irish whiskeys under the name "Spot." This name originated from the companys practice of marking casks of different ages with a spot of colored paint. As a result, Mitchell and Sons sold whiskies named Blue Spot, Green Spot, Red Spot and finally Yellow Spot, which was last seen in the mid-to-late 1960s.Today, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey continues to be crafted in the heart of Ireland. The whiskey is made from malted and unmalted barley, which are milled and mashed before being triple-distilled through a traditional pot still. Following distillation, the whiskey is matured for 12 years the Yellow Spot brand was always aged for this amount of time in a combination of American Bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. The inclusion of the single pot still spirit aged in Spanish Malaga casks gives Yellow Spot its famously sweet character. After the various casks have been blended together, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is bottled at 92 proof, just a bit higher than other traditional Irish whiskies which are bottled at 90 proof."Pot Still Whiskeys define the traditional flavor character of Irish whiskey and we have seen a renewed interest and growth in the category over the last few years," says Brian Nation, the master distiller at Midleton Distillery, which makes Yellow Spot Whiskey. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has an aroma of red bell peppers, nutmeg, green tea and sweet peaches from the Malaga casks. On the palate, there is a honey sweetness accented by cloves, baked apples, milk chocolate, coffee and creme brulee. The finish is dry and complex, with notes of toasted oak, red grapes and barley.Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey was released in the United States in 2015 in extremely limited quantities. The whiskey was named Irish Whiskey of the Year by Whisky Advocate in 2016, in addition to winning Gold in the Wizards of Whiskey competition that same year. Pick up a bottle today!

"The craft beer movement has sparked a real curiosity in average beer drinkers, who say to themselves that they dont need to drink the same product anymore," says Brett VanderKamp, the cofounder of New Holland Brewery and Artisanal Spirits. "We want to do the same thing with whiskey drinkers."Situated on the banks of Lake Macatawa in Holland, Michigan, New Holland Brewery and Artisanal Spirits is best known for brewing craft beers such as Dragons Milk Ale and White Hatter Pale Ale. In 2005, however, VanderKamp added a still to his brewery and began distilling spirits.New Holland Zeppelin Bend Straight Malt Whiskey is the culmination of New Hollands brewing roots intertwined with its passion for craft spirits. The whiskey is made from 100 percent barley, a portion of which is heavily roasted. "This type of heavily-roasted barley is the same stuff we use in our porters and stouts and lends flavors of dark chocolate, coffee and cocoa to the whiskey," says VanderKamp. After the grains are sourced from the American Midwest, they are mashed and fermented by New Hollands brewers using a brewers yeast at low temperatures. "Our fermentation process, which lasts up to 10 days, is slow and methodical," says VanderKamp. "Were not looking to rush the process."After fermentation is complete, the wash is twice distilled through New Hollands 800-gallon, antique copper-pot still (the still was originally made during World War II). Then, the whiskey is aged in new, American oak casks that have been heavily charred. These casks lend strong notes of cinnamon and oaky spice to the whiskey, and complement its notes of vanilla, toffee and sweet malt.Following a three-year beautyrest, the whiskey is sampled by VanderKamp and his team in order to determine if it is ripe for bottling. Once the whiskeys flavors reach their peak of maturity the team looks for bold, robust notes of malt, butterscotch and dark chocolate that lead to a smooth yet lingering finish each batch is bottled by hand."We learned a lot of lessons while starting up the brewery. Its exciting to be able to use some of those lessons in expanding our artisan spirits," says VanderKamp. "We will always look for balance in our products, but in craft its also about offering a new and original angle on an old standard." Try an original whiskey today!