I have to admit to being an enthusiastic (albeit none too knowledgeable) whisky drinker, currently working my way assiduously through the heavier peatier entries in 101 whiskies to try before you die. It’s St Patrick’s day today, and I find myself at no 48, ‘Green Spot’. The book says it’s hard to find, but I’ve tracked it down to Waitrose, so that’s that sorted. This might not be my kind of whiskey as it’s described as having a ‘smooth and oily character, with a purity caused by triple distillation” – so why am I celebrating by forking out £36.45 for a bottle?
I’m afraid I missed the greengage jam!
Two reasons – one is curiosity. As a whiskey it’s one of a kind. It’s an Irish pot still whiskey made in large copper stills using both malted and unmalted barley (Scottish whisky only uses malted… and I have a sort of feeling that I might like that better). Go here for the difference between Irish and Scotch, and more about what the pot still method entails.
But the second reason is that it is described as smelling like greengage jam, and tasting ‘lively and full of honey with minty notes’. I am sorry to say I noticed neither of those, but perhaps I am the wrong person to try – I like my whisky mightily peaty – see Battle of the Titans.
The clip below gives some interesting history about this interesting spirit.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYusGdB67QE]
While Olga, head bar tender at Decadence in Lisbon, was working through a Smoke Me – a pre-prandial we were enjoying at neighbouring sister restaurant…
