Blue Spot Irish whiskey returns after 56-year wait

Irish Distillers and Mitchell & Son have joined forces to recreate the historic Blue Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, a range that was launched in the early 1900s.

According to Irish Distillers, the last record of Blue Spot whiskey dates back to 1964, making this the brand’s first launch in over half a century. The name ‘blue spot’ refers to dollops of paint put on the side of barrels to indicate they must be matured for a minimum of seven years.

The whiskey was first produced by wine and spirit merchants Mitchell & Son in the early 1900s. The company aged whiskey made in Jameson’s Bow Street distillery in cellars in Dublin.

Consulting information from Michell & Son’s inventory, the reimagined Blue Spot contains whisky that has been matured in Bourbon, Sherry and Madeira casks.

The inclusion of the Madeira casks was inspired by records dating to the 1930s. Irish Distillers sourced the casks from a cooperage in the north of Portugal. The barrels were then sent to the island of Madeira to be seasoned with the eponymous fortified wine, before being shipped to Midleton and filled with whiskey.

Kevin O’Gorman, master distiller at Irish Distillers, said: “It is with absolute pleasure that we reintroduce Blue Spot and bring a piece of Dublin’s 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.”

Bottled at cask strength, the whiskey carries an RRP of €80 and is available in Ireland, the UK, France, Canada, Northern Ireland and global travel retail, and in the US from February next year.

Jonathan Mitchell, managing director at Mitchell & Son, added: “It’s 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.”