During my last visit to Dr. Jekylls Pub in Oslo the bartender asked me if I wanted to let him to choose a whisky for me. I love blind tastings so of course I said yes! I turned around looking away from the shelves. He made a lot of noise all over the place so I could not guess from which shelf he had taken the whisky.
Well, I got my glass and started nosing. It was quite synthetic, like the smell in a candy shop. Fruit and flowers. Unfortunately (to me) perfume… Orange peel and dust as well. The very first sip of the whisk(e)y (which also was my very first sip of alcohol that evening) was very nice on the palate. Rich and smooth. After a few more sips I found fruit, fruit caramel, peaches and salt. The rich and nice feeling disappeared. The finish was very salt and dry. Oak, licorice and perfume. Quite thin.
My score: nose 20 / taste 20 / finish 19 / balance 20 = 79
So, which whisk(e)y was it? Of course you already know the answer because of the heading in the article, but I had to make a guess. And I had to make a lot of guesses, and did not get the correct answer on my own. Actually I thought this was a grain whisky because of the synthetic candy feeling. When I learnt it was not grain, I guessed Irish – which is correct.
Yellow Spot 12 YO is a Single Pot Still whiskey produced at Midleton Distillery. It has been matured in Bourbon Barrels, Sherry Butts and Malaga Casks, and was bottled at 46 ABV. I think the casks is the reason I guessed grain whisky.
This was not an expensive whiskey (I was just a little bit worried about the price when I let the bartender choose…). It is not available in Norway.
Thanks, Tommy, for the challenge! In a few days I will get back to the other whisky from my blind tasting that same evening – a challenge by Jerry.
– Tone
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